Human Rights advocacy
What is the human right to freedom from poverty?
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wildwoodmen |
Poverty is a human rights violation. Every woman, man, youth and child has the human right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being, to food, clothing, housing, medical care and social services. These fundamental human rights are defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, CEDAW, the International Covenants and other widely adhered to international human rights treaties and Declarations -- powerful tools that can empower efforts for social and economic justice worldwide.
The human rights at issue
The human right to live in dignity, free from want, is itself a fundamental right, and is also essential to the realisation of all other human rights -- rights that are universal, indivisible, interconnected and interdependent. The right to be free from poverty includes:
* The human right to an adequate standard of living.
* The human right to work and receive wages that contribute to an adequate standard of living.
* The human right to a healthy and safe environment.
* The human right to live in adequate housing.
* The human right to be free from hunger.
* The human right to safe drinking water.
* The human right to primary health care and medical attention in case of illness.
* The human right to access to basic social services.
* The human right to education.
* The human right to be free of gender or racial discrimination.
* The human right to participate in shaping decisions that affect oneself and one=s community.
The human right for children to develop in an environment appropriate for their physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.
Source: PDHRE, The People's Movement for Human Rights Learning.
