FACTORS IN GLOBAL POVERTY LIVING STANDARDS, PART 2

CAUSES OF POVERTY

the poverty cycle Dire Poverty Not enough money for food, medicine, etc. Malnutrition, illness, lack of education, etc. Inability to work/look for work or lack of skills for well paying work Poverty is a vicious cycle that is difficult to break out of.

causes of global poverty Armed conflict Historical factors (e.g. colonialism) Natural disasters Government corruption Lack of education Crime High unemployment Inadequate medical care International debt Famine Discrimination Mental illness Overpopulation Addiction Exploitation of the poor by the rich Disease Lack of democracy Inequitable distribution of global resources Geographic factors (e.g. lack of arable land) Poverty itself The underlying causes of poverty are frequently debated and rarely agreed upon. Systemic poverty has no single cause; it is often a combination of causes that traps people in the poverty cycle. This is a list of the factors most likely to lead to dire poverty.

Imbalances in global spending Global Necessities (Not currently available in all nations) Estimated cost in billions (USD) Elementary level education for all 6 Fresh drinking water and sanitation for all 9 Reproductive health for all women 12 Basic health and nutrition for all 13 World Spending Cost in billions Cosmetics in the United States 8 Ice cream in Europe 11 Pet food in Europe and the United States 50 Narcotic drugs worldwide 400 Global military spending 780 No need to copy this into your notes. Figures prepared in 1998, so numbers could have changed since that time. Estimates in US dollars

Higher risk groups Women & Children

IMPOVERISHED WOMEN In male-dominated societies, women & children have lower status & fewer legal rights than men. Women often eat less & work longer hours than men. More likely to be illiterate, especially where public education isn’t available or where only males can attend school. Often married at a young age to reduce the financial burden on their families. Under the law in some countries, women are considered property, not people with individual legal rights. Eat less because they must eat whatever is left after husband and male children eat, which contributes to higher rates of malnutrition. Work longer because they are paid less or because they must care for the home as well as perform their job. They are also left to care for their family on their own if the men decide to migrate for work. Even where education is affordable, girls are often kept home to care for younger siblings.

IMPOVERISHED WOMEN Improving women’s access to education could make a significant difference in the developing world because educated women: marry later & have fewer children. understand contraception & are more likely to resist pressure to have more children. have children who live longer because they understand the importance of immunization, clean water & proper nutrition. Education is the key to improving women’s status as well as child health. Women without a secondary education have an average of 7 children; women with a secondary education have an average of 3 children. The infant mortality rate drops for every year of schooling a mother has. Smaller families and better education add up to increased time and opportunity to improve their family’s circumstances.

IMPOVERISHED children UNICEF publishes an annual child-risk index based on 5 factors: Under-five mortality rate (U5MR) Percentage of moderately to severely underweight children Number of children not attending primary school Risk from armed conflict Risk from HIV/AIDS The high birth rates in developing countries place children at great risk. UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund According to the UN any score higher than 0 should be a concern for the country. Angola had the highest risk with a score of 96.

IMPOVERISHED children Each country receives a score of 0-100. Most developed nations (e.g. Canada) have scores of 5 or below. African countries average a score of 61.

IMPOVERISHED children Poverty is strongly linked to the U5MR: 50% of these deaths are caused by malnutrition. Lack of access to fresh water & vaccines are the other primary cause. Poverty is the leading cause of child labour: Children work to support their families or themselves Many countries lack labour laws to protect children U5MR: under-five mortality rate It is not uncommon for children to work up to 15 hours a day, often in dangerous work, which includes the sex trade and slave labour. Some children are even sold into the sex trade/slave trade so their families can get money

IMPOVERISHED children Armed conflict endangers 540 million children each year: Children as young as 11 have been used as soldiers in civil wars & 16-year-olds are legally allowed to serve in the military in many countries Land mines, commonly used in armed conflicts, mean that the danger doesn’t end when the fighting stops.