Human Rights & Social Development (Edexcel A Level Geography)
Revision Note
Human Right Variations
People’s access to human rights varies between countries, even though they are meant to be universal (across all countries)
There are also significant variations within countries, especially for minority groups (e.g. ethnic minorities, women)
This is especially evident post-colonial countries, such as:
The Apartheid in South Africa
The Aboriginal people of Australia
Religious minorities in India, including Muslims
Women in Pakistan
Access to human rights in these post-colonial countries have been problematic due to:
Post-colonial governments were often authoritarian and largely excluded indigenous people
Post-colonial poverty led to a focus on economic growth rather than human rights
The colonial borders did not recognise the importance of traditional ethnic and religious borders, so post-colonial countries often contained ethnic minority groups
E.g. the Afar people of Ethiopia were split amongst Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Learn some examples of human rights abuses within post-colonial countries, as use of located examples is important in essay questions.
For example:
Women in Pakistan
Pakistan was part of British India until independence in 1947
Progress in improving women’s rights and lives have been slow
Pakistan is the second most gender unequal country
Child marriage is still common, even though it is illegal
Forced marriage is very common
Female literacy is only 46% compared to male literacy of 69% (2019)
Honour killings of women are still common in areas of Pakistan; it is often ignored or lightly punished
Human Rights, Health & Education
A lack of human rights usually means lower levels of social development (health and education)
Social groups with fewer human rights often have poorer levels of health and education than the dominant, more powerful groups
Prejudice among the wider population can mean these minority groups are denied access to key services and opportunities (e.g. housing, employment)
This all has a direct impact on their quality of life
Indigenous people of the USA
In the USA, around 2% of the population is Native American
These indigenous people have experienced discrimination since European colonisation
Native Americans are the most impoverished ethnic group in the USA
These indigenous populations are poorer, less well educated and live shorter lives than the wider population of the USA
Development indicators for the indigenous and wider USA population
Development Indicator | Native American | USA population as a whole |
|---|---|---|
Average income | $38,500 | $55,750 |
Students graduating from high school (%) | 74 | 86 |
Life expectancy | 73 years | 79 years |
Infant mortality rate per 1000 live births | 7.9 | 5.6 |
Death from diabetes per 100,000 people | 41.3 | 26.7 |
Around 1 million Native Americans now live on reservations
There reservations can be very remote with very few resources
Schools and healthcare services in these reservations are underfunded
Indigenous population of South America
In Latin America, the indigenous population account for 13% of the total population
Many live in rural areas and a small number still follow a traditional lifestyle in isolated tribes around the Amazon Basin
They frequently lack access to services and opportunities; this can be seen in the development data below
Indigenous versus non-indigenous development data for 3 countries in Latin America
Development Indicator | Brazil | Colombia | Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|
Indigenous poverty rate (% living on less than $1.90 per day) | 14 | 17 | 4 |
Non-indigenous poverty rate | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Indigenous access to clean water (%) | 90 | 72 | 91 |
Non-indigenous access to clean water (%) | 97 | 85 | 96 |
Indigenous literacy rate (%) | 90 | 91 | 95 |
Non-indigenous literacy rate (%) | 96 | 93 | 97 |
This leave the indigenous people poorer and less educated, in worse health, and more likely to commit suicide than the rest of the population
These communities and their environments are also under threat from mining, oil extraction, dam and road building, logging and agro-industrial projects
They are being driven off their homelands and are ending up in urban areas, which impacts on their quality of life even more
Human Rights & Equality
The inequality in human rights and quality of life for the minority groups is viewed as unfair
This has led to campaigns for equal human rights by these minority groups e.g. the Black Lives Matter movement
The progress for equality varies from country to country
A demand for equality from women and ethnic minorities has been influential in the history of many countries, including Afghanistan and Australia
Gender inequality in Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been involved in conflict for around 40 years
Between 1992 and 2001, the country was controlled by the Taliban
Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, IGOs (e.g. the UN) strongly support women’s rights in Afghanistan and have provided 4.3 million women with life-saving services e.g. medical care
Women’s rights have been severely limited, including:
All women to cover their faces in public or their male relatives will be fined/imprisoned
Only leaving the house with a male guardian or risk interrogation from the Taliban
All women in a governmental role have been told to leave their jobs
Ethnic inequality in Australia
In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI) people have campaigned for equal rights
Many ATSI people still believe that they are discriminated against
There are demands for:
The restoration of land that was forcibly taken from ATSI people
More cultural awareness programmes, like the cultural centre at Uluru run by aboriginal women
Worked Example
Explain the relationship between human rights and levels of social development within countries
(8 marks)
Start by outlining how variations within countries in access to human rights are often closely related to variations in levels of health and education
Then you could explain how minority groups can be discriminated against by the government, in terms of funding and support for education and healthcare
Finally, you could explain how the lack of rights, such as freedom of speech, makes it harder for minority groups to improve their situation
Answer:
A lack of human rights often means lower levels of social development (health and education). Social groups who experience fewer human rights, like women and ethnic minorities, often have poorer levels of health and education than the dominant, more powerful groups. These minority groups can also experience prejudice from the wider population, who deny access to key services and opportunities (e.g. housing, employment). Therefore the quality of life, for these minority groups, suffers.
Minority groups can also be given fewer rights by the government. For example, under Taliban rule, girls are banned from going to school over the age of 10. This will impact their future successes and ability to earn a higher wage, as well as their independence. The government can also impact minority groups by giving less funding to education and healthcare to the areas where they live. For example, the number of Native Americans dying from diabetes is about a third higher compared to the non-indigenous population. This could be due to a variety of reasons, including: poorer or inaccessible medical facilities; the Native Americans not being able to afford health insurance; or an unhealthy diet due to lower income or lack of education. Through this discrimination, the quality of life, for these minority groups, suffers.
It is difficult for these oppressed groups to improve their situation due to a lack of human rights, such as freedom of speech and the right to education. For example, after the military coalition ousted the Taliban in 2001, women’s rights were gradually restored in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban took back control in 2021 and once again women are discriminated against, abused and persecuted. Afghan women, peacefully protesting this breach of their human rights, have been beaten, threatened, tortured and imprisoned. This violation of women’s human rights is destroying their lives.
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