C
ivil liberties are similar to
human rights. They are
freedoms to which everyone
in a country is entitled, such
as free speech and privacy.
Civil rights, however, are
similar to civil liberties, but
they are not universal.
Governments only grant
them to specific groups.
Civil rights are concerned with
the treatment of individuals.
They protect people from
discrimination based on race,
gender, religion, age, disability,
or sexuality. It is a violation
of a worker’s civil rights, for
example, to deny them a
promotion based solely on
their race or whether they
are male or female.
Simply by being born, people are entitled to
rights, such as the right to live and not to be
subjected to torture. Such rights are universal.
They apply to everyone, everywhere. These
rights are usually called human rights.
What are
civil rights?
Chapter 1
In some countries, including
the United States and Canada,
rights are written down in
what are called bills of rights.
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