WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE?

WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE?

• “Social justice may be broadly understood as the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth.”
  United Nations

• “Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities. Social workers aim to open the doors of access and opportunity for everyone, particularly those in greatest need.”
  National Association of Social Workers

• “Social justice encompasses economic justice. Social justice is the virtue which guides us in creating those organized human interactions we call institutions. In turn, social institutions, when justly organized, provide us with access to what is good for the person, both individually and in our associations with others. Social justice also imposes on each of us a personal responsibility to work with others to design and continually perfect our institutions as tools for personal and social development.”
  Center for Economic and Social Justice

THREE CORE VALUES IN DEFINING SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Equal rights
2. Equal opportunity
3. Equal treatment

NB: SOCIAL JUSTICE RELATES TO EQUAL RIGHTS AND EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL.

SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES

Some of the most pressing social justice issues include:

• Economic inequality: The gap between the rich and the poor is growing wider in many countries. This is a major social justice issue, leading to a lack of opportunity for the poor and marginalized.
• Racial injustice: People of colour are disproportionately affected by poverty, crime and violence and face discrimination in employment, housing, and education.
• Gender injustice: Women and girls have historically been denied the same rights and opportunities as men and face discrimination in the workplace, in education and in politics.
• Disability injustice: People with disabilities are often denied the same rights and opportunities as people without disabilities and face discrimination at work and in their communities.
• Environmental injustice: People of colour and low-income communities are often disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and the impacts of climate change. © 2024 San Diego Foundation (15 JUNE 2024).

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