Human Rights Essay Topics You Won’t Find Anywhere Else

We do things that were not available for most people for centuries. We can love and marry whoever we want. Both men and women can become engineers, teachers, fashion designers, or pilots. Western civilization forgot the word “slavery” a long time ago.

But is this freedom available everywhere? Is a violation of human rights a relic that has disappeared once and for all? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

We offer you this collection of human rights topics for essays. We consider these themes to be essential for modern society. Learn more about the human rights issue with EssayShark essay writing service!

Argumentative human rights topics for essays

1. Can the state violate basic human rights during wartime in the interest of the country?
2. Does the cutting of the genitals of male infants violate human rights?
3. Should men and women have different rights? In what cases?
4. Can the same human rights standards be achieved internationally?
5. Should human rights depend on specific traditions?
6. Is capital punishment a violation of human rights?
7. Should the right for free education be available for all?
8. Can the right for privacy be guaranteed by social media networking services?
9. Do restrictions on immigration in the USA violate human rights?
10. Should the interests of the state take priority over the rights of individuals?
11. Is democracy the best political system when it comes to protecting basic human rights?
12. Should developed countries be responsible for human rights promotion around the world?
13. Should pet ownership be a basic human right?
14. Is global trade good for our labor rights?
15. Should human rights differ from country to country or should they be universal?
16. The concept of childhood for people can differ from culture to culture. Should the concept of child labor also vary?
17. Do you approve of a state that steadily raises the standards of living but constantly restricts the political rights of the citizens?
18. Which political regime ensures basic human rights the best possible way?
19. Does military action as a way to protect human rights make sense? Why or why not?
20. Does life imprisonment violate human rights?
21. Do you agree with the statement that human rights have to be 100% universal?
22. Can tortures ever be justified?
23. What are inappropriate ways to fight for human rights?
24. Can human rights be restricted for the sake of the whole planet?
25. Does the development of a country depend on the protection of human rights?
26. Can the protection of human rights justify the intervening of one state on the territory of other states?
27. Does the capitalistic system defend or violate human rights?
28. Should the promotion of human rights be a top priority for modern society?
29. Do cameras in public places violate human rights?
30. Are non-governmental organizations powerful enough to protect human rights on a global scale?
31. Should prisoners retain their right to vote?
32. Are universal human rights attainable in the modern world?
33. Should trade with countries that massively violate human rights be prohibited in the USA?
34. Can human rights be violated in the interest of national security?
35. What are the most important amendments to the Constitution from a human rights perspective?

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Analytical human rights essay topics

1. Which human rights at the workplace are most frequently violated? Why?
2. Analyze the organizational structure of the European Commission of Human Rights.
3. Analyze the connection between human rights and ecological problems.
4. Analyze the structure of the European Court of Human Rights. Is it effective?
5. Analyze the basic principles and purpose of the European Convention on Human Rights.
6. Analyze the violation of human rights in the porn industry.
7. How can the state be fined by the international community when it violates human rights?
8. How can a violation of human rights by police be stopped?
9. The violation of children’s rights in Taiwan.
10. How are human rights violated in Belarus?

Compare and contrast human rights topics for essays

1. Compare and contrast human rights and the rights of pets.
2. Compare and contrast the civil rights and human rights movements.
3. Compare and contrast “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” (1789) and the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (1948).
4. Compare and contrast two criminal justice models: the freedom model and the human rights model.
5. Compare and contrast the “Equality Act” (2010) and the “Human Rights Act” (1998).
6. Compare and contrast serfdom and slavery. How do these phenomena violate human rights?
7. Compare and contrast the Islamic view on human rights with “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
8. Compare and contrast the violation of human rights in the novels “1984” by George Orwell and “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley.
9. Define the terms “segregation” and “apartheid.” What do they have in common?
10. Compare and contrast women’s rights in the first and in the second halves of the 20th century in the USA.

Cause and effect human rights essay topics

1. How does cultural relativism influence the issue of human rights?
2. How do business contracts with countries where human rights are widely violated influence a company’s reputation? How does a company avoid this?
3. How does the legalization of same-sex marriage in European countries influence the global issue of human rights?
4. How does international human rights law affect US policy?
5. How does the play “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen develop the topic of human rights?
6. Has freedom of creative expression always been one of human rights?
7. Define the term “responsibility to protect.” How is it related to the problem of human rights?
8. How can the international community react to the existence of sweatshops in Asian countries?
9. What negative effect does the war against terrorism have in relation to human rights?
10. What human rights are widely violated in modern China? How does this influence the international image of the country?

Human rights essay topics: history

1. Which population groups had the right to vote in ancient Greek poleis and which had not?
2. Which human rights were inaccessible for women in the first half of the 20th century?
3. Does the concept of “human rights” have Western origins?
4. What was the main purpose of “The Human Rights Act” in 1993 in New Zealand?
5. What factors defined human rights in Medieval Europe?
6. What human rights were fought for during the French Revolution?
7. In 1948, what human rights were declared to be universal?
8. Analyze the violation of basic human rights in Crimea in 2014.
9. What historical event in the 20th century has changed the way Western civilization looks at human rights?
10. What impact did World War II have on the issue of human rights?
11. What are the origins of human rights?
12. What role did Eleanor Roosevelt play in the campaign for the protection of human rights?
13. When did the presumption of innocence become one of the main policies in the American justice system?
14. How are human rights represented in the philosophy of Enlightenment?
15. Analyze human rights violations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Original human rights topics for essays

1. How is the issue of human rights developed in the movie “Hidden Figures”?
2. Define the term “ombudsman.” What role does it play in the issue of human rights?
3. Define the term “environmental racism.”
4. Why don’t other countries intervene while the government in North Korea violates human rights massively?
5. Why does human trafficking still exist?
6. How can an individual take part in a campaign for the protection of human rights?
7. How does utilitarianism contravene the concept of human rights?
8. Why are LGBT relationships and marriages not allowed in some countries even though it’s a basic human right?
9. How do human rights institutions help to protect human rights in African countries?
10. How does the Bible violate basic human rights?

We’re sure that 90 human rights essay topics are enough even for the pickiest student. Have you found one for yourself? If yes, we want to give you one more helpful hint.

A good essay should have a clear and appropriate thesis statement. Meanwhile, let us give you some examples of thesis statements that will inspire you for your writing.

3 thesis statement examples for human rights essays

Topic: “Why are LGBT relationships and marriages not allowed in some countries though it’s a basic human right?”
Thesis statement: “LGBT relationships and marriages are considered illegal in a range of countries because of religious norms, traditions, and a general bias against LGBT communities in society.”

Topic: “Should prisoners retain their right to vote?”
Thesis statement: “Prisoners do not have the right to vote as they have violated the basic human rights of other citizens and, therefore, are no longer full-fledged members of society.”

Topic: “Does military action as a way to protect human rights make sense? Why or why not?”
Thesis statement: “Military action cannot be considered as a reasonable or appropriate way to protect human rights, as any form of military aggression violates basic human rights such as the right to life and safety.”

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