how to write speech about poverty

6 Speech On Poverty You Should Know

According to the latest statistics on poverty, 8.6% of the world, or 736 million people, live in extreme poverty. As we all know, poverty is the state of being poor and lack of the means to provide necessary needs. Going by the basic definition of poverty, 736 million people lack the means to provide necessary needs and it shouldn’t be so.

In this article, we have collated a list of speeches on poverty to inspire the fight against poverty and also help you create wonderful content about poverty. These speeches on poverty were made by influential voices addressing the ever existing social issue, poverty.

Here are the 5 speech on poverty to inspire you to fight against poverty:

1.) Former U.N Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, Address on the International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty, 17 October.

In this address, Kofi Annan highlighted the need of working together to end poverty. He said: “But poverty is an old enemy with many faces. Defeating it will require many actors to work together.”

2.) Ban Ki-moon Speech At The 66th General Assembly .

On September 2011, the former U.N Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, gave a speech at the 66th General Assembly. In that speech, Ki-moon linked the fight for poverty to some important social issues. In his words: “Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth … these are one and the same fight.”.

“We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.” Ban Ki-moon also said in the speech.

3.) Nelson Mandela Make Poverty History Speech in Trafalgar Square

Nelson Mandela gave a speech about poverty in London’s Trafalgar Square on February 3, 2005. Just like most speeches about poverty, Nelson Mandela’s speech is where most quote about poverty comes from.

The former president of South Africa made an important point that poverty doesn’t only affect those who can barely provide their necessary needs but everyone, rich and poor. Mandela said: “As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality exist in our world, none of us can truly rest.”

He also noted that poverty is a denial of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. In his words: “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”

4.) Teva Sienicki TEDxMileHighWomen Speech

Teva Sienicki, president and CEO of nonprofit organization, Growing Home, which provides dual-generation programs to nurture children, strengthen families, and create community.

In Sienicki’s inspiring TEDx speech, she offers an efficient way to ending poverty. Sienick tells the world that we need to not just treat the symptoms of poverty, but treat the root causes of poverty.

Sienicki argues that one can end poverty by bringing equity and reforming systems in communities.

5.) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Lecture

In 1964, in a Nobel Peace Prize lecture which took place at Oslo, Norway, renowned American activist, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about poverty. He called on nations to end poverty. Martin Luther King Jr also argued that there’s no deficit in human resources but human will in the fight against poverty.

6.) Harry Belafonte Speech About Poverty

At a town hall in America, in the year 2005, Jamaican-American singer, songwriter, activist, and actor dubbed “King of Calypso”, Harry Belafonte gave a wonderful speech about poverty in America. Though, he was talking about poverty in America he made important points as regards to poverty. “We have to look at ourselves because I think the last frontier of truth and hope in this country are the people themselves.” Harry Belafonte says, calling for people to realize that we can bring the change we want.

Speech on Poverty

Poverty is not just a lack of money, it’s a complex issue that touches many areas of life. It’s about not having enough food, a safe place to live, or access to basic services like education or healthcare.

You might think poverty only affects people in far-off places, but it’s closer than you think. Even in the wealthiest countries, many people struggle every day just to meet their basic needs.

1-minute Speech on Poverty

Hello, friends!

Let’s talk about a critical issue – poverty. It’s the state when people can’t get the basic things they need to live, like food, clothes, and a place to live. It’s a problem not just in one country or one region, but all over the world.

Imagine not knowing if you’ll eat today or not. Imagine wearing the same clothes every day, no matter if they’re torn or dirty. It’s a tough life, right? That’s what poverty looks like. Many people face this situation every day. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.

Now, why does poverty exist? Some people are born into poor families. Some lose their jobs and can’t find a new one. Sometimes, natural disasters like floods or earthquakes destroy everything they have. The reasons are many, and they’re all hard to control.

But there’s hope. We can all do something to help. We can donate clothes, food, or money to people in need. Schools can offer free meals to students from poor families. Companies can give jobs to those who can’t find work. Governments can build affordable houses for the homeless.

We can’t end poverty in one day. It’s a big task. But every small action counts. If every one of us does a little bit, we can make a big change. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

In the end, let’s not forget about poverty. Let’s keep talking about it, learning about it and doing what we can to help. Because in a world as rich as ours, no one should have to live in poverty. Thank you.

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Essay on Poverty

2-minute Speech on Poverty

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We’re here today to talk about a topic that is very real and very serious — poverty. Imagine not having enough food to eat, or a safe place to live, or even a warm sweater when it’s cold. That’s what poverty means. It’s when people don’t have the basic things they need to live a decent life.

In our modern world, it’s surprising that poverty still exists. It’s sad to see that in a world full of riches, some people go to bed hungry every night. In some parts of the world, kids don’t go to school because they can’t afford books or uniforms. They have to work instead, to help their families. It’s not fair, is it?

Poverty is like a big, scary monster. It’s not just about being hungry or cold. It affects people’s health too. When people are poor, they can’t afford to see a doctor or buy medicine. They get sick more often and stay sick longer. It makes life very hard and stressful.

But why does poverty exist? There are many reasons. Sometimes, it’s because of bad luck. Maybe there’s a drought, and the crops fail. Or maybe someone gets sick and can’t work. But often, it’s because of things that are unfair. Maybe some people have a lot of money and power, and they don’t share it with others. Or maybe the rules of the society are not fair, and they make it hard for poor people to improve their lives.

So, what can we do about poverty? It’s a big problem, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fight it. We can start by being aware of the problem. We can learn about poverty and talk about it. And we can help. We can donate money or food to people who need it. We can also volunteer our time to help in soup kitchens or community centers. And we can make sure that our leaders know that we care about poverty, and we want them to do something about it.

Remember, every person can make a difference. You might think that you’re just one person, and you can’t do much. But that’s not true. If each one of us does a little bit, it adds up to a lot. And together, we can beat the monster of poverty.

In conclusion, poverty is a big problem, but not a hopeless one. We can beat it if we work together. Let’s all do our part and make the world a better place for everyone. Because everyone deserves a chance to live a good life, don’t they?

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Speech on Poverty - 10 Lines, Short and Long Speech

Speech on Poverty

Poverty is the state of having less income. It is about not having enough money to meet basic needs. Poverty can have different social, political and economic causes and effects. Poverty is considered as one of the main problems of the world. It is because both underemployment and unemployment lie at the core of poverty.

10 Lines Speech on Poverty

Short speech on poverty, long speech on poverty.

Speech on Poverty - 10 Lines, Short and Long Speech

The income of a person shows their poverty line.

Arranging an everyday meal is very difficult for poor people.

Many students cannot get proper education due to poverty.

It is a major concern in developing countries when compared to developed ones.

It makes the life of people full of pain and misery.

The rising crime rate is also a result of poverty.

The unprecedented growth of the population is another cause.

Poverty can cause many deaths.

It is a serious issue in our country.

Government can help in reducing poverty by putting up many schemes in providing funds to the poor.

There is a great saying by Mahatma Gandhi—’Poverty is the worst form of violence’. We are all aware that since money is needed to sustain human life, its lack results in poverty. Therefore, we can conclude that poverty will result in a wide range of issues for people.

A household is said to be in poverty if its fundamental requirements are not met. It consists of housing, food, clothing, and education. Lack of education will result in low literacy rates and unemployment. A person without a job is unable to provide adequate nutritious meals for their family. It causes a deterioration in health. The impoverished will therefore always be poor. Therefore, it is evident that poverty is the root of all issues.

What Poverty Feels Like

It is a physical pain from working long hours and eating little, an emotional pain from being dependent on others, a moral anguish from having to make moral decisions like whether to spend the money to feed their children or to pay to save a sick family member's life.

Measurement Of Poverty

Two metrics of poverty have been developed by the United Nations. There are two types of poverty: absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute poverty is used to define poverty in developing nations like India. Here, a poverty line (minimum income level) is established; if a family's daily income falls below this line, they are considered to be poor. Poverty is quantified as relative poverty in developed nations like the USA.

Poverty leads to all the sorrows in life. Having poverty is not anyone's cup of tea but yes we are only responsible to make ourselves rich to lead a happy and healthier life.

Causes Of Poverty

There might be many causes of poverty. Here are the major causes listed below.

Inequality | The term "inequality" is used to describe systemic hurdles that prevent some groups of people from having a voice or being represented in their communities. However, it can be deceptive at times. All groups must participate in decision-making for a population to transcend poverty, especially when it comes to having a say in issues that affect your standing in society. Some of them might be plain to see, while in other cases it might be subtle.

Hunger And Malnutrition | You may believe that hunger results from poverty, but hunger also contributes to and sustains poverty. A person won't have the strength and energy they need to work if they don't eat enough or their immune system will weaken from malnutrition and leave them more susceptible to illness that prevents them from getting to work.

Climate Change | Climate change contributes to the cycle of poverty in a number of ways, including by disproportionately harming women, producing refugees, and even influencing conflict. It causes hunger by either too little (drought) or too much (flooding) water.

Education | Not all people without a formal education are in dire straits. However, the vast majority of the very poor lack formal schooling. Around the world, there are various obstacles to education, such as a lack of funding for uniforms and textbooks, prejudice against girls' education, or many of the other factors contributing to poverty that were stated.

Nelson Mandela asserted that poverty is a result of human activity. It is true since the reasons for poverty are typically caused by human activity through population growth. Population growth puts more strain on a nation's finances and resources.

Impact of poverty | Children's health, emotional and cognitive growth, social, behavioural, and educational results are all negatively impacted by poverty. It has an impact on a person's utilities, life, employment, and safe neighbourhoods for learning.

Eradicating Poverty

One of the main reasons to overcome poverty is through equity, education, employment, resilience, ending hunger and poverty alleviation through peace. Being in poverty will affect the next generation. Youth can help to end poverty. Learning how to cultivate food, build things, prepare nutritious meals, create websites, market online, and engage in other forms of production would help in eradication of poverty.

Poverty is a social problem too. A high rate of poverty reduces our nation's economic progress. When a large number of people cannot afford to have basic needs like the purchase of goods and services, economic growth is more difficult to achieve. Poverty even disturbs the socio-economic ladder by producing crime and other social problems. It's not only individuals but also the government that can reduce poverty.

Steps Taken By Government

Following are the steps taken by the government of India to reduce poverty. It is done by increasing economic growth, poverty alleviation, agricultural growth, speedy development of infrastructure and human resource development, the growth of non-farm employment, giving access to assets, giving access to credit, the proper public distribution system and direct attack on poverty.

Some of the plans initiated by the national government to reduce our National Rural Employment Programme ( NREP), Annapurna, Rural Labour Employment Guarantee Programme ( RLEGP ), National Maternity Benefit Scheme ( NMBS ), TRYSEM scheme, National Old Age Pension Scheme ( NOAPS ), Jawahar Rojgar Yojna ( JRY ), Rural Housing Programme, Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Yojna, Food for work programme, Minimum Needs Programme ( MNP ) and many more.

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Poverty Persuasive Speech Sample

This poverty persuasive speech sample seeks to persuade that audience that too little is being done to deal with poverty in America. This page provides series of resources to help our reader write their a speech on the poverty topic, including a free sample persuasive speech about poverty and a possible theme analysis.

Summary of the Topic - Poverty in America

Outline of the Poverty Persuasive Speech
Related Ideas for Development

Written Poverty Speech Essay on Poverty in America

Theme Idea for a Persuasive Speech about Poverty in America
Sources for More Information to Write a Poverty Persuasive Speech

Poverty is a complex issue that affects millions of people in the United States, and addressing it requires a multi-faceted approach. Many programs and initiatives are in place at the federal, state, and local levels to address poverty and support those in need. These include programs that provide financial assistance, such as temporary cash assistance and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and programs that aim to improve access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

At the same time, it is widely recognized that more needs to be done to address poverty in the United States. Despite these programs' efforts, the country's poverty rate remains high, with millions of people struggling to make ends meet and access the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

There are many challenges to addressing poverty, including a lack of affordable housing, limited access to quality education and job training, and systemic inequalities that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. To truly make a dent in poverty rates, addressing these underlying issues and working towards more comprehensive, long-term solutions will be necessary.

The poverty persuasive speech sample outline and written poverty speech essay below turn the above summary into a full sample speech to provide an example of the speech writing process. Combine the speech sample with the theme idea of a ladder, and this could become an very persuasive speech to advocate changes in policy.

Sample Persuasive Speech Outline of the Topic - Poverty in America

Here is a possible outline for a speech to convince others that more needs to be done about poverty in the United States:

I. Introduction a. A brief overview of the topic of poverty in America b. Thesis statement: Despite the efforts of existing programs and initiatives, more needs to be done to address poverty in the United States. II. Overview of poverty in America a. Statistics on poverty rates in the United States b. Examples of the challenges and difficulties faced by those living in poverty, such as limited access to resources and opportunities, and the impact on overall health and well-being III. Current efforts to address poverty a. Description of existing programs and initiatives, such as financial assistance and job training programs b. Evaluation of the effectiveness of these efforts in reducing poverty rates IV. The need for more comprehensive solutions a. Examination of the underlying causes of poverty, such as systemic inequalities and a lack of affordable housing and quality education b. How addressing these root causes is necessary to reduce poverty rates effectively V. Conclusion a. Recap of the main points of the speech b. Call to action for others to join in the fight against poverty in America

Potential Ideas Related to the Poverty Speech Topic for Development

Here are a few topics related to poverty in the United States that a person could explore:

The impact of poverty on children: Poverty can have severe and long-lasting effects on children's development and well-being. Exploring this topic could involve researching how poverty can affect children's health, education, and overall prospects for the future.
The intersection of poverty and race: Poverty disproportionately affects marginalized communities, particularly people of color. Exploring this topic could involve examining how systemic racism and discrimination contribute to poverty and the efforts being made to address these issues.
The role of social safety net programs: The United States has a range of programs in place to provide financial assistance and other support to those in need. Exploring this topic could involve looking at the history and effectiveness of these programs and the ongoing debates around their funding and implementation.
The link between poverty and poor health outcomes: Poverty and poor health often go hand in hand, with those living in poverty more likely to experience a range of adverse health outcomes. Exploring this topic could involve examining how poverty contributes to poor health and the efforts being made to address these issues.
The impact of poverty on mental health: Poverty can have a significant impact on mental health, with those living in poverty more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. Exploring this topic could involve researching how poverty can affect mental health and the efforts being made to support those in need.

How could you use these topics related to the persuasive poverty speech sample? Take item #4 for instance, you might expand on a major point of the speech by discussing the link between poverty and poor health. Most can relate to the importance of health, and audience may find this a persuasive point of information.

Persuasive Poverty Speech Sample Heading

Introduction:

Good evening, everyone.

Today, I want to talk to you about an issue that affects millions of people in our country: poverty. Despite the efforts of existing programs and initiatives, more needs to be done to address poverty in the United States.

Main Body Part I - Overview of the Problem:

According to the latest statistics, nearly 10% of Americans live in poverty, including over 13 million children. These numbers represent people who struggle to make ends meet and access the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

Poverty has severe and long-lasting consequences for those who experience it. Poverty can impact every aspect of a person's life, from health and education to job prospects and overall well-being. For children, growing up in poverty can have particularly severe consequences, as it can limit their ability to reach their full potential and succeed in the future.

Main Body Part 2 - Current Efforts

Many programs and initiatives are in place to address poverty and support those in need. These include financial assistance programs, such as temporary cash assistance and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), as well as job training and education programs. While these efforts have certainly helped many people, the poverty rate in the United States remains high, and more needs to be done to address this pressing issue.

Main Body Part 3 - The Ongoing Need for Solutions

To truly make a dent in poverty rates, we must go beyond providing temporary assistance and address the root causes of poverty. The future steps include addressing systemic inequalities that disproportionately impact marginalized communities and addressing issues like a lack of affordable housing and quality education. We can only effectively reduce poverty rates and create a more equitable society for all by addressing these underlying issues.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, poverty is a complex and pressing issue that affects millions of people in the United States. While there are already efforts to address poverty, more must be done to address the root causes of poverty and create a more equitable society for all. Please join me in the fight against poverty and work towards more comprehensive, long-term solutions. Thank you.

Theme Idea for a Poverty Persuasive Speech Sample

The symbol of a ladder could add colorful imagery to the poverty persuasive speech sample, making the delivery more persuasive and relatable..

One possible theme that could be added to the speech as an analogy or story is the idea of a ladder . The ladder could symbolize the many factors contributing to poverty and how people can climb out of poverty with the proper support and resources.

For example, the speech could begin with a story about a person struggling to climb out of poverty but constantly held back by obstacles such as a lack of education, affordable housing, and job opportunities. These obstacles could be compared to the rungs of a ladder that are missing or broken, making it difficult for the person to make progress.

The speech could then discuss the various programs and initiatives to help people climb out of poverty, such as financial assistance and job training programs. These tools help repair the missing rungs on the ladder, allowing people to progress and achieve a better life.

However, the speech could also emphasize the need for more comprehensive solutions that address the root causes of poverty, such as systemic inequalities and a lack of affordable housing and quality education. These solutions are the foundation of the ladder, supporting the entire structure and enabling people to climb out of poverty and reach their full potential.

In conclusion, the ladder analogy could be used to emphasize the importance of addressing the immediate challenges of poverty and the underlying causes to create a more equitable society for all.

What is the best theme for a persuasive poverty speech sample that you can think of? How about a using a visual aid such as a table with inexpensive staple foods of limited quantity for a family?

Great sources for more information with citations and content summaries

1. “how poverty in the united states is measured and why it matters.” prb, 2022, https://www.prb.org/resources/how-poverty-in-the-united-states-is-measured-and-why-it-matters/ ..

The US government has provided billions of dollars in emergency relief through various acts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects, including the Build Back Better Act, a $1 trillion reconciliation bill proposed by the Biden administration to support American children and families in need. The Build Back Better Act uses multiple poverty measures to determine eligibility for benefits and allocate funds. The current measure of poverty, the official poverty measure, has been in use since the 1960s and is based on a family's pretax cash income. Many believe this measure is flawed and recommend alternative measures considering non-cash benefits and the cost of living in different regions.

2. “Poverty Facts.” Povertyusa.org, 2020, www.povertyusa.org/facts .

Facts are important for the persuasive poverty speech sample. Here's a synopsis of the facts page provided by Poverty USA Org.

Poverty in the United States affects a significant portion of the population, particularly children, seniors, and certain racial and ethnic groups. In 2020, the poverty rate was 11.4%, but the supplemental poverty measure, which considers programs designed to reduce poverty, dropped to 9.1%. Many people in poverty struggle to make ends meet and do not have access to resources and opportunities that can help them improve their circumstances. The US government has implemented various programs and initiatives to address poverty, including financial assistance and job training. Still, more must be done to address the root causes of poverty and create a more equitable society.‌

3. McCarty AT. Child Poverty in the United States: A Tale of Devastation and the Promise of Hope. Sociol Compass. 2016 Jul;10(7):623-639. doi: 10.1111/soc4.12386. Epub 2016 Jul 4. PMID: 28890733; PMCID: PMC5589198.

Brief Summary of the McCarty Paper:

Child poverty is a significant issue in the United States, affecting education and health outcomes. It disproportionately affects certain social groups and geographic areas, and is influenced by a lack of resources, cultural factors, and stress. To address child poverty, it is necessary to increase incomes and support children's skill development, and improve the communities in which poor families live. Further research is needed to understand and address the issue fully.

Who is Alyn McCarty and why is this source reliable?

Alyn McCarty is a research associate at Research for Action, where she leads a multi-year evaluation of an early literacy program in Philadelphia and conducts research on other projects. Before joining Research for Action, McCarty worked as a Health Disparities Research Scholar and Research Scientist, focusing on how socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in early health contribute to inequality in health and education. McCarty received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas-Austin, an M.S. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Speech on Poverty

Updated on
Nov 28, 2022

ASL or assessment of speaking and listening is a long-time focus of CBSE for classes 9th onwards. Students are given various topics and can choose as per their wish to speak upon within a stipulated time duration. One of the most prominent speech topics is – Poverty . Tackling widespread poverty across the country is one of the most pressing issues for the Indian government. In this blog, we have curated one sample speech on poverty followed by its conditions, facts and measures to understand the deep-rooted problem of poverty in India and around the world.

This Blog Includes:

Sample speech on poverty (#1), sample speech on poverty (#2), what causes rural poverty , what causes urban poverty, world poverty conditions , role of ngos to eradicate poverty, what can we do, how to conclude a speech on poverty, related asl speeches.

Good Morning to everyone present here. My name is _________. My topic for the day is Speech on Poverty. It is a great honor for me to take this chance in helping us engage in a conversation about a subject that has been the source of many problems in the world. It is a problem that continues to affect a big part of the world population today. I want us to talk about poverty.

Poverty is a state of scarcity, the lack of material possessions to such an extent that people have difficulties in providing for their basic needs. It touches on many aspects of human life including economic, political, and social elements. The reason why I need us to look into this topic is that poverty has assumed a dynamic character, changing with patterns of consumption, progress in technology, as well as social behaviour.

According to Robert McNamara, a former World Bank president, extreme poverty is limited by illiteracy, malnutrition, disease and high infant mortality rate, squalid conditions of living, and low life expectancy. Previously, people were described as living in absolute poverty if they survived on less than US$ 1 per day. This has been revised over the years and currently starts at less than US$ 1.25 per person per day. Those who live on less than 2 dollars per day are in moderate hardship. Measurement of relative poverty reflects the proportion of a population that earns less than a fixed proportion of median income in an economy. It is a better measure of poorness than an absolute one since it is not under the influence of exchange rates.

To elaborate further on my speech on Poverty. We shall look at the other aspects of poverty and how poverty acts as a major deterrent in face of growth and progress.

A very good morning to the respected audience present here. My name is _________ and today, I am going to deliver a morning speech on Poverty! Poverty is defined as a lack of food, clothing, adequate shelter, medication, education, and other necessities for a higher quality of life in the world. It also ensures that all people have equal human rights. Poverty is a more serious circumstance in which people are forced to starve due to a lack of adequate shelter, clothing, ethical rights, and educational opportunities. Poverty can be caused by a variety of factors in every country. Even though there are various methods to escape poverty, issues arise due to a lack of adequate unity among a country’s citizens in following the answers. Another major reason why the poverty rate is fast increasing with each passing day is because of this.

In any country, the spread of pandemic diseases leads to an increase in poverty rates. This is due to the fact that most poor people are unable to maintain their health and receive adequate medical care in such circumstances. Poverty is a negative circumstance in which people are unable to go to service providers for their requirements, and are more vulnerable to infections and illness as a result of unclean and contaminated food and water, as well as living in unhealthy conditions. It’s the effect that renders people powerless and puts their liberty in jeopardy. This is because a poor individual may become trapped in a vicious cycle of servitude. However, because this is an unavoidable problem, the individual who is trapped in it must live with it. Poverty is a distressing human condition that causes grief, pain, and despair in people’s lives. It’s a lack of money and essentials that prevents people from living luxuriously and sufficiently, having access to all of life’s necessities. This is a negative scenario that may prevent a child from attending school and studying during his or her youth, and it is also the cause of more serious social concerns such as child labour and slavery.

A larger proportion of the population in these countries is illiterate, hungry, and without a house or decent clothing. Poverty is also a major impediment to the country’s economic, social, and political development. Poor individuals do not have the money to meet all of their demands, and they go through life without numerous amenities, such as a two-day meal and safe drinking water. As a result, poor people are driven to take the wrong paths and commit crimes in order to survive. Poverty can be caused by a variety of factors, but for India, it was mostly due to British control, slavery conditions, and soaring epidemic sickness rates. Children from low-income families do not have access to education or the resources necessary for good schooling and medical treatment. Many of them are unaware of the current improvements that those who are substantially more fortunate have.

Now that you’re quite familiar with the Speech on Poverty, Here is a Speech on Digital India that you must check out!

Poverty is the most exceedingly terrible type of viciousness. Hold hands together to abolish poverty. . #shreeaagarsen #poverty pic.twitter.com/ge1LRvKv3h — Shree Aagarsen Steel Industries Pvt.Ltd. (@AagarsenLtd) October 17, 2022

Poverty in India

India comes under the developing world. Despite the growth and development of the Indian economy during the last couple of years, poverty is parallel & increasing in absolute terms. 27% of the population of India comes under the poverty line and the rest that is 75% lives in rural areas.

Rural Areas – Poverty is prevalent amongst Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the country’s rural areas. India has 50% of the population as scheduled tribes and the rest are scheduled castes and below. Our country’s poorer parts lie in the states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal & Uttar Pradesh. There are also shortages of proper sanitation and education as well in these areas.

India’s rapidly growing population.
Lack of Capital in the nation.
Lack of Literacy.
Large Families and no alternate employment opportunities other than agriculture

Urban Areas – The slum population is increasing in the urban parts. They are deprived of many such amenities like low-cost water supply, improper sanitation, bad sewage and drainage system, etc.

Migration of rural people to cities.
Powerlessness
Lack of Housing Facilities

As you must have already understood what is poverty with the help of the sample speech on Poverty provided above, let’s try to throw some more light on this issue so that you can draft your excellent speech on poverty!

Poverty in simple means is hunger, lack of shelter, lack of not having access to school, lack of availing medical facilities, and whatnot! We shall now discuss what are its effects on children and women according to UNICEF .

Effects on Children – According to UNICEF, around 22000 children die each day due to poverty. There are 1.9 billion children in developing countries in the world and India is one of them. Out of this, 640 million are without proper shelter, 400 million are not able to access safe water, 270 million are living without medical facilities. It’s a worldwide situation and is increasing at a fast pace.
Effects on Women – Accordingly, 70% of females are poor worldwide. Out of which, 5 lac women die each day due to natural childbirth excluding developing nations and 4 million females are sold under prostitution.

Check out one of our interesting reads: Speech on Make in India

Let’s talk about NGOs. What are NGOs doing in terms of addressing this enduring problem? What right approaches are being applied by the NGOs?

They are helping the poor by providing various public services like public washroom access.
They mobilize the services recommended by the government so that it becomes easier.

There is a line of approaches like this, NGO’s have developed various strategies to influence the process & control public policymaking.

Also check out Speech on Tourism in India !

What measures can we take in order to minimize poverty? How can we eliminate it from our end? We shall:

Increase employment and the idea behind it
Ensuring financial services
Treating everybody equally and recognizing their talent is what they can bring out of it.
Recognizing social entrepreneurs as our reliable people for creating a world of peace, harmony, and progress.
Widening the concept of Globalization.

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To End Poverty, Give Everyone the Chance to Learn

Paul Romer, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, World Bank End Poverty Day event, Dhaka, Bangladesh Dhaka, Bangladesh

Arithmetic tells us that a nation can reduce its rate of poverty with more economic growth or a more equal distribution of income. A simple saying, oft repeated because it sounds so plausible, frames this arithmetic as a grim choice between growth and equality. "You can make the pie bigger or divide it up more evenly, but you cannot do both."

Despite its appeal, this intuition is wrong, and wrong not just about the details, wrong not just by a little. It is totally off the mark. We know from the recent experience in Bangladesh that it is possible to have more growth and more equality. I am also convinced that it is possible to sustain a pattern of growth via equality as it evolves into a middle income country, but only if the government takes on new responsibilities and makes the new types of investments required to give everyone the chance to learn.

When growth speeds up, income inequality can increase temporarily. When it does, this seems to confirm our fears about the grim tradeoff. But this type inequality arises because the benefits that all can ultimately share diffuse slowly. At first, only a few people have access to the chance to learn from new ideas. Then as others gain access, they learn too. During this second, catch-up phase, the diffusion of ideas increases growth as it equalizes income. The experience in Bangladesh shows that it is possible to diffuse new ideas quickly enough to avoid even this temporary increase in inequality. The question is what it must do to sustain this high rate of diffusion as the economy becomes more sophisticated.

There are many visible examples of the benefits that people receive from the diffusion of ideas. In 1980, there were about 300 million phones on earth. Today, there are more than 6 billion, and the vast majority of people who got the new phones lived in a low or middle income country. But what we see when a country such as Bangladesh or China opens itself up to inflows of ideas is not simply that people have the chance to buy a phone that is much less expensive. The more profound benefit from the diffusion of ideas is that people gain access to the chance to learn. Access to new ideas lets them acquire more human capital.

Because opening up lets them acquire more human capital, a shrinking number of agricultural workers can supply all the food for everyone else. A growing number of workers can escape the hardship and risk of small-holder agriculture and switch to jobs in manufacturing, then in services. Many women get their first chance to be paid a wage for the work that they do. All these workers get more than a wage. They get the chance to learn on the job. They absorb such basics as the importance of strict adherence to quality standards when work is done by a large team. These basics open up opportunities for new types of employment. These workers also learn from the stimulation of richer social environment offered by the cities they move to.

In the data, the extra human capital shows up not just in the changing mix of jobs, but also in higher wages. As the World Bank's new report on Poverty and Shared Prosperity shows, in the last few decades, this catch-up process means that income have been rising more rapidly at the bottom end of the worldwide distribution of income. As a result, the worldwide distribution of income is becoming more equal.

The dynamic I am describing shows up both in comparisons between countries and also in comparisons across people within a country. New ideas spur growth. Income inequality goes up because in the beginning, only a few have access to the chance to learn from them. Frequently, those few are the lucky ones who live in its cities. If better policy could speed up the rate of diffusion of access to new ideas, growth will be faster and the temporary period of increasing inequality will be shorter, perhaps might even be skipped entirely.

So today, on End Poverty Day , my goal is to convince you that the strategy based on catch-up growth that has worked for your nation can work equally well as you strive to sustain your rate of growth and keep reducing poverty. You do not face a tradeoff of growth versus equality. You have a chance to pursue growth via equality.

The highest returns may come from investing in the people who have the biggest opportunity to catch up with everyone else. All they need is a chance.

There is a tradeoff that you will face, a tradeoff between government and the market. But here too, the familiar story misleads when it suggests that to sustain growth, an economy needs less government. The government can get in the way, and the economy does need less of this, but in Bangladesh, and in many similarly situated countries, the real problem is too little of the type of government that the market needs to keep generating more sophisticated jobs. Only the government can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn from new ideas. As an economy develops, providing this type of access becomes ever more challenging.

Let me illustrate what I mean when I say “give people the chance to learn.” The government can make it possible for a foreign firm to enter and open a factory. Workers in this factory learn on the job, and as a result, accumulate human capital and earn wages that are higher with each year of experience. Typically, this means that within a few years, the worker moves to a job that can use her new skills, often in a different firm, perhaps one that the worker starts. Just as some schools give students a better chance to learn, some jobs offer better chances to learn. Firms that have access to more modern technology and more skilled managers are likely to offer the best chance to learn. This chance is a particularly important one because it gives people who are no longer in school a chance to keep learning. Even when schools fail, there is another way for someone to learn.

Bangladesh has clearly been very successful at offering many workers this chance to learn on the job. In the early stages of the growth process, a government can offer this opportunity merely by welcoming foreign firms. But very quickly, the amount of room that is available in a nation's cities becomes a binding constraint. To offer this opportunity to everyone, the government must take the lead in expanding its urban area to make room for all the firms and workers who want to benefit by working together. The congestion for which Dhaka is now famous suggests that the plan for urban expansion throughout the country was not ambitious enough to meet the rapidly growing demand.

The more familiar way to offer a chance to learn, the one that the World Bank has with good reason, been emphasizing for years, is by having the government provide good schools. When a young person spends an extra year in a good school, this increases the amount that he or she will produce and earn on the job. Sadly, many schools fail to deliver on this promise. It is not enough to get children to sit in a classroom. An effective government ensures that children actually learn more with each year of seat-time.

As development takes place, providing equalizing access to the chance to learn requires even more sophisticated government services. Many children start life with a disadvantage because disease and poor nutrition leave them with a smaller body and a less developed brain. The experience in Peru demonstrates that an effective government can use modest expenditures to reduce the fraction of children who suffer from this type of stunting. The experience in other countries also demonstrates that a government can devote resources to this type of effort and end up with nothing to show for its efforts.

Extra mental stimulation, especially more exposure to the words said by an adult, can help a child be ready to learn when he or she starts school. This extra stimulation can help so much that it offsets the disadvantage of stunting. We know from the experience in Bangladesh that civil society can step in to fill gaps and provide services that improve health for everyone. Nevertheless, in most countries, only the government can provide the targeted assistance that removes disadvantage and ensures that every student starts school with a realistic chance to keep up with the other children.

Once children are in school, the best school systems make extra investments in the children that would otherwise fall behind. Throughout primary school, anyone who lags gets extra instruction time by the most experienced teachers. With these compensating investments, the school system can keep all children in at the same level of achievement. For example, some children take a little longer to learn to read. These compensating investments make sure that this minor and short-lived problem does not turn into a self-reinforcing cycle of discouragement and reduced effort that ends with an early departure from school.

All these investments can be justified on the basis of a commitment to equality. The point I want to emphasize is that they can also be justified purely on the basis of a commitment to economic growth. The return on an investment that prevents someone from giving up the chance to learn is likely to be much higher than the return that would follow if the same resources were used to help children who will learn in any case.

So to conclude, you do not face a choice of growth versus equality. You have the chance to pursue growth via equality. Government investments that pay the highest returns are likely to be the ones that provide people the chance to catch up by learning, and these investments also reduce income inequality.

It is an easy strategy to endorse, but not an easy one to implement. Many countries miss this opportunity because the government is not effective enough to make the investments that make it possible for everyone to have a realistic chance to learn.

As Bangladesh strives to move from a low-middle-income country to middle-income, End Poverty Day provides an opportunity to ask whether its government is keeping up with the rapidly evolving economy. Is there room in its cities for all who want to come? Can people in these cites get to and from work? Can firms get the inputs they need on a timely basis and ship out the goods they produce? Does the average student actually learn something during each year spent in school? Do the schools and government service providers make the compensating investments needed to ensure that small disadvantages that can easily be addressed do not deprive any child of the opportunity that everyone wants, the chance to keep learning?

Let me confess that there are comparable questions that you should ask me as Vice President with direct responsibility for the research efforts of the World Bank. Are we providing relevant guidance to a government such as yours? If you came to us and said “what specific steps should we do to reduce stunting quickly, or ensure that children are ready to learn, or to plan for rapid but orderly expansion of your urban area, would we be able to respond? I think we too can do better. As we both strive to do better, perhaps we will find opportunities to work together.

If Bangladesh and the World Bank can soon answer yes to such specific questions as these, Bangladesh will be able to sustain its recent pattern of rapid growth and more equality. All countries will be better able to learn from its experience. Then we will have a realistic chance to lift everyone out of extreme poverty.

But we must move quickly. Every day of delay wastes precious human potential. Every person, young or old, rich or poor, should have the chance to keep learning.

Thank you very much.

END POVERTY DAY It's Possible to End Poverty
#ProsperBangladesh
FEATURE STORY Rising Bangladesh Brings Hope, Ambition, and Innovation to End Poverty

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7 Essays About Poverty: Example Essays and Prompts

Essays about poverty give valuable insight into the economic situation that we share globally. Read our guide with poverty essay examples and prompts for your paper.

In the US, the official poverty rate in 2022 was 11.5 percent, with 37.9 million people living below the poverty line. With a global pandemic, cost of living crisis, and climate change on the rise, we’ve seen poverty increase due to various factors. As many of us face adversity daily, we can look to essays about poverty from some of the world’s greatest speakers for inspiration and guidance.

There is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying an adequate wage to every American citizen whether he be a hospital worker, laundry worker, maid or day laborer. There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum—and livable—income for every American family. Martin Luther King Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

Writing a poverty essay can be challenging due to the many factors contributing to poverty and the knock-on effects of living below the poverty line . For example, homelessness among low-income individuals stems from many different causes.

It’s important to note that poverty exists beyond the US, with many developing countries living in extreme poverty without access to essentials like clean water and housing. For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

Essays About Poverty: Top Examples

1. pensioner poverty: fear of rise over decades as uk under-40s wealth falls, 2. the surprising poverty levels across the u.s., 3. why poverty persists in america, 4. post-pandemic poverty is rising in america’s suburbs.

5. The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty
6. The State of America’s Children
7. COVID-19: This is how many Americans now live below the poverty line

10 Poverty Essay Topics

1. the causes of poverty, 2. the negative effects of poverty, 3. how countries can reduce poverty rates, 4. the basic necessities and poverty, 5. how disabilities can lead to poverty, 6. how the cycle of poverty unfolds , 7. universal basic income and its relationship to poverty, 8. interview someone who has experience living in poverty, 9. the impact of the criminal justice system on poverty, 10. the different ways to create affordable housing.

There is growing concern about increasing pensioner poverty in the UK in the coming decades. Due to financial challenges like the cost of living crisis, rent increases, and the COVID-19 pandemic, under 40s have seen their finances shrink.

Osborne discusses the housing wealth gap in this article, where many under the 40s currently pay less in a pension due to rent prices. While this means they will have less pension available, they will also retire without owning a home, resulting in less personal wealth than previous generations. Osborne delves into the causes and gaps in wealth between generations in this in-depth essay.

“Those under-40s have already been identified as facing the biggest hit from rising mortgage rates , and last week a study by the financial advice firm Hargreaves Lansdown found that almost a third of 18- to 34-year-olds had stopped or cut back on their pension contributions in order to save money.” Hilary Osborne, The Guardian

In this 2023 essay, Jeremy Ney looks at the poverty levels across the US, stating that poverty has had the largest one-year increase in history. According to the most recent census, child poverty has more than doubled from 2021 to 2022.

Ney states that the expiration of government support and inflation has created new financial challenges for US families. With the increased cost of living and essential items like food and housing sharply increasing, more and more families have fallen below the poverty line. Throughout this essay, Ney displays statistics and data showing the wealth changes across states, ethnic groups, and households.

“Poverty in America reflects the inequality that plagues U.S. households. While certain regions have endured this pain much more than others, this new rising trend may spell ongoing challenges for even more communities.” Jeremy Ney, TIME

Essays About Poverty: How countries can reduce poverty rates?

In this New York Times article, a Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist explores why poverty exists in North America.

The American poor have access to cheap, mass-produced goods, as every American does. But that doesn’t mean they can access what matters most. Matthew Desmond, The New York Times

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its annual data on poverty, revealing contrasting trends for 2022. While one set of findings indicated that the overall number of Americans living in poverty remained stable compared to the previous two years, another survey highlighted a concerning increase in child poverty. The rate of child poverty in the U.S. doubled from 2021 to 2022, a spike attributed mainly to the cessation of the expanded child tax credit following the pandemic. These varied outcomes underscore the Census Bureau’s multifaceted methods to measure poverty.

“The nation’s suburbs accounted for the majority of increases in the poor population following the onset of the pandemic” Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube, Brookings

5. The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty

Nearly 11 million children are living in poverty in America. This essay explores ow the crisis reached this point—and what steps must be taken to solve it.

“In America, nearly 11 million children are poor. That’s 1 in 7 kids, who make up almost one-third of all people living in poverty in this country.” Areeba Haider, Center for American Progress

6. The State of America’s Children

This essay articles how, despite advancements, children continue to be the most impoverished demographic in the U.S., with particular subgroups — such as children of color, those under five, offspring of single mothers, and children residing in the South — facing the most severe poverty levels.

“Growing up in poverty has wide-ranging, sometimes lifelong, effects on children, putting them at a much higher risk of experiencing behavioral, social, emotional, and health challenges. Childhood poverty also plays an instrumental role in impairing a child’s ability and capacity to learn, build skills, and succeed academically.” Children’s Defense Fund

7. COVID-19: This is how many Americans now live below the poverty line

This essay explores how the economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic 2020 led to a surge in U.S. poverty rates, with unemployment figures reaching unprecedented heights. The writer provides data confirming that individuals at the lowest economic strata bore the brunt of these challenges, indicating that the recession might have exacerbated income disparities, further widening the chasm between the affluent and the underprivileged.

“Poverty in the U.S. increased in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic hammered the economy and unemployment soared. Those at the bottom of the economic ladder were hit hardest, new figures confirm, suggesting that the recession may have widened the gap between the rich and the poor.” Elena Delavega, World Econmic Forum

If you’re tasked with writing an essay about poverty, consider using the below topics. They offer pointers for outlining and planning an essay about this challenging topic.

One of the most specific poverty essay topics to address involves the causes of poverty. You can craft an essay to examine the most common causes of extreme poverty. Here are a few topics you might want to include:

Racial discrimination, particularly among African Americans, has been a common cause of poverty throughout American history. Discrimination and racism can make it hard for people to get the education they need, making it nearly impossible to get a job.
A lack of access to adequate health care can also lead to poverty. When people do not have access to healthcare, they are more likely to get sick. This could make it hard for them to go to work while also leading to major medical bills.
Inadequate food and water can lead to poverty as well. If people’s basic needs aren’t met, they focus on finding food and water instead of getting an education they can use to find a better job.

These are just a few of the most common causes of poverty you might want to highlight in your essay. These topics could help people see why some people are more likely to become impoverished than others. You might also be interested in these essays about poverty .

Poverty affects everyone, and the impacts of an impoverished lifestyle are very real. Furthermore, the disparities when comparing adult poverty to child poverty are also significant. This opens the doors to multiple possible essay topics. Here are a few points to include:

When children live in poverty, their development is stunted. For example, they might not be able to get to school on time due to a lack of transportation, making it hard for them to keep up with their peers. Child poverty also leads to malnutrition, which can stunt their development.
Poverty can impact familial relationships as well. For example, members of the same family could fight for limited resources, making it hard for family members to bond. In addition, malnutrition can stunt the growth of children.
As a side effect of poverty, people have difficulty finding a safe place to live. This creates a challenging environment for everyone involved, and it is even harder for children to grow and develop.
When poverty leads to homelessness, it is hard for someone to get a job. They don’t have an address to use for physical communication, which leads to employment concerns.

These are just a few of the many side effects of poverty. Of course, these impacts are felt by people across the board, but it is not unusual for children to feel the effects of poverty that much more. You might also be interested in these essays about unemployment .

Different countries take different approaches to reduce the number of people living in poverty

The issue of poverty is a major human rights concern, and many countries explore poverty reduction strategies to improve people’s quality of life. You might want to examine different strategies that different countries are taking while also suggesting how some countries can do more. A few ways to write this essay include:

Explore the poverty level in America, comparing it to the poverty level of a European country. Then, explore why different countries take different strategies.
Compare the minimum wage in one state, such as New York, to the minimum wage in another state, such as Alabama. Why is it higher in one state? What does raising the minimum wage do to the cost of living?
Highlight a few advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations actively lobbying their governments to do more for low-income families. Then, talk about why some efforts are more successful than others.

Different countries take different approaches to reduce the number of people living in poverty. Poverty within each country is such a broad topic that you could write a different essay on how poverty could be decreased within the country. For more, check out our list of simple essays topics for intermediate writers .

You could also write an essay on the necessities people need to survive. You could take a look at information published by the United Nations , which focuses on getting people out of the cycle of poverty across the globe. The social problem of poverty can be addressed by giving people the necessities they need to survive, particularly in rural areas. Here are some of the areas you might want to include:

Affordable housing
Fresh, healthy food and clean water
Access to an affordable education
Access to affordable healthcare

Giving everyone these necessities could significantly improve their well-being and get people out of absolute poverty. You might even want to talk about whether these necessities vary depending on where someone is living.

There are a lot of medical and social issues that contribute to poverty, and you could write about how disabilities contribute to poverty. This is one of the most important essay topics because people could be disabled through no fault of their own. Some of the issues you might want to address in this essay include:

Talk about the road someone faces if they become disabled while serving overseas. What is it like for people to apply for benefits through the Veterans’ Administration?
Discuss what happens if someone becomes disabled while at work. What is it like for someone to pursue disability benefits if they are hurt doing a blue-collar job instead of a desk job?
Research and discuss the experiences of disabled people and how their disability impacts their financial situation.

People who are disabled need to have money to survive for many reasons, such as the inability to work, limitations at home, and medical expenses. A lack of money, in this situation, can lead to a dangerous cycle that can make it hard for someone to be financially stable and live a comfortable lifestyle.

Many people talk about the cycle of poverty, yet many aren’t entirely sure what this means or what it entails. A few key points you should address in this essay include:

When someone is born into poverty, income inequality can make it hard to get an education.
A lack of education makes it hard for someone to get into a good school, which gives them the foundation they need to compete for a good job.
A lack of money can make it hard for someone to afford college, even if they get into a good school.
Without attending a good college, it can be hard for someone to get a good job. This makes it hard for someone to support themselves or their families.
Without a good paycheck, it is nearly impossible for someone to keep their children out of poverty, limiting upward mobility into the middle class.

The problem of poverty is a positive feedback loop. It can be nearly impossible for those who live this every day to escape. Therefore, you might want to explore a few initiatives that could break the cycle of world poverty and explore other measures that could break this feedback loop.

Many business people and politicians have floated the idea of a universal basic income to give people the basic resources they need to survive. While this hasn’t gotten a lot of serious traction, you could write an essay to shed light on this idea. A few points to hit on include:

What does a universal basic income mean, and how is it distributed?
Some people are concerned about the impact this would have on taxes. How would this be paid for?
What is the minimum amount of money someone would need to stay out of poverty? Is it different in different areas?
What are a few of the biggest reasons major world governments haven’t passed this?

This is one of the best essay examples because it gives you a lot of room to be creative. However, there hasn’t been a concrete structure for implementing this plan, so you might want to afford one.

Another interesting topic you might want to explore is interviewing someone living in poverty or who has been impoverished. While you can talk about statistics all day, they won’t be as powerful as interviewing someone who has lived that life. A few questions you might want to ask during your interview include:

What was it like growing up?
How has living in poverty made it hard for you to get a job?
What do you feel people misunderstand about those who live in poverty?
When you need to find a meal, do you have a place you go to? Or is it somewhere different every day?
What do you think is the main contributor to people living in poverty?

Remember that you can also craft different questions depending on your responses. You might want to let the interviewee read the essay when you are done to ensure all the information is accurate and correct.

The criminal justice system and poverty tend to go hand in hand. People with criminal records are more likely to be impoverished for several reasons. You might want to write an essay that hits on some of these points:

Discuss the discriminatory practices of the criminal justice system both as they relate to socioeconomic status and as they relate to race.
Explore just how hard it is for someone to get a job if they have a criminal record. Discuss how this might contribute to a life of poverty.
Dive into how this creates a positive feedback loop. For example, when someone cannot get a job due to a criminal record, they might have to steal to survive, which worsens the issue.
Review what the criminal justice system might be like for someone with resources when compared to someone who cannot afford to hire expert witnesses or pay for a good attorney.

You might want to include a few examples of disparate sentences for people in different socioeconomic situations to back up your points.

The different ways to create affordable housing

Affordable housing can make a major difference when someone is trying to escape poverty

Many poverty-related problems could be reduced if people had access to affordable housing. While the cost of housing has increased dramatically in the United States , some initiatives exist to create affordable housing. Here are a few points to include:

Talk about public programs that offer affordable housing to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Discuss private programs, such as Habitat for Humanity , doing similar things.
Review the positive impacts that stable housing has on both adults and children.
Dive into other measures local and federal governments could take to provide more affordable housing for people.

There are a lot of political and social angles to address with this essay, so you might want to consider spreading this out across multiple papers. Affordable housing can make a major difference when trying to escape poverty. If you want to learn more, check out our essay writing tips !

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18 Speeches on Poverty

From Winning the War on Poverty to Redefining Disparity

Speech: ‘We can and must choose to end poverty for women and girls’

Opening remarks by un under-secretary-general and un women executive director sima bahous at the opening of the 68th session of the commission on the status of women, 11 march 2024, at un headquarters.

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[As delivered.]

We meet at a time of great uncertainty. Peace feels painfully distant, war painfully prevalent, suffering painfully ubiquitous.

Backlash on gender equality is on the rise, with a ferocity and anger that is unfamiliar to many of us.

From the wars around the world, the violence online, the war we wage on our planet—women and girls continue to be the ones suffering the consequences of decisions not of their making.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous delivers opening remarks at the opening of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, 11 March 2024, at UN headquarters. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown.

In the Middle East, Sudan, Myanmar, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, women and girls bear the brunt of conflicts and of wars they did not start.

In all conflicts, we unequivocally condemn all acts of gender-based violence, and all forms of violence, against any woman or girl anywhere in the world.

We need an urgent ceasefire in Gaza. We are witnessing a destruction and killing of civilians, UN personnel, humanitarians, and journalists at an unprecedented scale. More than 9000 women have been killed, and this number continues to rise at an unthinkable rate. Nothing can justify this.

In Israel, as we heard from the Secretary-General, the Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict Ms. Pramila Patten’s report has horrific accounts of sexual violence against women and girls in the October 7 attack. There are also harrowing testimonies of sexual violence by Israeli forces against Palestinian women in detention, house raids, and checkpoints. All such acts and forms of violence against women and girls are condemned.

We call on the immediate and safe delivery of humanitarian aid across Gaza, the release of all hostages, an end to occupation, and for a return to a path to peace, a peace that is just and comprehensive and that is inclusive of the crucial voices and leadership of women. This is our only hope for the future we want.

The struggle for gender equality is not new. Women have been fighting for their rights for centuries. History is replete with heroes, women as well as enlightened men, who laid out a path for us to follow, who exemplified sacrifice for our cause, and who modeled the courage and wisdom we need today more than ever.

We stand on their shoulders, and we owe it to them to keep the fight going until true equality, in social, economic, and political life, is attained. We aspire to leave a mark on history as they have done.

This Commission on the Status of Women is an expression of our understanding of the centrality of gender equality to the aspirations that we have as a family of nations. None can be achieved without equality between women and men. And this year’s priority theme focuses on accelerating progress on gender equality by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing.

We can transform economies, if our professed commitments to equality are matched by our budgets, as they should be. This we must do with urgency. And the evidence is as stark as ever, more than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty if governments prioritized education, healthcare, fair and equal wages, and expanded social benefits.

Closing gender gaps in employment could boost Gross Domestic Product per capita by 20 per cent across all regions. The return on investment in gender equality is a guaranteed win for any society and economy.

Time is not on our side.

Across the world, poverty continues to have a woman’s face, with women experiencing higher rates of poverty than men, that is expected to persist beyond any of our lifetimes. More than 10 per cent of women globally live on less than USD 2.15 a day. If we want to say it right, they don’t really live, they barely survive.

Today, one in ten women live in extreme poverty. At the current rate of progress, as many as 342 million women will still be living in poverty in or by 2030. This makes a mockery of our 2030 Agenda .

Both poverty and women’s financial exclusion are fueled by discriminatory gender norms which are entrenched in our economic, political, and social systems.

Women spend nearly three hours more per day than men performing unpaid care and domestic work. This work forms the backbone of our homes, our communities, and our societies. It keeps economies running, enables growth, drives progress and development.

This work can be properly recognized and compensated, to the mutual benefit of women and economies, if we choose to do so.

No matter how limited the fiscal space may be, gender equality should always be a priority, always the smartest and wisest investment to make. There is no national development policy that will not benefit from gender equality.

There is no Sustainable Development Goal that can be attained without gender equality. With a mere six years to go, gender equality remains our best hope to get back on track to 2030.

This CSW68 sees record numbers of participants from civil society in attendance. To all those here representing civil society and young people, I warmly welcome you and thank you for your energy and insight.

The women’s movement has time and again been at the heart of every great step forward for equality.

You play a critical role in holding us accountable to and upholding our collective social contract, through your advocacy, your expertise, and the invaluable work many of you and your organizations do in crises. When things are at their most bleak, you step up. When help is desperately needed, you are there on the frontline, supporting, providing essential services, driving feminist change.

We must do more to invest in women’s rights organizations, especially feminist, grassroots, youth organizations and women’s collectives. These organizations must have flexible and predictable financing that matches the scale of need with the power of your movements and voice across the world.

The Secretary-General’s report on this CSW68 priority theme is clear. Policy choices are not beyond us; we can and must choose to end poverty for women and girls.

We must commit to using the levers of finance to invest in and build systems and social institutions that can tackle gender inequality, and that can address structural poverty. This year we must not just play the game better; we must change it altogether.

We must do so with boundless energy and unswerving resolution. We do so at this CSW, and when we meet later this year for the Summit of the Future , and again at the sixty-ninth session of this Commission when we will take stock of the 30 years since the Beijing Platform for Action . I urge all of us in this room to seize these opportunities as a chance to recommit, and to scale up our work and our investment in gender equality.

Let me highlight four concrete and achievable priorities as pathways to end women’s and girls’ poverty, for your deliberations:

One, we need inclusive, equitable fiscal pacts. These must address redistribution, progressive taxation, well-targeted investments, increased official development assistance, and properly financed national women’s machineries to lead on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Two, we need high-quality, accessible public services, appropriately tailored to the needs of everyone. This includes quality education for girls, and decent work for women.

Three, we need inclusive, gender-responsive social protection systems with full and equal access and benefits for women and girls living in poverty.

Four, we need to invest in the care economy as a strategy for reducing women’s and girls’ poverty and for building more robust care and green economies.

We can no longer dismiss a gender equality dividend that we need now more than ever.

We cannot cling to excuses that this is too difficult, too expensive, too transgressive of tradition, or too far down our list of priorities. And we cannot in good conscience deny women and girls, in all their diversity, the equality that is their right.

I reiterate my call on International’s Women Day : For all of us to be the light that brings hope and accelerates progress towards an equal, sustainable, and peaceful future for all people, for every woman, and every girl, everywhere. I know that this is within our reach, so let us all push forward together.

To the Delegates and colleagues observing the Holy Month of Ramadan, may it be peaceful, and a time for reflection, and lessened suffering for all women and girls, everywhere.

I thank you and wish us all a very successful CSW68.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Executive Director
Conflict, war
Commission on the Status of Women
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Financing for gender equality
Economic empowerment
Governance and national planning
Intergovernmental processes
Peace and security
UN Women administration

Rebuilding the women’s movement in Afghanistan, one organization at a time

Amani Al Derbi, center, is seen alongside her four children. Amani was killed in an airstrike in Gaza on 7 May 2024.

Silenced voices: Amani’s death in Gaza

Intensified military operations will bring increased death and despair for Rafah’s 700,000 women and girls

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2. “Poverty Facts.” Povertyusa.org, 2020, www.povertyusa.org/facts .

3. McCarty AT. Child Poverty in the United States: A Tale of Devastation and the Promise of Hope. Sociol Compass. 2016 Jul;10(7):623-639. doi: 10.1111/soc4.12386. Epub 2016 Jul 4. PMID: 28890733; PMCID: PMC5589198.

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