What is a Human Rights Based Approach?
A human rights-based approach puts the principles of human rights at the centre of your work. At its core, the human rights-based approach (HRBA) supports people to claim and exercise their rights, with a focus on those at the sharpest end of injustices and inequality, whilst calling on duty bearers to fulfil their obligations. There are four main benefits to taking a rights-based approach, and talking about human rights in your work:
- Reframe the conversation
The way we talk about issues like inequality, food insecurity, and education is important. All too often, the everyday experiences of those affected – like a family living with black mould in their social housing and the resulting impact on their health and wellbeing – are overlooked. Instead, blame is often misplaced on individuals rather than on the systems that should support them. Human rights frameworks can shift the narrative towards solutions, not shame. This is because human rights recognise the critical role that the government has in shaping our lives, and that issues like poverty are failures of the state, not the individual.
- Unleash power within communities
The rights-based approach supports communities to demand change and engage meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives. Those experiencing rights violations are rarely alone in their experience. Many individuals may face similar issues, yet feelings of embarrassment can sometimes stop us talking about the problems we face. As organisers, talking about problems as human rights issues can help those we support feel more confident voicing their concerns and advocating for social change.
- Provide a roadmap
Human rights outline the basic needs and freedoms which must be secured if people are to live in dignity and provide legal standards for what achieving this looks like. We can use this as a framework through which we can advocate for a better world. By claiming our rights and understanding the law we can better call on duty bearers to uphold their responsibilities and show them how to get there. Human rights also give those in public power a guide to how they can make rights respecting decisions, supporting public officials to provide better services for people they serve.
- Create lasting change
Human rights provide us a framework for improving people’s lives in the short and long term. Taking a human rights-based approach means recognising that to improve society, we need to address immediate needs and harms, and the power imbalances that give rise to injustice. When we talk about rights, we are talking about an internationally recognised benchmark for how everyone must be treated. This standard, which is set out in law, is not optional. If rights are breached this must be remedied and prevented from happening again. This shifts the focus from ‘sticking plasters’ to long-term solutions.
Integrating a rights-based approach into policymaking, as well as the day to day running of organisations, ensures that standards are met for everyone: so that rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled.
The PANEL framework
A commonly used framework for taking a human rights-based approach is PANEL – it stands for:
Participation
All people have the right to participate freely and meaningfully in decisions that affect their rights.
Accountability
Laws, institutions and mechanisms are in place to hold duty-bearers accountable.
Non-discrimination and equality
All forms of discrimination are prohibited, prevented and eliminated.
Empowerment
People understand their rights and are supported to participate in decisions and practices that affect them.
Legality
Policies and programmes need to respect human rights.
Case studies
In 2015, the Scottish Human Rights Commission began to work alongside a group of residents in Leith, Scotland, who were living in poor housing conditions. People were experiencing problems with damp, mould, ineffective or broken heating, pigeon, rodent and insect infestations, and maintenance issues. Following a model developed by Participation in the Practice of Rights (PPR) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Commission supported residents to advocate for their right to an adequate standard of housing to secure improvements in their housing. The right to housing is set out in international law and contains a range of standards which need to be met on issues such as habitability and availability of services, among others.
In February 2017, the Council issued a newsletter committing to replace the ventilation system within Citadel and Persevere in April 2017, followed by a replacement of all kitchens, bathrooms and heaters within the two high rise buildings. They also agreed to replace windows in both high-rise buildings in the latter part of 2017. During the same period, the Council began work to replace the roof of West Cromwell St, the condition of which had caused water ingress and related damp. The Council has also run several pest control clinics and has provided netting to prevent pigeons from inhabiting balconies on the flats.
You can read more about this project here.
You can watch a video about this project here.
Unfold, a community organisation in Westminster providing mentoring and peer support programmes to families and young people, recognised that many of the people most affected by its services – particularly young people, women and minoritised communities – had little say in shaping decisions about how support was delivered and how the organisation operated.
To address this, Unfold worked with Just Fair to adopt a human-rights based approach grounded in the PANEL principles of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, empowerment and legality. As part of this process, they formally embedded two advisory bodies into their constitution – the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and the Women’s Advisory Council (WAC). The WAC and YAC, made up of people with lived and living experience, received training in human rights, helping build their confidence to challenge decisions and advocate for change. They meet regularly with staff and Trustees to influence strategy, priorities and organisational decision-making.
Under their new governance structures, Unfold’s leadership is required to demonstrate how the WAC and YAC’s feedback shapes their decision making. As a result, Unfold has shifted from a service-delivery model towards shared decision making, with positive impacts on Unfold’s work as a whole: the WAC and YAC now directly shape organisational priorities, influence advocacy campaigns and scrutinise leadership decisions, contributing to the development of new areas of work, including a co-designed SEND mentoring programme, and strengthened Unfold’s advocacy on housing, mental health and community safety. The model has also increased accountability and transparency within governance processes, while supporting service users to build confidence, leadership skills and experience of influencing decision-making spaces.
A Human Rights Based Approach Matrix
Check out our human rights-based approach matrix in the document below, which allows you to check that you are taking a rights-based approach in your activities.
This matrix was inspired by and builds upon the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s self-assessment tool.
👉 Download it here.