Having a Degree or Diploma or Certificate in Human Rights, one can work in the human rights field with a broad spectrum. There are governmental (National and State Human Rights Bodies), intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (Amnesty International, CRY, Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiatives, Asian Centre for Human Rights, South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre, PUCL and PUDR etc). Besides, a number of UN agencies working on the human rights issues might be useful for human rights, based employments in India and overseas as UNDP ((United Nations Development Programme), UNDESA (UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs), World Bank, UNICEF (UN Children Fund), UNEP( UN Environment Programme), UNFPA (UN Population Fund), WHO (World Health Organization), IMF (International Monetary Fund), UN- HABITAT (UN Human Settlements Programme), FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization), IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), ILO(International Labour Organization), ITU(International Telecom Union), UNAIDS (Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS), UNCTAD (UN Conference on Trade and Development), UNDG (UN Development Group), UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ), UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), UNIDO (UN Industrial Development Organization), UNIFEM (UN Development Fund for Women), OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ), UNRWA(UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ), WFP (World Food Programme).

Remuneration:

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.

Where to Study and Eligibility

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.

Eligibility: Post-Graduate, Under-Graduate any discipline, 12th 10th 8th Passed

Career in Human Rights:

Human Rights are those fundamental, universal and inalienable rights which are granted to a person on the virtue of being a human. Representing fundamental human values, these rights are eternal and unvarying; all other rights flow from these. Human rights are the basic rights of a person to survive in this world, such as the right to education, healthy food, housing, clean water, freedom of movement and speech and freedom from slavery and discrimination.

Human rights’ field is broad and multidisciplinary, and comprises of governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations working to promote and protect rights of every man, woman and child. These organizations use variety of approaches including direct service, advocacy, policy development, and research. Over the years it is observed that the variety of career opportunities in the field has increased manifold and includes media professionals, researchers, analysts, proposal writers, journalists, teachers etc.

To enter the field there are multiple entry points, but a degree in Human Rights or specialized courses would help one get the knowledge and skills required. Universities offer certificate, diploma and degree courses specialized in Human Rights or offer electives/courses as a part of other degree programs, such as Political Science, Development Studies, International Development etc. For those interested in study of law, specializing in human rights or international law, after a basic law degree would be beneficial. Human Rights field is challenging and intense. To have a better understanding of various human rights’ issues, one must have experience of on-the field reality of issues. For this, taking up internships or voluntary assignments during the course or long term internships offered by various national and international non-government organizations is a good option. These internships will help gain the necessary skills, experience, references and the sense of what a typical job profile would be like after one gets into the field. Human rights professionals can work with NGOs working for Human Rights issues and civil liberties. Such NGOs also function in the area of human rights activism, disaster and emergency relief, displaced people, humanitarian assistance, bonded labour, child rights, conflict resolution and public interest litigation, among others. Some important and well known organizations working in the field are:

• Amnesty International www.amnesty.org.uk, Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org
• Liberty www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk, Rights and Humanity www.rightsandhumanity.org
• Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative-www.humanrightsinitiative.org/
• UN Organizations- ILO, UNICEF, UNDP,UNESCO, UNDCP, UNFPA, WHO
• Red Cross http://www.icrc.org/eng/, CRY http://www.cry.org/index.html
• OXFAM International http://www.oxfam.org

While working to alleviate the suffering of the disadvantaged can be both satisfying and rewarding, one must not overlook the challenges that come with it. As a professional in International Human Rights, travel to foreign field offices and living away from your family and friends, sometimes in very difficult environments, comes as a part and parcel of the job. You may also have to learn foreign languages to interact with local people and understand the situation better. Knowing another language and having the ability to speak thoughtfully about the politics and economics of a region can be a real asset. If one is passionate about working for social justice, working in Human Rights field can be a rewarding journey both personally and professionally

Human Rights Jobs Vacancies:

There are lots of agencies both International and National where placement is lucrative. One can get jobs in NGOs and international firms after getting some sorts of experiences. Some of the famous International NGOs, Consulting firms and Agencies are:
1. World Food Programme
2. UNHCR
3. Amnesty International
4. Child Rights and You (CRY)
5. Oxfam
6. Human Rights Watch
7. Common Human Rights Initiatives
8. Asian Centre of Human Rights
9. South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre
10. United Nations Development Programme
11. UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs
12. World Bank
13. UNICEF
14. UNEP
15. United Nation Population Fund
16. WHO
17. IMF
18. UN-Habitat
19. FAO
20. International Fund for Agricultural Development
21. ILO
22. International Telecom Union
23. UN Programme on HIV/AIDS
24. UN Conference on Trade and Development
25. UNESCO
26. UN Development Fund for Women
27. CSR
28. NGO’s