We explain what equal rights are, their relationship with different political models and their importance in democracy.
What is equal rights?
Equal rights is equality before the law of all human beings, without discriminating against them based on conditions such as their sex, sexual orientation, origin, religion or race. In practice it is the same as the right to equality.
This means that what is established in the written law, included in codes or in the Constitution, or even those legal orders dictated by custom, must be applied as general principles of justice, and not exercised at the discretion of the person.
When this is fulfilled in a legal system, it is said that there is a Rule of Law, that is, a society governed by rules and not by individual criteria. The principle of Equality before the Law means that the law is followed without distinction of who is judged. It is also called the principle of isonomy and is one of the basic elements of modern law.
Consequently, equal rights is incompatible with discriminatory political and social models such as slavery, serfdom, colonialism, monarchy, theocracy or fascism. In these systems there are first-class citizens and second-class citizens, therefore the laws are applied differently depending on which category you belong to.
Many organizations fight internationally for a society of equal rights. However, In current democratic models there are also forms of discrimination contrary to equal rights that is, the right to be treated as an equal by everyone and to enjoy the exact same rights.
Examples abound, unfortunately: racial discrimination for decades in the United States, which distinguished between rights for whites and blacks; the labor exploitation of African and Asian migrants in almost the entire West; or even the wage gap between men and women, which pays the former more for doing the exact same job.
See also: Social inequality
Importance of equal rights
Equal rights are fundamental for any type of organized democratic society. Only the rule of law, that is, with a legal system that applies equally to rich, poor, black, white, women, men, homosexuals and heterosexuals, allows social peace to be sustained for long periods of time.
Discrimination, segregation, racism or xenophobia are very common scourges of humanity. On the one hand, they leave a negative mark on those who practice it, since they impoverish their culture and miss out on the opportunity to learn from the difference. But they also harm those who suffer from it, who in some cases later also exercise discrimination.
It has been known since ancient times that this cycle never stops, and that mixing, accepting diversity, celebrating the richness of points of view, is the only way to achieve a just and peaceful society.
Continue with: Equal opportunities
References
- “Equality before the law” on Wikipedia.
- “Why is equal rights important?” at Anne Frank House.
- “Equality and non-discrimination” in the United Nations (UN).
- “For true equality of rights” in Movement for Peace.
- “Right to equality” at UNHCR.
