The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: 17th October 2022
The significant issues and impacts of poverty can be seen both here in Scotland, and further afield. It is estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed between 143 and 163 million people into poverty, seeing an increase in poverty levels of 8.1% across the globe. The effects of the pandemic during the last few years have triggered the worst reversal on the path towards global poverty reduction that the world has seen in the last three decades.
Looking at the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
This year marks the 30th anniversary for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Its observance can be traced back to 1987, as it honours the millions of people who suffer from the daily struggles of poverty and recognises their courage. The aim of this national day is to show solidarity with those in poverty and allow them a space to make their concerns heard. To find out more about the history of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, take a look at the UN website.
With a changing theme every year, the theme for 2022 is ‘Dignity for All in Practice’. The UN states that: “The dignity of the human being is not only a fundamental right in itself but constitutes the basis of all other fundamental rights. Therefore, “Dignity” is not an abstract concept: it belongs to each and every one. Today, many people living in persistent poverty experience their dignity being denied and disrespected”.
The enduring truth is that high levels of inequality exist between people, with 1.3 billion individuals living in levels of poverty, with almost half of them being children and young people. Recognising the shared responsibility each of us holds to combat factors which impact poverty is the first step, as we work together to ensure that every individual has access to freedom and prosperity, as is set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
What is M-Four doing?
In Scotland, poverty levels have been rising, meaning that around one in five people in Scotland live in poverty after taking account of housing costs. ‘Deep poverty’, being a household with less than 50% of the median income adjusted for a household size, has steadily increased since 2012, and has now reached similar levels to those found 20 years ago, with 14% of people in Scotland earning well below what is needed to make ends meet. To find out more about poverty levels in Scotland, take a look at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s latest report, which demonstrates the urgency of change required by the Scottish Government to reach the next round of targets for poverty reduction.
At M-Four, we know that the biggest change to these momentous issues facing millions of people in poverty needs to come from adjustments made by the Government and local Councils, and we hope to see considerable alterations being implemented soon. However, our team are committed to reducing fuel poverty levels through the work we do day-to-day, as we support social housing tenants across Scotland.
We have experience working alongside a number of social landlords and private housing clients and are always looking to support others on their energy efficiency and fuel poverty reduction journey. Want to find out more about how we can help today? Get in touch with us – contact form
