Every individual is free and equal in dignity and rights. This guiding and visionary statement, set out in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is the product of historic and ongoing struggles to articulate and recognize every person’s intrinsic human rights.
Right now, people in our territory, across our nation, and around the world are standing up for their human rights and the rights of others. In some places, people face violent repression for doing so. The Yukon Human Rights Commission recognizes and acknowledges that important institutions in our society are grounded in, and often perpetuate, historic systemic discrimination. The legacy of systemic discrimination is unfair and unjust, and continues to burden some in Yukon while benefitting others.
Identifying and eliminating discrimination involves conversations and changes that are difficult and can be uncomfortable. For those who experience discrimination, breaking silences and demanding equality can be dangerous in ways that others with greater privilege may find difficult to understand and respond to. Every one of us has a part in eliminating discrimination. With a mandate under the Yukon Human Rights Act to promote equality and diversity, the Commission is here to support Yukoners in opposing all forms of prohibited discrimination.