Issues

People have the power to end poverty.

Nelson Mandela once said, “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” Whoever you are—student, mother, activist, policy maker, or public figure—you are critical to the global movement for change.

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No one should go hungry.

Of the 5.9 million children who die each year, poor nutrition plays a role in at least half these deaths. Hunger isn't about too many people and too little food. It's about power, and its roots lie in inequalities in access to resources and opportunities.

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We all have the right to clean water.

Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.

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All people deserve to live safely.

There are few genuinely “natural” disasters. A disaster hits when a community faces something that exceeds its capacity to cope. Poor communities often lack strong infrastructure and have the fewest resources for recovery.

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Women and girls are crucial to reducing poverty.

Women are disproportionately affected by poverty. Oxfam helps women and girls overcome gender discrimination, realize their potential, and assume leadership roles in their communities.

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We all deserve the opportunity to earn a decent living.

The rights of the world's poorest people are being violated by trade policies, lack of transparency, and limited access to financial services. We believe earning a living, access to banking services, and other markers of economic health are more than evidence of well-being, they are rights.

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People have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

Many poor countries face a “resource curse”: while natural resources can generate significant revenues, countries that depend on them often suffer from more corruption, social unrest, and human rights violations.

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We must help poor communities cope with climate change.

The carbon footprint of the world's one billion poorest people represents just 3 percent of the global total, yet as climate change advances, poor communities are hardest hit. We have a responsibility to avoid doing harm to others and to invest in helping them adapt.

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Poverty is not inevitable.

Lasting change requires systemic change. We must create an environment where poverty cannot persist. We encourage people to think differently about poverty—to ask questions and challenge assumptions.

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