What Are Economic Human Rights?
Economic human rights are the rights we all need to enjoy a decent standard of living. Everyone should have
the right to adequate housing, food, health care, education, and living wages. These are among the rights
written about in a document called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(see below). The Declaration is a landmark document that sets an international standard for human rights.
It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly 60 years ago, in 1948. This document has powerful
language about human rights and about the way we want our world to be. Of course, it will take a lot of work
to see these rights become a reality. People are working very hard every day to make them happen.
A social movement to end poverty, led by the poor, is building strength across the United States.
The economic human rights set out in the Declaration provide a new way of looking at poverty.
Too often, poverty is seen as someone’s individual problem or fault. Poverty is a much bigger and different
issue than simply people’s individual problems, however. The Declaration helps us understand that
poverty is a violation of economic human rights. Looking at poverty this way leads to questions about
the causes of poverty—why it exists and who benefits from its existence.
Leaders in this growing social movement are using the powerful language and goals of economic human
rights as an organizing tool to end poverty. Helping one another to think differently about poverty and
to tell our stories in terms of human rights helps remove the shame that often goes with living in poverty.
This allows more and more of us to work together to take part in the decisions that shape our lives.
Understanding economic human rights and the reasons why we do not now have these rights allows us to see
poverty differently, and to see different priorities and solutions. Once we define poverty as the absence of
economic human rights, we begin to see poverty not only as an enemy of human dignity, but as an enemy of
justice. When we are able to see our personal stories in terms of human rights, as stories of struggle,
survival, and strength, a new sense of dignity begins to crowd out fear and shame. Free of fear and shame,
we find we can raise our voices, we can tell our stories, we can claim our human rights. Together,
we can take action around the issues that affect our lives.
Portland Organizing to Win Economic Rights (POWER) is a grassroots anti-poverty action group that is
led by poor & low-income people. United with all those who align themselves with this mission, together
we’re building a local movement to win economic rights for all, end economic oppression, & abolish poverty.
When we unite to claim our rights, together we have POWER!!!
Contact info:
Portland Organizing to Win Economic Rights = POWER
P.O. Box 4281 Portland, ME 04101
(207) 650-5092
Written by members of POWER’s Economic Human Rights Taskforce
Regular monthly POWER meetings are held on the 3rd MONDAY of every month, from 6:00-8:00 PM, at 644
Congress St. in Portland, Maine. All those who support POWER’s mission are welcome and encouraged to attend!
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has 30 parts, called articles, each of which is about a different
right. The following three articles are commonly talked about as economic human rights:
Article 23
- Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and
to protection against unemployment.
- Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
- Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable payment ensuring for himself and his family an
existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
- Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 25
- Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of
his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right
to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of
livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
- Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out
of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Article 26
- Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental
stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made
generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
- Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship
among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for
the maintenance of peace.
- Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
View entire Declaration (available in several languages)
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