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5 NGOs offering Human Rights Jobs in India

The Human Rights Law Network, a project of the Socio-Legal Information Centre (SLIC), is a collective of lawyers and social activists using the legal system to advance human rights, struggle against violations, and ensure access to justice for all. HRLN consists of a nationwide network of more than 200 lawyers, paralegals, and activists across India serving those with limited access to the justice system, conducting litigation in public interest, engaging in advocacy, running helplines, conducting legal awareness programs, and more.

HRLN offers a variety of job opportunities for human rights professionals as support staff. They run multiple initiatives focusing on a wide range of legal and human rights issues, for which they hire directors and supportive staff. In addition to lawyers and related staff, they use specialists for fundraising, web and media coordination, internship coordination, and more. They also offer internships for those looking to gain experience.

Amnesty International in India works on various human rights issues throughout the country, including communal violence, access to justice, individuals at risk, gender-based violence, human rights education, business and human rights, and reducing excessive pretrial detention. They are also running several campaigns to raise awareness about and promote the progress of human rights issues, as well as to empower and praise current human rights defenders in the country.

Amnesty has over 200 staff throughout 6 cities in India working to protect justice, promote truth, and prevent human rights abuses. They offer a wide range of positions, including technical support jobs, fundraising specialists, development and media specialists, program officers, and more. They also have apprenticeships and internships available throughout the year. Amnesty encourages anyone to submit their CV to be considered for current and future job openings.

Child Rights and You (CRY) is a human rights organization that works throughout India specifically to protect and promote children’s rights. They partner with local organizations in the form of grant-making, capacity building, community mobilization, network and alliance building, influencing child-friendly policies, resource organizations, and nodal agencies that allow for greater outreach on a smaller scale. They intervene in situations of children’s rights through direct action, community mobilization, and monitoring/planning/evaluation of finances and programs.

CRY offers positions in a variety of areas, including information technology, program development and oversight, policy and research, and resource development, including corporate partnerships and other development initiatives. Position experience ranges from entry-level to senior management.

Save the Children is a global non-profit that is currently the leading child rights organization in India. Specifically, they target the areas of child protection, health and nutrition, education, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian response, and child poverty. They work throughout the country to promote child protection and human rights, improving healthcare and education and fighting against child marriage, child labor, child pregnancies, abuse, and emergency situations. Save the Children also works to influence and change policy and advocate on behalf of children and their rights.

Save the Children India offers jobs throughout the country in program coordination, finance, development/fundraising/corporate sponsorship, field work, policy and advocacy and more. Experience and position levels range from entry level to senior management. Those interested in applying can create a profile on the job portal to be notified about relevant job postings and openings.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is an autonomous public body established through the Human Rights Act of 1993. They do a variety of activities relating to protection of and promotion of human rights in India, including investigation into violations of the government, intervention in related court proceedings, recommendations on policies, review and study of conventions and laws regarding human rights, research in the field of human rights, education on human rights, and other various tasks.

Many of NHRC’s staff/members are appointed based on their positions as judges and chief justices, but other positions are necessary on an ongoing or temporary basis. Those with research and law backgrounds will be well-suited for many of these jobs. In addition to various consultant positions, they also have positions available for research officers, law presenting officers, and more.

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Human Rights Careers (HRC) provides information about online courses, jobs, paid internships, masters degrees, scholarships and other opportunities in the human rights sector and related areas.