Research Paper about Poverty: Man-Made Disaster

Margaret Thatcher once said: “Poverty is a personality defect”.  Though she may have insinuated that people only have themselves to blame for being poor, it may very well be a personality defect for those who caused poverty to run rampant globally. According to Concern Worldwide, approximately 11% of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty (Meyers, 2018). This percentage accounts for approximately 1 Billion people. Many factors contribute to global poverty. Social and environmental upheaval as well as conflict and wars have brought poverty to dangerously extreme levels, and while poverty is spreading at rates comparable to epidemics, it is for the most part a man-made disaster. In this essay, we will explore the different causes of poverty as well as potential solutions to mitigate the sufferings of millions of people and possibly eradicate the extreme cases which account for 11% of the world’s population (Meyers, 2018).

The first thing people think about when discussing poverty is social inequality. It is because poverty connotes financial inferiority which implies the weak do not always get a fair deal.  According to The European Anit-Poverty Network (EAPN), “The overall persistent high levels of poverty in the EU suggest that poverty is primarily the consequence of the way society is organized” (EAPN).  They argue that European countries with the lowest levels of poverty are those that have made strides towards social equality. Discrimination against marginalized communities is the main reason behind social inequality. This, in turn, translates to lesser job opportunities based on religion, ethnicity, race, and affiliation. Social causes of poverty are interlinked together. Inequality ultimately implies less access to resources. Education levels, for example, are substantially lower in impoverished communities. Populations in these communities are sometimes forced to prioritize their food security over their education. While it may seem that poverty brings about poor education, it is the exact opposite. Poor education leads to lower-paying jobs, thus furthering the cycle of poverty. Many policymakers draft laws that further poverty. Racial, religious, and gender discrimination are in strong correlation with politics' detrimental impact on poverty (TheBorgenProject, 2018).

When it comes to the environment, the rapidly changing climate and diseases further the poverty levels to a great extent. According to Reliefweb, “Climate causes hunger, whether through too little water (drought) or too much (flooding), and its effects contribute to the cycle of poverty” (ConcernWorldwide, 2020). Seasonal Droughts cause water shortage which destroys a lot of crops. A significant portion of the population in Africa, for instance, relies on agriculture not only to make a livelihood but also for their food security. With Dwindling crops and policies to counter the climate effects, many people are driven into extreme poverty and famine.  According to an article written in 2020 by Mckinsey Global Institute,” African farmers are generally more vulnerable to higher temperatures, fluctuations in rainfall, and variable yields than farmers in developed countries, who can usually more easily secure crop insurance, adjust what they plant, irrigate their fields, or apply crop protection chemicals and fertilizers.” (MckinseyGlobalInstitute, 2020). Another environmental factor that threatens people's livelihood and increased levels of poverty is the outbreak of diseases and epidemics. For instance, the CoVid-19 epidemic has shaken the world economy to its very core. In an article written in 2020 by Homi Kharas, it states that “Compared to 2019, poverty in 2020 could rise by 120 million people". The article cites studies released by the International Monetary Fund that show how the levels of poverty have seen an increase since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic (Appendix 1). Already impoverished countries in Africa seemingly will be set back several economically due to the pandemic (Appendix 2) (Kharas, 2020). On the other hand, more developed countries have systems put in place to minimize the impact of Covid-19 and in the process keep as many people as possible above the poverty line.

Poverty may be caused by conflict and wars in a variety of ways. Large-scale, persistent violence, such as that seen in Syria, may bring society to a standstill, ruin infrastructure, and force people to flee, compelling families to sell or leave behind all of their possessions. Over 70% of the total population in Syria currently lives below the poverty line, in a country where extreme poverty was formerly uncommon. Women typically suffer the burden of war: female-headed families become particularly common during times of conflict. Women's families are especially susceptible since they frequently struggle to find well-paying jobs and are frequently excluded from communal decision-making (Meyers, 2018). In an article by Raymond Fisman and Edward Miguel, they pose the question: “Do Conflicts Cause Poverty, or Vice-Versa?”.  The authors cite World Bank economists Simeon Djankov and Marta Reynal-Querol, who claim that “the evidence weighs against poverty-induced violence”. However, the claim did not take into account recent research which suggests that poverty is caused by. Analyzing the chain of causality is not of particular importance since poverty had to have been caused by something in the first place. If we were to say that war does not cause poverty, at the very least it does worsen it (R.Fisman, E.Miguel, 2008).

In Conclusion, while poverty has seen a substantial decline over the past 30 years, it is still very much present in this day and age. The socio-economic changes that the world is constantly undergoing do help reduce poverty levels to a certain extent. However, new challenges such as waging wars always come at the expensive cost of lives and economies. Everyone is entitled to their basic human rights. Shelter, food, and education should not be a bargaining chip for politicians or capitalist enterprises. In all fairness, measures to mitigate the impact of social and environmental factors affecting poverty have been put in place in many parts of the world. However, most of the world's population is not as lucky. Margaret Thatcher blamed poverty on one's self, yet in the words of Nelson Mandela: "Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings".