Rights are the key for people to break out of the poverty trap. Put simply, respect for human rights demands inclusion, demands that everyone gets a say, demands that those in power protect people from threats to their security.

For people living in slums, on the street, or in other settlements, clean safe water, Nutritious food, and housing is not always available.

Children should be able to go to school free from discrimination. School should be reasonably assessable and offer a safe environment. Time and time again children from poor and marginalized communities are denied an education or experience discrimination.

Many of the issues around poverty:

Rights at work, such as fair conditions of employment.
• Right to education, including free and compulsory primary education.
• Cultural rights of minorities and Indigenous Peoples.
• Right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, such as access to quality health services.
• Right to adequate housing, including protection from forced eviction.
• Right to food, including being able to obtain nutritious food.
• Right to water, including affordable clean water.
• Right to sanitation, including access to a safe toilet.

Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights came into force in May 2013 that gives people the ability to seek justice from the UN, if their own country won’t listen.