Right to Marry

The ‘right to marry and to found a family’ is one of many liberties provided and protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Under Article 16, which pertains to these two specific yet interconnected rights, it is acknowledged that the family unit, as well as each individual member of said unit has a right to, and thus should realize certain human freedoms and inalienable rights, as the preservation of the human family is a significant facet and building block of the overarching societal issue of facilitating freedom, justice, and peace throughout the globe.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a historically significant document for a multitude of reasons. It is the first recorded written document purposed to delineate foundational human rights that are to be universally accepted and defended. The document was composed by delegates from all parts of the world, each of whom represented divergent legal and societal culture sets than the delegate beside. Despite these differences, the representatives came together for the sake of the UDHR, eventually allowing for it to be declared a universal code of aspirations and liberties for all people in the world by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948.
Article 16, which specifically handles the right to marry and found a family asserts that all men and women of appropriate age are allowed to establish a family, despite race, nationality, or religion. Each man and woman is entitled to equal rights as pertains to becoming married, remaining married, and dissolving the marriage. It goes on to assert that the institution of marriage can only be given to two people who are both consenting. Furthermore, it declares that the family is the building block to society, and as such, is entitled to protection by both the people and the government. Article 16, then, works as a means of self-preservation of the human race.

There are, as well, other articles that deal with the...