Human Rights in the UK

Human rights encompass protections afforded to all people under the law. These rights include fair treatment while in public, work, or in any instance in which a person might be discriminated against. While it would be ideal if all people recognised one another as equal, the reality is that there are still areas in the UK where people do not enjoy equality. The unfortunate aspect of this is the fact that many instances of discrimination simply go unreported. For example, people who face harassment and discrimination in the workplace often do not report these incidents, for fear of job termination. These fears are not unfounded, as many people lose their jobs due to complaints, even if the practice is illegal. Economic circumstances often require people to put up with a lack of human rights in order to earn an income for their families.

Another aspect of human rights centres around the LGBT community. Over the years, the LGBT community has faced severe human rights issues throughout much of the UK. However, times are changing. Same-sex marriage has progressed from an idea to a reality in places such as England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is expected to follow suit, although it currently does not officially recognise such marriages. An often overlooked, but equally important group of people, are those with disabilities. Human rights include people who have mental or physical disabilities, as these people deserve to be treated the same as everyone else, especially when it comes to the right to work.