International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

   Too often, people living in poverty are blamed, stigmatised, and pushed into the shadows. Yet poverty is not a personal failure; it is a systemic failure – a denial of dignity and human rights. This year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty calls on us all to stop the social and institutional maltreatment of people living in poverty – and to honour the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate poverty in all its forms, everywhere. That requires policies that leave no one behind: affordable health care and housing; decent work and fair wages; universal social protection; food security; quality education; and financing that works for countries and communities. On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, let’s reject stigma and discrimination. Let’s stand with people living in poverty, and act with solidarity to end poverty for good. Antonio Guterres. Available in   English  |  Français  |  Español  |...

Poverty stems from many factors, including lack of access to quality education , inadequate social protection , unstable employment , social exclusion , and the heightened vulnerability of certain populations to disasters, diseases and other threats. Let's work together to end Poverty.

Too often, people living in poverty are blamed, stigmatised, and pushed into the shadows. Yet, poverty is not a personal failure; it is a systemic failure – a denial of dignity and human rights. This year’s #EndPoverty Day calls on us all to stop the social and institutional maltreatment of people living in poverty. Let’s reject stigma and discrimination. Let’s stand with people living in poverty, and act with solidarity to end it for good.

For 700 million people worldwide, surviving on less than $2.15 a day isn’t just difficult to imagine — it’s daily reality. Beyond the struggle to meet basic needs, families living in poverty often face stigma and unfair treatment. “On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty , let’s reject stigma and discrimination,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “Let’s stand with people living in poverty, and act with solidarity to end poverty for good.” Living in dignity and free from poverty is a fundamental human right.

The theme for this year's commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty at UNHQ on October 17th is " Ensuring Respect and Effective Support for Families " . Family policies must be an integral part of overall development efforts and leveraged in achieving many of the interrelated Sustainable Development Goals (poverty eradication, food security, quality healthcare and education, gender equality, social inclusion, decent work/social protection, just and peaceful institutions.) Families are active agents in development. Therefore, their experiential knowledge and insight must be sought out and included to ensure effective support to lift people out of poverty and create a more just and equitable society. The 2025 commemoration will focus on ensuring respect and effective support for families. We need to better understand why poverty persists and why despite all the efforts made by parents, their children continue to experience the same deprivat...

 Living in poverty means facing difficult and constrained choices; being ignored, excluded, and exploited; and feeling insecure, desperate and disempowered. The reality of life in poverty also means, in some situations, not being able to register the birth of one’s child, or being afraid or unable to access the support needed from the very institutions mandated to assist people in the most difficult circumstances. Daily experiences of injustice and dehumanization undermines selfesteem, destroys personal agency and denies people of their dignity and the chance to escape poverty.

The socio-economic disadvantages disproportionately affecting families in extreme poverty , including indigenous or other historically discriminated groups, are often misunderstood as neglect leading society and authorities to condemn parents facing difficult choices. A mother may have to leave her children unsupervised while she works long hours so that she can feed her family. In other contexts, extreme poverty may force parents to entrust their children to orphanages or to work in domestic service. Hunger and deprivation may drive children onto the streets, making them easy targets for gangs, abuse or other forms of exploitation. Poverty is the collective failure of policies and practices that perpetuate discrimination and economic disadvantages of people furthest behind.

  Highlighting social and institutional maltreatment is not about apportioning blame, but about calling for a better understanding of poverty and evidence-based supportive action . Many hard-working and wellintentioned professionals find themselves having to conform with regulations that are counterproductive, and the interactions of people in poverty with institutions are often characterized by judgment, subjugation, compliance, and control. Particularly for welfare rights claimants, the web of surveillance mechanisms infringes on their privacy and human rights. In some countries, parents in poverty face intrusive and destabilizing investigations (home inspections, school visits) that exacerbate the challenges they face. These investigations sometimes lead to the unnecessary removal of children from their home, not due to physical abuse or parental wrongdoing, but because of financial hardship and deprivation. Family separation can have traumatic and life-long consequences if ...

  Despite the cascade of crises and multiple challenges before us, October 17th is about hope. By reaching out, putting the furthest behind first , fostering understanding and finding solutions together , we can end poverty in all its forms,everywhere.

  To Move forward in ensuring respect and effectivesupport , we must:  shape institutions that put people first — move away from a culture of distrust, intrusive surveillance and control towards one of trust, respect, and collaboration;  acknowledge the efforts that parents living in poverty already make and support them appropriately to provide a better future for themselves and their children;  transform child protection institutions into a system of support for the whole family, strengthening parents’ capacities to care for their own children and to lift themselves out of persistent poverty.

  People experiencing poverty are at the heart of every October 17th  commemoration , and are the drivers in choosing the global theme. The title of the commemoration at UNHQ on October 17th , 2025, and subtheme is “ Ensuring Respect and Effective Support for Families. ” Family policies must be an integral part of overall development efforts and leveraged in achieving many of the interrelated Sustainable Development Goals (poverty eradication, food security, quality healthcare and education, gender equality, social inclusion, decent work/social protection, just and peaceful institutions.) Families are active agents in development. Therefore, their experiential knowledge and insight must be sought out and included to ensure effective support to lift people out of poverty and create a more just and equitable society.

The New Face of Poverty: for world poverty day. Every human is equal in dignity and deserves the same opportunities. Together, let's make this a reality for everyone, everywhere.

 In 1987, thousands gathered at the Human Rights Plaza in Paris to honor the victims of poverty.  There, Fr Joseph Wresinski delivered a speech that still echoes today: “ I bear witness to you…so that humanity may finally give heed to humanity, and refuse forever the inevitability of poverty. ” This call to conscience led the UN to officially recognize  October 17th as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty . Today, his words remain a compass for justice and dignity.

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s not always that simple. In countries affected by conflict , for example, movements are often restricted to keep civilians safe. However, this can also plunge families into poverty if opportunities are limited. “It was forbidden to go out or move to other areas,” Laila*, a 31-year-old mother of five in Syria told us. “There was no work, no freedom to leave, there was only fear.” For millions of people living in poverty without a consistent job that pays an adequate living wage, some basic vocational and entrepreneurial skills can help them build their own jobs. This is at the foundation of Concern’s Graduation program, which works with families to “graduate” out of poverty through livelihoods support. Every year, we work with thousands of participants like 40-year-old Alexia Mukashyaka in Rwanda. After investing in a sewing machine, Alexia started a successful tailoring business, making on average 20 outfits for women each week. “Before, life...

Alexia also thought beyond shirts and dresses. With the profits from her tailoring, she began to stock up on materials she consistently uses (like thread, zippers, and fabric), and also sells some of her stock to other tailors in the area. This is one source of extra income that helps her build a financial safety net. She also owns land where she grows and cultivates rice, which feeds her family and pays the workers who help her with the harvest. She’s also learning how to cut and style hair as an additional skill she’s interested in. “There aren’t always regular clients to buy my clothes, but I can get a steady stream of clients for hairdressing” she explains of the extra skill training. In the future, she envisions a space that would allow her to run both businesses simultaneously. Many of the families works with largely earn their income from agricultural work and pastoralism, but have also found other ways to earn a little extra while providing services to their communities: In Cha...

Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) are another example of how we can create safety nets for people who may not otherwise have resources to fall back on. These small, member-run microfinancing groups enable people to build savings and take out loans at low interest rates, leading to 99% of all loans taken being repaid in full. For Kenya’s Chalbi Salt VSLA , each member joined by contributing 1,000 Kenyan Shillings (about $9.00). Members used loans to invest in profit-making initiatives and, upon repaying the loan, added a bit more in to cover the interest — which was then redistributed amongst the group, creating a profit cycle. VSLAs can also be vital resources when an emergency hits, like a failed harvest or a medical crisis, and a personal safety net isn’t enough. A meeting of Majehun VSLA in Tonkolili, Sierra Leone. 

“Time and time again, researchers have shown that free money may be the most efficient, the cheapest, and the most civilized way to combat poverty,” Dutch historian Rutger Bregman says in a 2014 TED Talk. “Counter to really harmful stereotypes, we saw that people made wise financial choices,” adds Claire Williams, CEO of Canadian nonprofit Foundations for Social Change, referring to a cash transfer study that the organization ran with the University of British Columbia in 2018. For emergency responses , cash transfers are cheaper than bringing in supplies, support local economies and markets (where supplies may be available, just not affordable), and are more efficient, convenient, and safe. And when distributed in these contexts, they can help people not slide into (or further into) poverty following a major shock like an earthquake, drought, war, or flood. Even in non-emergency situations, a small startup grant of $100 is sometimes all it takes to help a family living below the...

When we invest in women, economies grow . According to a 2023 study from Moody’s , giving women around the world the same work and wage opportunities as men could give the global economy a $7 trillion boost, particularly in low-income countries where the untapped potential is greater.This is especially true in agriculture. Former FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said in 2016 that “women are the backbone of our work in agriculture… when women have opportunities, the yields on their farms increase – also their incomes. Natural resources are better managed. Nutrition is improved. And livelihoods are more secure.” Zosha Aktar is a bag maker in Dhaka, her business now hires people from the local area. 

Speaking of children, UNESCO reports that if all students in low-income countries had just basic literacy skills (and nothing else), an estimated 171 million additional people could escape extreme poverty. If all adults completed secondary education, we could cut the global poverty rate by more than half. Education develops skills and abilities, corrects some of the inequities that come from marginalization, and decreases risk and vulnerability.   Aminata is a student of BIPRI School in Yele Town, Sierra Leone. 

Hunger is a driving force behind poverty (and vice-versa). When a person doesn’t have enough to eat, their immune system is more easily compromised, they don’t have the physical or cognitive strength to make it through the day, and they often lack enough energy to work. This is why we prioritize nutrition in the fight to end poverty . Many of our livelihood programs also include nutrition components, such as our recent work in Ethiopia and Kenya with Lifesaving Education and Assistance to Farmers . Simply getting the right amount of calories and nutrients every day can go a long way to ending poverty.   LEAF Project participants winnow mung beans in Makere village in Tana River County, Kenya. (Photo: Lisa Murray/Concern Worldwide)

Like hunger and malnutrition, contaminated water can lead to debilitating illnesses. What’s more, over the last 20 years, the lack of safe drinking water and basic sanitation has gone up — from affecting 197 million people in 2004 to 211 million people in 2024. This adds up: The waterborne illnesses that result from this shortage contribute to 1.4 million deaths per year, as well as 50% of global malnutrition. The link between improved water access and declining poverty rates goes beyond health . When communities have better access to safe and clean water, those who often spend their time collecting water from further away will have more time to spend on other, more meaningful pursuits. Owlio* collects water at a well constructed by Somalia's emergency program team in Baidoa. (Photo: Concern Worldwide)

Disaster risk reduction , climate adaptation, and a number of other systems exist to help people (particularly those with the fewest resources) better anticipate natural disasters and more effectively recover from them. This is important as the World Bank notes that these disasters could force an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty over the next decade. That doesn’t have to be the case. Climate Smart Agriculture is proven to help farmers adapt to the changing ecosystem on their land (including floods and droughts), improving both the quality and quantity of their harvests. Early warning/early action (EWEA) and other DRR strategies help communities avoid excessive loss and damage when a disaster hits. And the economic benefits are huge: Every $1 invested in disaster risk reduction can save $15 in recovery costs. Participants in Concern's Bangladesh Flood Resilience project secure their assets (and livelihoods) against flood and monsoon season in the country.

One of the knock-on effects of nutritional or waterborne diseases i s that the most vulnerable people — people who are often more likely to get these illnesses in the first place — usually lack affordable and quality healthcare options , both for treatment and preventative care . This is also true for people who sustain injuries that may prevent them from working. Maternal and child health in particular are two major opportunities. Expecting mothers need regular checkups and more nutritional care to ensure that their child is born with the best possible future for their health and development (malnourished mothers often pass that on to their unborn child). Concern helps to train local healthcare workers who in turn work within their communities, monitoring childhood nutrition , and providing health demonstrations. We’ve also found mobile clinics to be an effective way of providing regular care in hard-to-reach communities, whether they’re in the remote Lake Chad Basin or on one of Ba...

Ending all wars and conflicts is a tall order, but conflict is one of the biggest contributors to poverty , and ending poverty will ultimately become a political issue and part of a larger peacekeeping mission. While estimates around data for the country vary, Syria ’s poverty rate has increased from approximately 12% in 2007 to 83% in 2019. On the other hand, the end of conflict in Cambodia helped to grow its middle class: The country’s poverty rate dropped from 47.8% in 2007 to 13.5% by 2014. Talal* a Concern livelihoods program participant in Tabqa, Syria. (Photo: Gavin Douglas/Concern Worldwide)

  We owe it to the children, the parents, and everyone to find better solutions together. Families and family policies are crucial in achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , especially those related to poverty eradication , health, education, gender equality, social inclusion , decent work / social protection and SDG 16 on just and peaceful institutions. These policies must aim at coherence — they must interact and complement each other across different policy sectors and levels (local, national, international). Our policies and actions must be guided by the realities of people’s lives, and formulated with the active, informed and meaningfulparticipation of families living in poverty. It is the only way we can create a respectful and supportive environment that lifts families out of poverty, empowers children , and creates a more just and equitable society.