leading to uneven social gains among wealth groups, and indicates the need to reduce inequalities through inclusive pro-poor growth, to which the Government is committed. The projected figures indicate that, the proportion of poor (people bellow upper poverty line) will reduce from 24.8% in 2015 to 18.0% in 2020 and the proportion of extreme poor (people bellow lower poverty line) will reduce from 12.9% in 2015 to 8.9% in 2020 while, the GDP growth will increase from 6.5% in 2015 to 8.0% in 2020. 45 45. Poverty in Bangladesh is caused by multiple reasons. Low economic growth, disparities in distribution of income, unemployment, low level of human resources development, limited access to public services and disasters both manmade and natural. Poverty aggravates discrimination, particularly affecting the vulnerable groups including women, children, elderly and the disabled. Further, poverty acts as a barrier to realize and seek awareness on rights. Unfortunately, these circumstances not only affect individuals and their existence, it also traps their social structures in the vicious cycle of poverty with little opportunity to escape. Further, the patriarchal cultural practices in the country places women in both socially and economically vulnerable situations. They are not only isolated and neglected, but also deprived of their basic needs, exploited and repressed.46 Thus, it is vital to ensure that projects designed to eradicate poverty consider views from women and other vulnerable population segments from the local communities. This must be done from the very inception to ensure efforts are tailor made to address grassroots problems. In addition, it is vital to include rights based awareness alongside programmes addressing poverty eradication. 46. Shelter is one of the very basic needs for human survival. It is more than a roof over one’s head. It provides security, identity, a place to come back to, a place to call home and a place for family life. Shelter is a fundamental human right, vital to life, dignity and development of individuals and hence of the family, the society, the country and humankind at large.47 The Government adopted a Policy on National Housing in 1993 but the rights of safe shelter are not ensured to every citizen of Bangladesh. Every year a considerable number of population are displaced due to natural disaster such as river erosion. The displaced rural people then migrate to urban area and take shelter in different slums specially in Dhaka city. In Dhaka alone, there are 4,000 informal settlements or slums home to 3.5 million people48. 47. CESCR General Comment 4 emphasizes that, the right to adequate housing applies to everyone. While the reference to “himself and his family” reflects assumptions as to gender roles and economic activity patterns commonly accepted in 1966 when the Covenant was adopted, the phrase cannot be read today as implying any limitations upon the applicability of the right to individuals or to female-headed households or other such groups. Thus, the concept of “family” must be understood in a wide sense. In particular, enjoyment of this 45 7th Five Year Plan, Bangladesh Poverty and Human Rights in Bangladesh by DAVID BEGG 2010 47 The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Study on Bangladesh Compliance, page 5, published by the National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh: http://nhrc.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/nhrc.portal.gov.bd 48 http://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/affordable-housing-urban-myth-or-reality-1476373 46 15