We define poverty as the inability of an individual to meet necessities/ needs.
Poverty is no friend to anyone; It robs individuals/nations, and continents of their dignity, self-respect, and self-value. Most developing countries do not need the definition of poverty because they have experienced it firsthand.
A poverty-ravaged existence is evident in the following:
- Bad Roads,
- Poor Health care,
- Poor Education,
- Unsafe Housing
- Dangerous working conditions,
- Hunger/ lack of nutritious food,
- Average family living below a dollar-par da.
All of which are fundamental human rights in an economy.
Poverty in this part is not entirely inevitable. The aftermath of wrong choices has landed the economy in the bottomless pit of deprivation, degenerating into inequalities, social exclusion, unequal access to justice, and disempowerment.
It is disheartening to know that the outburst of covid-19 has contributed to the poor state of the economy by eroding the similitude of comfort and has aggravated the poverty rate.
The pandemic highlighted these changes, unveiling social protection system gaps and failures as well as structural imbalances and different types of discrimination that deepen and perpetuate poverty. In addition, the climate emergency constitutes new violence against people living in poverty, as communities are unduly burdened by more frequent occurrences of natural disasters and environmental degradation, leading to the destruction of their homes, crops, and livelihoods.
In the event of the 35th celebration of international Poverty eradication day, the effort of the United Nations is highly commendable, given their quest to completely eradicate poverty in these parts of the continent by establishing different poverty eradication schemes and initiatives like
The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals are listed below:
- No Poverty
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health &Well-being
- Quality Education
- Gender Equality
- Clean Water & Sanitation
- Affordable & Clean Energy
- Decent Work & Economic Growth
- Industry Innovation & Infrastructure
- Reduced Inequalities
- Sustainable Cities & Communities
- Responsible Consumption & Production
- Climate Action
- Life Below Water
- Life on Land
- Peace, Justice & Strong Institution
- Partnership For the Goals
All the previously mentioned points are the goals of the UN to ensure that poverty becomes the least of human worries globally.
One might wonder about the reasons behind international days like poverty eradication day.
One of these reasons is to create awareness. It is easy to get comfortable and complacent when the belly is full, making it to forget the people in dire need of assistance. It is to educate and inform people on the global issue of concern.
It aims at mobilizing resources towards these global issues.
It bolsters global achievement by measuring goals against activities, then enlisting corrective measures in deviation or lack of goal achievement.
Celebration of international days is an excellent advocacy tool.
We join the UN in advocating for international poverty eradication globally.
