Abstract:
This article explores how social workers in South Africa (where social work is regulated by law),
and Uganda (where social work is not professionally regulated), draw on the premises that social
work is a human rights profession embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
their respective countries’ constitutions, and developmental social work to claim their role in
promoting social and economic equality. The case studies from both South Africa and Uganda
show that developmental social work includes social, economic and environmental development
activities and that social work can become a significant role player in promoting social and
economic equality through its commitment to social justice and human rights.
