What day is it?

This landmark event began to be celebrated in 1992 and is celebrated annually on October 17. The purpose of its creation is to draw the attention of the international community to the socially vulnerable segments of the population of our planet and to remind that the poor are a violation of the human right to a dignified life and that poverty must be fought.

How the idea to celebrate came about International day for the fight against poverty?

Prerequisites

It all began long before the official date of the day dedicated to the fight against poverty. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed at the General Assembly of the United Nations. Specialists from various fields of activity from all over the world participated in the creation of the declaration. The document states that the very fact of poverty already violates a person’s right to a full life. The document urges to make maximum efforts to observe this right.

A stone on the Trocadero

On October 17, 1987, one hundred thousand human rights defenders from different parts of the globe gathered in Paris (Trocadero Square) to express their attitude to poverty and to set demands for the observance of human rights. At the same time, on the same square, a stone was laid in memory of this significant event. In this way, the memory of the victims of poverty and hunger was honored. Since then, volunteers have gathered in the square and in other places around the world to show their support for poor people. One of these stones is placed in the garden of the UN headquarters.

The purpose of the holiday

The modern world is at the stage of economic growth. Technologies are developing, new material resources appear every day, in connection with which it is unacceptable that a large proportion of people live below the poverty line. The poor or poverty is a multifaceted concept that affects not only economic problems, but also opportunities for creating decent living conditions. The fight against poverty is not just a fight against lack of money, but an effort to combat such a phenomenon as inequality in society and protect the rights of every person, regardless of their social status and place of residence. As part of the celebration of the day, the UN Summit approved the 2015-2030 program called “Sustainable Development Goals”.

Statistics

Poverty is not only the lack of material resources to ensure a normal life. This is malnutrition, lack of or limited access to education or other services important for a full life. This is social discrimination and isolation, as well as the inability to make decisions. In 2015, more than 736 million people lived below the poverty line. About 10% of the world’s population lives in poverty and actually lacks access to medical services, education, and sanitation. For every 100 men aged 25 to 34 living in poverty, there are 122 women of the same age category. There is a high probability that by 2030, about 160 million children will live below the poverty line.

Assessment of poverty in Ukraine

According to the Institute of Demography, there were 14.5 million poor people in 2019, and according to the results of the 1st quarter of 2020, this figure increased by 2 million and amounted to 16.5 million people. According to the institute, the share of the poor in 2019 increased by 0.3 percentage points compared to 2018. and amounted to 24.4%. In 2019, the poverty line increased by 15% and amounted to UAH 3,017/month. per person

Anti-poverty day in history

• 1948
  prerequisites

  In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed at the General Assembly of the United Nations.
• 1987

  On October 17, 1987, one hundred thousand human rights defenders from different parts of the globe gathered in Paris (Trocadero Square) to express their attitude to poverty and to set demands for the observance of human rights.
• 1992
  in December

  In December 1992, a special resolution of the UN General Assembly established the International Day for the Fight against Poverty.

How to celebrate the International Day against Poverty?

On this day, activities are held in various countries of the world aimed at raising public awareness of the problem of poverty. Everyone should know that poverty is a violation of their civil rights. Each year, this date is dedicated to a special topic, during the celebration many questions were considered regarding the dignity of people in poor conditions, child poverty, the possibility of decent work, about how to change the situation with poverty for the better.
Pickets are held in many countries to encourage the authorities to take active actions related to overcoming poverty.

Why important this day?

The fight against poverty is a matter of social morality. Since one person cannot overcome this shameful phenomenon, people must rally around the solution to this problem. Every person is an individual who has the right to a decent life, to a decent wage and to services on which health and life depend.

When will we celebrate International Day against Poverty?