What’s the goal here?
To end poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030.
Why?
IN 2015, more than 700 million people, or 10 per cent of the world population, lived in extreme poverty, struggling to fulfill the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation, to name only a few. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is reversing the trend of poverty reduction with tens of millions of people in risk of being pushed back into extreme poverty – people living on less than $1.90/day – causing the first increase in global poverty in more than 20 years.
Even before COVID-19, baseline projections suggested that 6 per cent of the global population would still be living in extreme poverty in 2030, mussing the target of ending poverty.
Developing countries will face a devastating social and economic crisis over the months and years to come, with the pandemic pushing millions of workers into unemployment, underemployment and working poverty.
Having a job also does not guarantee a decent living. In fact, 7.1 per cent of employed workers and their families worldwide lived in extreme poverty in 2019, a positive decline compared to 2010, but the number is expected to rise in light of the long-term consequences of the pandemic.
Why is there so much poverty in the world?
Poverty has many dimensions, but its causes include unemployment, social exclusion, and high vulnerability of certain populations to disasters, diseases and other phenomena which prevent them from being productive.
Why should I care about other people’s economic situation?
There are many reasons, but in short, because as human beings, our wellbeing is linked each other. Growing inequality is detrimental to economic growth and undermines social cohesion, increasing political and social tensions and, in some circumstances, driving instability and conflicts.
Why is social protection so important?
The COVID-19 pandemic will have both immediate and long-term economic consequences for people across the globe. Strong social protection systems are essential for mitigating the effects and preventing many people from falling into poverty. Nevertheless, 55 per cent of the world’s population – about 4 billion people – did not benefit from any form of social protection in 2016. Only 22 per cent of unemployed workers were covered by unemployment benefits.
So what can I do about it?
Your active engagement in policymaking can make a difference in addressing poverty. It ensures that your rights are promoted and that your voice is heard, that intergenerational knowledge is shared, and that innovation and critical thinking are encouraged at all ages to support transformational change in people’s lives and communities.
Governments can help create an enabling environment to generate productive employment and job opportunities for the poor and the marginalized.
The private sector has a major role to play in determining whether the growth it creates is inclusive and contributes to poverty reduction. It can promote economic opportunities for the poor.
The contribution of science to end poverty has been significant. For example, it has enabled access to safe drinking water, reduced deaths caused by water-borne diseases, and improved hygiene to reduce health risks related to unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation.
To find out more about Goal 1 and the other Sustainable Development Goals visit: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/