For millions,human rights are still something to be fought for, not lived.

Amna Shahid

2 min read

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1 hour ago

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Human rights are often discussed as laws and principles, but at their core, they are about dignity.

The right to live safely, freely, and without fear. History shows that these rights were never freely given; they were denied to millions through slavery, colonialism, apartheid, and authoritarian rule, where entire communities were silenced, displaced, and stripped of their identity. In conflict zones, this denial continues today as civilians lose access to safety, education, healthcare, and even the right to life, while fear replaces normalcy and survival becomes the only priority. Women, in particular, have suffered deeply, having to fight for rights that should have been theirs by birth—education, autonomy, political participation, and control over their own bodies,only to face further violence and exploitation during conflict, where their suffering is often used as a weapon and then ignored.

Yet progress has only ever come because people refused to accept injustice as normal, especially women who have stood at the forefront of resistance not just for themselves, but for future generations. Human rights still matter today because persecution, silencing, and discrimination have not disappeared; they have only changed forms, and silence continues to enable them.

If human rights are truly universal, then their denial anywhere is a failure everywhere, and remembering the struggles of the past is not about reopening wounds, but about ensuring that dignity, freedom, and equality are not privileges decided by power, but rights guaranteed to all.

Human rights are not inherited from power, but demanded from conscience.