International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025: Origin and Theme of the Year

Jakarta – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025 falls on 17 October. According to the UN, this day emphasizes that ending poverty is about dignity, justice and a sense of belonging, not just income. The following is a review of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025. Page TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Background Citing the UN website, the commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to October 17, 1987. On that day, more than a hundred thousand people gathered in Paris, Trocadéro, where the Human Rights. signed in 1948, to honor the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They declared that poverty is a violation of human rights and emphasized the need to unite to ensure that these rights are respected. This belief is inscribed on a memorial stone unveiled today. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on October 17 to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor. Replicas of memorial stones have been unveiled around the world and serve as gathering places to celebrate the day. One such replica is located in the gardens of the United Nations headquarters and is the site of annual commemorations organized by the United Nations Secretariat in New York. Through resolution 47/196 adopted on 22 December 1992, the UN General Assembly designated 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and invited all countries to dedicate this day to the presentation and promotion, as appropriate in the national context, of concrete activities related to the eradication of poverty and destitution. October 17 is an opportunity to appreciate the efforts and struggles of poor people, an opportunity for them to express their aspirations, and a moment to realize that poor people are the first to fight against poverty. The participation of the poor themselves has been at the heart of this day’s celebrations from the beginning. The October 17 anniversary also reflects the willingness of poor people to use their skills to contribute to poverty alleviation. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025 has the theme “End social and institutional abuse by ensuring respect and effective support for families”. This year’s theme focuses on ending social and institutional abuse by ensuring respect and effective support for families, with the clear aim of prioritizing those who are disadvantaged and building institutions that help families stay together, thrive and shape their own futures. Poor families often face stigma and punitive practices in places that are supposed to help, such as schools, clinics, social welfare offices, and child protection systems. Single mothers, traditional families and historically discriminated groups report judgment and control that erode trust and authority, sometimes leading to family separation due to poverty with lasting emotional and social impacts for children and parents. To change course, the theme of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025 calls for three changes: From control to care: Designing services that start from trust. Reduce penalty requirements, simplify documentation and prioritize respectful, person-centered interactions. From monitoring to support: Rebalancing investments from monitoring and redeployment to family strengthening services: income support, quality child care, adequate housing, mental health care, parenting support and access to justice. Top-down to co-created solutions: Engage families living in poverty at every stage—assessment, design, budget, delivery, and evaluation—so that policy reflects real needs and constraints. (squeeze/squeeze)