Human rights guarantee people the means necessary to satisfy their basic needs, including the right to liberty, equality, security, etc. Today, since we are so well aware of the importance of Human rights, there are so many NGOs and local communities that would help to solve the human rights violations immediately (at least on the local level.) However, have you ever thought that some people do not even have the opportunity to ask for help from the surrounding environment, because they do not know what kind of harassment they have experienced? Sometimes they can’t verbalize specifically what they have been unjustly treated, because of their lack of knowledge on human rights violations.
The International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and the Dignity of Victims is celebrated on the 24th of March. This date was established by the UN, to commemorate the death of Arnulfo Romera, Archbishop of El Salvador, who was assassinated on March 24th, after making his speeches about justice and peace for his citizens. On this day countries recognize that victims of atrocity have the right to know the truth about the abuses that they have suffered, meaning that every victim has an unalienable right to know who is responsible for their sufferings.
The MeToo movement in 2018, in India, is one of the best examples that show the effect of revealing the truth. The year 2018 was the year that inspired many women to reveal the sexual harassment and assault that they have experienced. After Nana Patekar was accused of his sexual harassment of women (Actress Tanushree Dutta), many people followed the social trend and but great empathy for the victims, who didn’t have a chance to present their raw feelings because of the social norms. This example shows that many women in the informal sectors tend to remain invisible within the movement, also adding another goal that the world needs to solve, highlighting the international day of right to the truth day.
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