Human Rights Day: 'We have made great strides, but more needs to be done'

21 March marks Human Rights Day in South Africa.

The day is historically linked to the tragic events that took place in Sharpeville in 1960 when apartheid police shot and killed 69 people in a peaceful protest march. 

Human Rights Day is meant to serve as a reminder to South Africans about the sacrifices made to achieve our country's democracy.

It's also a day to reflect on how far the country has come in the promotion and protection of human rights.

"It's always an important opportunity to use these kinds of days to really reflect on where we come from but also to look at the status of where we are at and what needs to be done in order for us to continue fighting for those very human rights."

- Catherine Constantinides, human rights defender 

According to the Bill of Rights as enshrined in our Constitution, every citizen has the right to equality, human dignity, freedom of movement and residence, language and culture, and the right to life.

"I work on the ground every single day and I am very alive to the fact that unfortunately we have had great strides in working for our human rights but we have so much more work that must be done in order for us to ensure that those human rights are accessible to every South African."

- Catherine Constantinides, human rights defender 

South Africa celebrates 30 years of constitutional democracy and human rights this year, but how far have we come in terms of making sure each citizen has access to these human rights?

"People still don't have access to safe sanitation, safe clean drinking water - or any water for that matter...We need to look at how human rights are lived on a day-to-day basis."

 - Catherine Constantinides, human rights defender 

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