SUSTAINABE DEVELOPMENT: ISSUES, POLICIES AND PRACTICES

UNGS 1201
SECTION 28

Individual Paper
Semester 2 2020/2021

Lecturer’s Name: Akeem Olowolayemo

Prepared by: Ahlami Syahira Binti Aizac (2219856)
 Say No to Poverty and Inequalities

Over the recent decades, the world has shown significant improvements in advancing

human well-being. However, extreme poverty and inequalities still abide far-flung in the

developing world. If people did not take this issue as a serious matter, it will ruin the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as no poverty is listed as the first SDG and reduce

inequalities is the 10th SDG.

Poverty is defined as a lack of resources or a circumstance where a person lacks a

specific amount of material possessions or money. The United Nations defines poverty as the

inability of getting choices and opportunities. Meanwhile, they defined extreme poverty as

the most severe kind of poverty, “a state in which fundamental human requirements such as

food, health, shelter, education, and information are severely deprived. It is dependent on

both income and availability to services " as stated in the (UN 1995 report of the World

Summit for Social Development). In 2018, the World Bank has set an income below the

international poverty line of $1.90 per day is considered extreme poverty. However, they

changed the international poverty line, a global absolute minimum, to $1.90 per day in

October 2017. Over 1.2 billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty since 1990 and

currently, 9.2% of the world's population lives on less than $1.90 a day, compared to nearly

36% in 1990.

Meanwhile, inequality refers to disparities and discrepancies in areas such as income,

wealth, education, health, nutrition, space, politics, and social identity. It's a growing issue in

the United Kingdom as they live in a society that is extremely unequal, with the poorest half

of the population owning only 9% of the wealth. The richest 10% of the population is 100
times wealthier than the poorest 10%. This shows that extreme poverty and inequality really

hold the title of “major problem” nowadays and it is important for us to take serious actions

in combating these problems.

Challenges

Hunger, Health and Death

Extreme hunger, starvation, and malnutrition occur from absolute poverty. Without

access to medical care and treatments, people (and children) become more susceptible to

diseases like cholera, dysentery, and tuberculosis that can be prevented. It also can lead to

rising death rates. On the other hand, relative poverty compels people to act in ways that

expose them to diseases like HIV and Aids. Even while they might not go hungry, they might

be eating unhealthily, which lowers their defences and exposes them to disease. Besides,

families cannot afford access to wholesome food, clean water, or healthcare if their salaries

are insufficient and unsustainable. Consequently, one in three kids in low- and middle-

income nations experiences chronic undernutrition. Without intervention, hunger can result in

mental and emotional retardation, stunted growth, and even death.

More than 3 billion people in the world are unable to afford the average cost of an

inexpensive healthy diet. In both wealthy and poor countries, insufficient incomes to meet

rising cost of nutritious foods can have serious impacts. Perhaps, consumption of low-quality

foods can lead to malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and other health problems.

Infectious diseases are the main consequences of poverty, claiming the lives of an estimated

14 million people each year and causing millions of individuals to suffer from poverty-related

health issues worldwide.

 Global Unemployment

The next challenge of poverty is global unemployment. There are 192 million

unemployed people around the world. Unemployment rates will push this number up in some

regions of the world, primarily in the less wealthy ones. Unemployment also leads to crime.

According to a study on youth in the Caribbean, those between the ages of 15 and 24 who

were unemployed were more likely to commit crimes. The homicide rate in the Caribbean is

higher than in any other region of the world due to the difficulties in the job market. The

crime rate in the Caribbean is 6.8% compared to the global average of 4.5 %, which results in

a global rate per 100,000 inhabitants.

Besides, according to analysis by the American non-profit National Bureau of

Economic Research, factors such as the unemployment rate, median wages, and wage

disparity are all significant predictors of poverty (NBER). According to the study, poverty

rates rise by 0.4 to 0.7% for every 1% increase in unemployment, and fall by 2% for every

10% increase in the minimum wage. Since it puts the problem in a wider context,

unemployment is typically used to define poverty. It's widely known that one of the factors

contributing to poverty is unemployment. The politics surrounding social policy and among

members of professional communities have both given considerable attention to

unemployment as a widespread concern. During the global financial and economic crisis, it

has revealed its fundamental relevance.

 Early life opportunities

Now, we move on to the challenges of inequality. The main challenge of inequality is

early life opportunities. Our childhood experiences initial inequalities that we are born into. If

you're born into a wealthy family, you'll have an advantage. This is especially relevant in the

United Kingdom, where long-standing land ownership inequalities and inherited wealth

networks provide the foundation of initial conditions that sustain inequality. Wealthy families

can afford better education for their children, which opens up a world of possibilities. Since

social mobility in the United Kingdom is low, people born into low-income families are more

likely to remain poor. (The United States is similarly awful for social mobility, with its image

as the land of opportunity being more myth than reality.)

According to research by UNICEF on How Inequalities Develop Through Childhood

under the Life Course Evidence from the Young Lives Cohort Study, by the age of eight,

nearly all Ethiopian children growing up in the poorest third of households (94%) had some

difficulties reading in their mother tongue, compared to slightly under half of those in the

least disadvantaged third of households (45%). Furthermore, they have found out that the

stunting rate of the poorest third of Peruvian children was four times higher than that of the

least poor children by the age of 12 years (37% compared with 9%). These examples

highlight growing disparities between groups of children based on ethnicity, poverty, living

environment, education, and other factors. So, it is true that early life opportunities can cause

inequalities.
 Global Influences

Furthermore, one of the challenges of inequality is global influences. Globalization is

the process of increasing economic and social interdependence around the world (Collier and

Dollar, 2001). It covers everything from trade and services to capital movement, global

population growth and poverty, international migration, global transportation, and

communication. Even though Globalization is a phenomenon that provided many benefits, it

has also exacerbated inequality. For instance, With the fall of the Soviet Union and the

growth of China, the global economy gained over a billion new workers. One of the

numerous consequences of this has been a reduction in the value of unskilled workers all

across the world, resulting in wage disparities between skilled and unskilled workers.

Besides, economic liberalization is another global trend that has exacerbated

inequality in almost every country where it has been pursued. Anti-globalists believe that

globalization has a detrimental impact, especially with global inequalities increasing rather

than reducing. Because of that, in the late 1990s, organizations such as the World Trade

Organization (WTO) formed a "movement of movements" in opposition to neoliberalism.

Besides, according to Niazi (one of the biggest Pashtun tribes in Afghanistan and Pakistan's

north western provinces) (2004), the Green Revolution did not eliminate hunger, poverty, or

unemployment; rather, it exacerbated them and contributed to social inequalities by allowing

unequal access to production resources (Birdsall 2003). It also led to distributional

inequalities. This shows the negative impacts of the Green Revolution in Pakistan and the

best proof to show the impact of globalization that can lead to inequalities.
 Ideas to solve the issues
Education
One of the effective ways to solve poverty is to give free education to poor families.

This is because, lack of education is one of the major factors that can lead to poverty. Not

everyone who is ignorant lives in extreme poverty. However, the majority of adults in

extreme poverty did not acquire quality education and their children are more likely to be left

behind. This restricts people's capacity to get quality work, thrive, and fully participate in

society. Many obstacles to education exist around the world, including a shortage of funds for

uniforms and books, as well as a cultural bias against females' education. Education, on the

other hand, is frequently referred to as the great equalizer. This is because it can provide

access to employment, money, and skills that a family requires to not only survive but thrive.

According to UNESCO, an estimated 171 million people could escape extreme

poverty if all students in low-income countries had only basic reading skills (nothing else).

So, we could reduce global poverty by more than half of all adults completing secondary

education. Education is threatened by poverty, yet education can also contribute to alleviating

poverty. Many of the other issues that might make people, families, and even entire

communities vulnerable to the cycle of poverty can be solved through education. Because

education is intimately tied to economic progress, it is the best way out of poverty. According

to research published in 2021 by Stanford University and Ludwig Maximilian University in

Munich, greater math and science abilities were responsible for 75% of global GDP growth

between 1960 and 2000. It clearly shows that great education really can improve the

economy and it will help to reduce poverty.

 Differentiated poverty reduction policies

Typically, systemic inequality and chronic poverty are linked to extreme poverty. A

higher rate of social mobility and the impact of shocks are more closely associated with

temporary poverty. To solve each case of poverty, different strategies are required. A

temporary employment programme may be effective for transient poverty, but it may be

ineffective for persistent poverty due to, for example, a disability or to address poverty

encountered by immigrants. To create more effective policies and have a greater influence on

severe poverty, it is helpful to understand the dynamics of poverty.

Government actions

One of the SDGs' major achievements was the adoption of SDG 10, which aims to

reduce inequality both within and between nations. The gap between the rich and the poor is

being reduced for the first time in history due to a goal established by governments. The

major sign of progress is that the incomes of the bottom 40% of the population increase more

quickly than the average. It's not strong. Instead, the indicator should additionally track how

much money the top 10% and 1% of earners receive. However, SDG 10 represents a

significant advancement.

In a Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index published last year, Oxfam evaluated

152 governments' efforts to alleviate inequality through their labour, tax, and social policies.

The SDGs will be closer to being attained as a result of this, which will be updated yearly and

over time will reveal whether nations are sincere in combating inequality. People power is

what underpins all these policy decisions. Political leaders must pay attention to the interests
of the average majority rather than the requirements of the privileged few if we are to

minimise excessive inequality.

Promotive actions

Discrimination against some population subgroups could make people feel alone and

restrict their access to possibilities for better well-being. People with disabilities, immigrants,

religious groups, and indigenous groups may feel more confident about their inclusion in the

State as a result of media campaigns and advocacy initiatives that highlight this type of

prejudice and encourage the engagement of these sectors.

Affirmative action can aid in lessening the effects of historical discrimination towards

certain social groups, such as indigenous groups. Quotas for political involvement can also

strengthen their influence on governmental decisions.

Conclusion

Poverty and Inequality are the issues that we have to concern about as it listed as the

first and 10th of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the title of this article, Say

No to Poverty and Inequalities, shows that we must take a serious action in combating these

issues as it is important for a better world and will sustain the development of the countries

especially which affected by those poverty and inequality problems. In conclusion, we need

to contribute our help to achieve No Poverty and Reduce Inequalities and be such a

responsible human being as it is important to achieve such Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs). We need to spread awareness on these issues so that people will alert and take part in

helping to solve it as it.

References

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