WUNRN
Reducing Women's
Poverty and Exclusion
Since poverty traps women in multiple layers of discrimination and hinders their ability to claim their rights, ending feminized poverty has always been a core UNIFEM priority. Not only do women bear a disproportionate burden of the world's poverty, but in some cases, globalization has widened the gap, with women losing more than their share of jobs, benefits and labour rights. >From tax systems to trade regimes, however, economic policies and institutions still mostly fail to take gender disparities into account. With too few seats at the tables where economic decisions are made, women themselves have little chance of rectifying the deepening of existing inequalities.
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UN DRAFT GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON EXTREME POVERTY
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Dignity
in the Face of Extreme Poverty
On 17 November 2006 in Geneva, the Human Rights Council requested that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights “ circulate the draft guiding principles in order to obtain the views of (…) non-governmental organizations, especially those in which people in situations of extreme poverty express their views.” (A/HRC/RES/2/2).
This report is based on consultations with people living in poverty and extreme poverty, and of NGOs committed alongside them. These consultations were organized by the International Movement ATD Fourth World in: Lille (France), Cusco (Peru), Kielce (Poland), Dakar (Senegal) and Bangkok (Thailand). It is also based on exchanges with other members of ATD Fourth World, particularly in Geneva (Switzerland), and with the organizations that are members of the Permanent Forum Against Extreme Poverty in the World.
17
October 2007
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Human
Rights Dimension of Poverty
"Wherever we lift one soul from a life of poverty, we
are defending human rights. And whenever we fail in this mission,
we are failing human rights."
Kofi Annan
United Nations Secretary-General
Economic deprivation – lack of income – is a standard feature of most definitions of poverty. But this in itself does not take account of the myriad of social, cultural and political aspects of the phenomenon. Poverty is not only deprivation of economic or material resources but a violation of human dignity too.
Indeed, no social phenomenon is as comprehensive in its assault on human rights as poverty. Poverty erodes or nullifies economic and social rights such as the right to health, adequate housing, food and safe water, and the right to education. The same is true of civil and political rights, such as the right to a fair trial, political participation and security of the person. This fundamental recognition is reshaping the international community’s approach to the next generation of poverty reduction initiatives.
A human rights definition and understanding leads to more adequate responses to the many facets of poverty, responses that do not trample on rights in the pursuit of growth and development. It gives due attention to the critical vulnerability and subjective daily assaults on human dignity that accompany poverty. Importantly, it looks not just at resources but also at the capabilities, choices, security and power needed for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other fundamental civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.
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