On this year's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which is celebrated under the slogan Dignity for All in Practice, calls to overcome poverty – which was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – are being expressed in both Slovenia and across the globe. According to the UN's critical observation, poverty is not inevitable, and is the result of certain decisions made by those in charge.

Dignity is not only a fundamental human right, but also the basis for all other human rights. It is not an abstract concept: it belongs to each and every one of us.

As the Slovenian Ombudsman, Peter Svetina, points out, overcoming poverty is not the responsibility of NGOs, but of the state, which must react immediately to any hardships that are detected. He will thus continue to support the calls for a more effective social policy and the elimination of deficiencies in the pension system.

The Slovenian Friends of Youth Association has noticed that the structure of families in need of aid has changed in recent years. It has increasingly been the working poor who have been turning to them for help, because the minimum salary they receive cannot cover all their expenses. They receive the most requests for help from single-parent families and families with sick children.

UNICEF Slovenia reports that 10.2% or around 40,000 children in Slovenia lived below the poverty line last year. It believes that, due to the effects of the anti-COVID-19 measures that can still be felt and the record costs of heating and living, this is the key moment to protect families with children and adapt the support that is provided to them.

Organisations promoting the rights of the elderly also see many issues that need to be resolved. According to the Slovenian Federation of Pensioners' Associations, retirees account for the largest share of people below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, at approximately one quarter of the total. The Slovenian Pensioners' Trade Union is critical of how the elderly are perceived by today’s politicians and society in general. In turn, the Srebrna Nit Association is calling on the government to freeze retirement home fees.

In their official message marking the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities stated that high inflation was primarily affecting low-income households. In addition to systemic measures, it has prepared an energy allowance for the most vulnerable households and a children's inflation allowance to help alleviate the situation.

Source: STA