Poverty has since long been considered the cause of deprivation of human rights around the world. It is often argued that the “have nots” of the world do not have basic human rights because they are poor. However, the discourse on poverty would be incomplete if we do not discuss the other aspect of the argument, ie: Why are people poor.
Poverty can be defined as scarcity, dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money and basic amenities of life. Regardless of the economic model followed by a nation, the welfare of its people is the duty and responsibility of the State. Therefore if a State fails to perform this very basic duty towards its citizens by not ensure the basic human rights, they are committing a gross violation. People are poor due to the unequal distribution of resources , which, by law of nature or land is their right. This unequal distribution of these resources lead to denial of the most basic human rights : right to food, shelter, clothing and affordable health. Apart from this, another aspect that makes the state of poverty get equated with violation of human rights, is the systemic exploitation of the poor. The grounds of exploitation are many, from caste based exploitation of the so called “lower casts” in countries like India and Nepal to exploitation based on gender in many patriarchal societies. The exploitation coupled with the inequality of resource distribution results in children either not enrolling into school or dropping out of it even before they finish off their primary education. Many lower caste people are also homeless. These people are not homeless because they are poor, they are homeless because of the exploitation that they have faced in the name of caste which has led them to believe that they cannot aspire for a better quality life. Women are one of the most marginalized and poorer sections of society because of gender based violence and discrimination that results in them being having no right over property or land, systematically being excluded from being literate and being denied the basic right to affordable health.
Moreover, poverty is a human rights violation also from the perspective of the “have-nots” being denied the right of equal participation in decision making process. The slogan of “ Nothing for us, without Us” has been adopted by the marginalized communities all over, be t the PLHIVs or the Persons Living with Disability , precisely for this reason.
Poverty is violence ( another human right violation) and it is in the interest of the humanity to put an end to it.
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