How did the day start?
October 17th is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This day can be traced all the way back to 1987. Over 100,000 people gathered in the Trocadéro in Paris on October 17th, 1987 in response to Joseph Wresiniski’s appeal to the Human Rights Commission of the UN. Within his speech, Wresinski brought attention to the realities of extreme poverty within industrialized countries and how human rights are negatively impacted by poverty. The power of Joseph Wresinski’s speech, coupled with the thousands of human rights defenders that gathered in the Trocadéro, influenced the declaration of October 17th as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. October 17th is a day to acknowledge how poverty is a violation of human rights and honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence, and hunger.
What is Extreme Poverty?
Extreme poverty is characterized by a severe deprivation of basic human needs, like food, safe drinking water, shelter, education, sanitation facilities, health, and information. Extreme poverty is not only dependent on income, but also access to services. Those who cannot access these basic rights or do not have the income to access these rights, are not able to participate in society on equal terms with others.
Extreme poverty can also refer to an income below the international poverty line. As of 2022, the international poverty line was set at $2.15 per day in 2017 international dollars. The vast majority of the world population used to live in conditions of extreme poverty. In 1800, 80% of the global population lived in absolute poverty. As of 2015, the UN estimates that roughly 734 million people or 10% remain under those conditions.
Poverty in Canada:
The government of Canada does not have an official income that constitutes a poverty line. Instead, Canada’s Official Poverty Line is expressed as a percentage of Canadians living in poverty. Poverty is assessed by measuring the amount of Canadians with low incomes, based on low income cut-offs, market basket measure, and low income measure. In 2021, 7.4% of Canadians lived in poverty. 3.4% of Canadians in 2021 lived in deep poverty, where family income is below 75% of Canada’s Office Poverty Line.
As previously stated, poverty is not solely defined by income, but also access to basic human needs. In 2021, 10.1% of Canadians experienced unmet housing needs. This includes individuals experiencing homelessness, individuals with housing in need of major repairs, and individuals who have to spend more than 30% of their before tax income to afford rent. In 2021, 12.9% of Canadians lived in households that experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, where income or access limited their abilities to purchase a sufficient amount and variety of food to live a healthy lifestyle. 7.9% of Canadians in 2021 reported experiencing unmet health needs, again either due to access or limited income.
Since 2020, the cost of living has increased for Canadians. Prices of grocery items have continued to increase month after month in 2023, and are roughly 20% above the levels reported two years ago in 2020. In August 2020, the average retail price of regular unleaded gas was $1.179/L. Within August 2023, the average price of regular gas was $1.706/L. House prices have increased remarkably in recent years. In 2015, the average Canadian house price was $413,000, but by the end of 2022, the average has reached $811,700 - a 97% increase. With all these increases to the cost of living in Canada, more individuals will not be able to afford basic human rights like housing and food security.
Communities and populations that have faced systemic racial discrimination, exclusion, and other forms of oppression have higher poverty rates than white Canadians. Despite accounting for 5% of the population, Indigenous peoples in Canada face disproportionately high rates of poverty. In 2016, 23.6% of the Indigenous population in Canada qualified as low income status, while the poverty rate was 13% for the entire Canadian population. Visible minorities also experience elevated poverty rates. In 2019, 17.5% of recent immigrants lived in poverty. In 2016, 27% of Black children under 15 were living in poverty, compared to 14% of other children who were living in poverty in Canada.
Ways to Help:
Basic human rights are not accessible to those living in poverty. Though poverty rates in Canada are lower than many countries worldwide, we must strive to ensure no one lives without their basic rights met. Those privileged enough to live in a household that earns more than the poverty line in Canada should support and advocate for people living in poverty. Here are ways you can help:
Kingston has many homeless and emergency shelters like In From the Cold, Kingston Youth Shelter, Lily’s Place, Adelaide St. Centre, and more. Stay up to date on fundraisers and events held in their honour. Donate when possible or spread the message through word of mouth and social media.
Shelters accept more than monetary donations. They may accept food, personal care products, clothing, and more. If you have more of these products than you need, consider contacting a local shelter and asking if they would accept your donation.
Oxfam @ Queens is fundraising for Elizabeth Fry Kingston this semester. Elizabeth Fry is a non-profit organisation that empowers women through community outreach, social justice, and housing programs. By supporting and attending Oxfam @ Queens events and fundraisers, you are supporting and donating to Elizabeth Fry Kingston. Stay up to date with Oxfam @ Queens events like, Oxjam, Period Drive, the Snack Bar and more through our Instagram or Facebook page.