World Day of Social Justice 2022

World Day of Social Justice - What is it?

Since 2009, the 20th of February has been designated as World Day of Social Justice. In recognizing that date, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution. In honor of International Day of Social Justice, it is an opportunity to remind ourselves how vital social justice is for peace, security, and development. According to the UN resolution, there need to be more international efforts aimed at educating people about poverty. Promoting gender equity and social wellbeing should also be a priority.

World Day of Social Justice History

Every year, on February 20th, the World Day of Social Justice brings global attention to issues of social justice. In order to achieve true equality, it is important for individuals to understand the various injustices in the world and work towards finding solutions. A happy, healthy society in which people are free to reach their full potential can only be achieved through equality.

Social development cannot be realized without social justice. February 20th is the World Day of Social Justice because the UN General Assembly declared it in 2007. A declaration on social justice for fair globalization was adopted by the International Labour Organization (a UN agency) in 2008 to highlight the UN's commitment to social justice. In 2009, 20 February was inaugurated as the first official World Day for Social Justice.

What is the importance of a World Day of Social Justice?

Social justice is an important goal of the UN, as can be seen from the history of the World Day of Social Justice. A huge group of leaders from around the world worked towards the development of society on that day. It is impossible to develop a society without social justice. It is in keeping with the Copenhagen Declaration's commitment to a "people-centered framework" to establish a World Day to raise awareness of social justice issues. To gain empowerment, people must be aware of social justice issues that directly affect them. On World Day of Social Justice, you can get informed about the most pressing issues and their best solutions.

The World Day of Social Justice Themes:

The theme of the World Day of Social Justice 2020 was “Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice.”

The Theme of the World Day of Social Justice 2021 Theme: “A Call for Social Justice in the Digital Economy.”

The Theme of the World Day of Social Justice 2022  “Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment.”

The Theme of the World Day of Social Justice 2022:

Taking steps to achieve social justice through formal employment is the theme of the World Day of Social Justice this year. In order to reduce poverty and inequality, the focus will be on formalizing employment. Participants will have access to the event virtually.

It was first proclaimed by the General Assembly in 2007 and has since been held under the leadership of the Kyrgyz Republic. In commemorating the day, we support efforts made by the international community to find solutions to achieve sustainable development and achieve many of the aspirations embodied in the Secretary-General's report, including eradicating poverty, working for full employment, ensuring decent work, and ensuring gender equality.

How Do We Define Social Justice?

Fairness is the basis of social justice. Every aspect of society is included under it, including basic needs, opportunities, and wealth. Equal treatment for all people is the goal of social justice, which is closely related to human rights. The past two themes of the World Day of Social Justice give you an idea of what social justice is about. If you want Peace and Development, Work for Social Justice," was the theme for 2019. According to the International Labor Organization, 2 million people are living in areas classified as fragile and conflict-affected. The pursuit of social justice is threatened by violent conflict and its consequences. Less than 40% of people have a career or access to income-generating jobs.

The theme for 2020 was "Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice." Currently, one in five workers lives in poverty. Gender discrimination, stagnant wages, and geographical disparities further exacerbate economic inequality. If economic inequality could be ended, social justice and development could take place.

Below are some of the most significant social justice issues affecting the world today.

It is necessary for the world to deal with a number of intersecting factors before social justice can be realized. Here are a few examples of issues posing the greatest threat to social justice:

Racial Discrimination or Racial Inequality

Throughout the world, systemic racism has led to significant inequities. These include inequity in employment opportunities, housing, healthcare, and legal representation. It takes a lot of work and determination to dismantle structures built upon racist thinking. Social justice also requires that culturally-ingrained racism be addressed. Racism may take different forms and targets depending on the country, but its consequences are always detrimental to society. Although racism is perceived as less prevalent in countries like Britain, there is still racism. There may be even more difficulty in making progress in these areas because the population does not view racism as an issue.

Gender Inequality

Several recent studies estimate that gender equality will not be achieved for 100 years if current trends continue. Education, employment, and healthcare are adversely affected by gender discrimination. Intimate partner violence and human trafficking are also common hazards for women and girls.

LGBTQ+ discrimination

Throughout the world, the LGBTQ+ community is particularly at risk of violence and discrimination. It is encouraging when countries like Denmark allow gender identity documents without the need to diagnose a mental disorder or undergo invasive surgery. Increasingly, equality in marriage is also becoming a reality. The safety and well-being of queer people are threatened even in progressive countries. In addition to legal protections, marriage equality, healthcare, and employment opportunities are affected by discrimination.

Economic Inequality

Reducing poverty is an important social justice goal. Progress has been made in some areas, but extreme poverty persists. Nearly 700 million people live on less than $1.90 per day, according to the World Bank. According to the World Bank, approximately 40-60 million people will be living in extreme poverty, following the release of COVID-19. Achieving economic justice requires addressing economic inequalities.

Lack of Equal Access to Education.

A good education is often the key to achieving better income and career prospects. Access to good education, particularly for girls, is, however, very challenging. Large disparities persist in South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Certain educational opportunities are also often out of reach for lower-income individuals due to costs.

Climate change

In recent years, fighting climate change has become more closely linked to social justice. Food insecurity, conflict, and sickness result from more extreme natural disasters such as droughts, floods, and more. One solution to the problem is to develop greener technologies, but social justice concerns cannot be overlooked.

Sources Used:

UN – Social Justice Day

International Labour Organization

Various News Articles

Social Justice Day Website

Wikipedia