Joining other leading figures in the social justice and advocacy sector, our National Director Claerwen Little photographed herself holding the ‘Halve child poverty by 2030’ banner to show she has taken the pledge to urge all Parliamentarians to legislate to halve poverty rates and have measurable targets and actions.

Anti-Poverty Week are asking the same of community members, who can download and print the pledge from the Anti-Poverty website and share on social media to raise awareness of child poverty in Australia.

The latest figures available show there are 774,000 children, that’s one in every six, living in poverty in Australia. That’s a higher percentage than any other age group.

A leading cause of child poverty is the high poverty rate (44%) among sole-parent families, who rely on a single income.

The effects of living below the poverty line are not limited to being unable to afford to put food on the table. Poverty increases the risk of psychological distress, and mental health disorders. Poorer communities have a higher risk factor for violence, crime, social conflict, civil unrest, homelessness, and unemployment.

What we now need is to raise awareness of the causes and effects of poverty, and urge our Parliamentarians to commit to halve poverty for 774,000 children in Australia.

Download the pledge on the Anti-Poverty Week website, and take a photo of yourself holding the pledge. Post it to social media, using the hashtag #endchildpoverty and tag Anti-Poverty Week in your post.