Effects of Economic Inequality on the Accessibility of Fundamental Human Rights

Abstract

Economic inequality is a common theme that affects the realization of human rights and contributes to the development of gaps in different spheres of people’s lives. This paper seeks to examine the connection between economic inequality and human rights with special emphasis on social and political marginalisation, voting rights, access to justice, education, health care and human security. Inequality in income restricts citizens’ rights to public services and opportunities and perpetuates social discrimination, which in turn results in systematic human rights abuses to the minorities. The first step is to understand how economic disparities lead to social marginalization, which in turn restricts people’s ability to access important necessities such as education and health care services that are crucial to the human existence. The discussion then shifts to political aspect of economic disparity where the author notes that accumulation of wealth leads to political power hence limiting the political power of the minorities. This is because policies are made in a manner that favors the wealthy while the poor are neglected hence deepening the gaps in economic inequalities. Furthermore, the paper looks at how the economic disparity hinders justice and how it is even more difficult for the poor to afford an attorney and end up with a system that protects the rich. The discussion also raises issues of economic disparities in relation to quality education and health care, pointing out that such inequalities relegate people to a cycle of poverty and restricted social mobility. The paper concludes by discussing the overall impact of economic inequality in human security because of social inequalities in economic assets, income, and power that leads to social unrest, violence and conflicts which in turn erode further protection of human rights. The paper outlines the need for social policies that focus on the reduction of economic disparities for the enhancement of social justice. It underlines the need to be more responsive to the protection of human rights by going to the core of the problem and coming up with practical measures that can be used to ensure that every person is given an opportunity to enjoy his or her rights as a human being regardless of his or her financial status. By such approaches, there are good possibilities of establishing a society that is just and equal to all the human beings with an equal respect to their rights.

Keywords: Economic Inequality, Fundamental Rights, Justice, Healthcare, Education, Social Justice