Institute of Development Studies

Rights

We aim to contribute to academic debates on human rights in a development context, engage with policymakers, advocacy organisations and donors on key issues, and influence the practice of implementing rights agendas in development programmes.

Human rights are increasingly important on the international development agenda. Rights-based projects and programmes are promoted and implemented across the world by donors, NGOs, academics and activists. Rights-based approaches to development have emerged out of several streams of thinking - out of a United Nations international legal framework; from a range of social, cultural and political struggles in both North and South; and a historical evolution from people seen as beneficiaries to being citizens. In practice, rights based approaches, whether employed by advocates or international agencies, are often based on a blend of all three of these.

Human rights are more meaningful and sustainable when they are claimed from the bottom up by people who live daily realities of poverty and inequality. Rights are not just an approach for development, they can be a real way for people to challenge power and structural inequalities. When people mobilise and struggle to gain their rights it may lead to better access to resources such as land, health, housing and water. Legal frameworks are important but many governments often violate people's rights as well as protect them. Many people use direct action strategies such as protesting and working with the media to draw attention to their rights.

News »»

IDS at the 12th AWID International Forum on Women’s Rights in Development

Published: 19 Apr 2012

Too Close to Call on Women’s Progress in Saudi Arabia

Published: 28 Sep 2011

New coalition forms to push inequality up the development agenda

Published: 28 Sep 2011

Shooting the messenger: Controversy over farmworker conditions in South Africa

Published: 14 Sep 2011

IDS interview: The impact of the law on sex workers in Ethiopia

Published: 26 Aug 2011

Events

There are no current Events

Latest Publications on Rights »

• Hossain, N. (2012) 'Women’s Empowerment Revisited: From Individual to Collective Power among the Export Sector Workers of Bangladesh', IDS Working Paper 389, Brighton: IDS
• (2012) 'Anatomy of Coping' , World Bank
• McGee, R. and Gaventa, J. (2011) 'Shifting Power? Assessing the Impact of Transparency and Accountability Initiatives', IDS Working Paper 383, Brighton: IDS
• Chopra, D. Williams, P. and Vira, B. (2011) 'Politics of Citizenship: Experiencing State-Society Relations from the Margins', Contemporary South Asia 19.3:243-247
• Chopra, D. (2011) 'Interactions of ‘Power’ in the Making and Shaping of Social Policy', Contemporary South Asia 19.2:153-171

Rights projects at IDS

SendasAL - research and knowledge on gender inequality, social justice and poverty reduction - SendasAL is a joint project between BRIDGE and Uruguayan NGO Ciedur providing a Spanish web-space for sharing and promoting resources which support gender equality, social justice and poverty reduction in Latin America. (Ongoing)

Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability (STEPS) Centre - The STEPS Centre is an interdisciplinary global research and policy engagement hub, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. It aims to develop a new approach to understanding, action and communication on sustainability and development. (Ongoing)