International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Celebrated since 1992, the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty aims to raise awareness and promote understanding and dialogue between people living in poverty and society at large.

Some 575 million people, or 7% of the world’s population, could find themselves trapped in extreme poverty by 2030, according to estimates provided by the United Nations.

This year’s theme focuses on one of the hidden dimensions of poverty: the social and institutional abuse suffered by people living in poverty. An event will be held on the day to encourage participants to consider ways of counteracting negative and discriminatory attitudes and promoting more just, peaceful and inclusive societies in the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG16).

“Social and institutional maltreatment destroys our dignity. It often makes you feel weak because you put all your energy into doing something and in the end, you don’t see the results. It’s a divisive thing,” testifies a person living in poverty.

During the consultation on the theme as part of the Forum du refus de la misère held in March 2024, some of the points raised included: “When you live in extreme poverty, you are caught up in a complex system of power relationships and domination. We need to adopt a systemic approach to show how these different dimensions interact with each other.”

A number of events are being organized around the world to raise awareness and support for the theme of “Ending Social and Institutional Maltreatment Acting Together for just, peaceful and inclusive societies.” The aim is to highlight the importance of eliminating discriminatory policies and practices that deprive people of their fundamental rights.

Read the letter from the Forum du refus de la misère.