Career in Human Rights

What: “Human rights are those rights which a human being possess by virtue of being a human”

The human rights field has huge potential and need for multiple professionals. Work in human rights can be challenging and intense. Organizations use a variety of disciplines in their approach to Social Justice, Juvenile Justice, Gender Justice, Custodial Justice, and now emerging area of Climate Justice including direct service, monitoring & evaluation, lobbying and networking, advocacy, policy development, documenting and research.

In addition, human rights professionals provide advisory and educational services, refugee assistance, victim’s rehabilitation, policy analysis for national and international institutions, assistance in institution building and project development and management in the field of human rights based civil society organizations.

The salary in the field of human rights depend upon the nature of job such as permanent, temporary, ad-hoc and project based assignments. However, the higher remuneration and various other benefits depend upon which sector one is working like government, non-government organization, corporate houses or International Organization and even whether person is working in India or abroad.

How: The experience of past two decades has demonstrated the crucial importance of human rights. Traditionally, the human rights violation occurred due to State or its actors, however, the contemporary time has witnessed human rights violations by individuals, institutions and at societal levels. Over the years, the National Human Rights Commissions of India has been recording and reporting a number of human rights violations including civil, political, social and economic rights.

These violations and victimizations are with regard to the issues concerning right to food, right to health, right to education, rights of women against violence and exploitation, rights of Children against abuse and exploitation, rights of migrants and their violation based on caste, creed, region and region.

Where:  Most of the University Departments offering a Post-Graduate or Under-Graduate programs have Human Rights as one of their main subjects. Some Universities, Colleges, Institutions and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) also offer Diploma and Certificate.  The Eligibility to take admission in these courses is generally a Bachelor’s degree in any stream having some understanding of human rights issues.

Institutions:

• Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
• Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
• Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
• Cochin University of Science & Technology, Kochi
• Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
• S. University of Baroda,Vadodara
• Sri Venkatesswara University, Tirupati
• M.D. University, Rohtak