October 17th is significant all over the world as it is the International Day for the Eradication
of Poverty. It will help them to remember that poverty is a persistent problem that does not
only threaten millions of people today but also invite them to participate in the celebration of
a vision with no poverty for better tomorrow.
Understanding the Theme
Economic view of poverty equity mainly defines it as low income, lack of resources, and
financial security. However, the 2024 theme is more encompassing taking into account that
Poverty is not only personal failure, but social and institutional abuse contribute to its wreak
havoc as well. It has experienced in many ways, for example, discrimination, poor or no
quality education and health care, lack or poor social security system and justice. For the
creation of a social right, skillful and tolerant society, the mentioned fundamental social and
institutional aspects must be documented.
Mapping the Global Poverty
While poverty has reduced over the years for the last couple of decades, poverty is still a
universal issue. In fact as per the survey done by the Word Bank almost 680 million people
of the global population are in the extreme poverty line. These numbers have been
compounded by the COVID 19 pandemic that has pulled millions back to poverty levels and
deepened the poverty inequality divide.
The Poverty is not merely Income but a denial of capability and meted out rights. This is a
cycle through which if parents or caretakers remain ignorant, unhealthy, and unable to find
productive work, their children will be poor too. Thus socioeconomic injustices perpetuate
this problem, coupled by societal and organizational abuse that entrenches prejudice that
discriminates against such vulnerable groups as women, children, persons of color and
disabled.
Role of social and institutional maltreatment to perpetuating poverty
Legitimate and structural maltreatment can be defined as patterns of unfair treatment and
prejudice that enhance prejudice at the bureaucratic level and limit the capability of cultures
or of people. This includes:
- Discrimination: discrimination such as race, gender, ethnicity, disability and the likes people may lack education employment and social amenities. For instance, female candidates are locked out of education and jobs by discriminator involving gender and ethnic, respectively, candidates.
- Access to Quality Education: This equal distribution of education is a very productive way of combating the cycle of poverty. But insufficient provision of quality education effectively is still a challenge. In most settings, minorities or disadvantaged groups cannot properly avail schools and if they can, the education being offered is low-quality.
- Healthcare: Health is one of the basic needs of man which require to be met at any given time, yet the conspicuously world over; millions of people cannot afford to access simple health care. Such gaps can be attributed to features like inadequate funding of health care systems, poor health infrastructure and bias in the health facilities.
- Social Protection: As with most social policies, social protection systems are implemented with a view of protecting vulnerable groups which form society. But lack of adequate insurance and funding, and rigid bureaucratic procedures debar the deserving needy from availing them.
- Systemic Injustice: These systems can also entrench poverty and in equal measure deny some individuals justice by discriminating against them. For instance discrimination policy and measures disallow people of certain categories in society to acquire property, finance or even have a say on policies to be enacted.
Acting Together: Measures for Stopping Social and Institution Based
Maltreatment
To learn how to build just, peaceful, and inclusive societies, it is possible to start with
unlearning the causes of social and institutional abuse. This can only be accomplished
through a concept that only involves the governments, civil society, private sector and other
international organizations to come into a common understanding. Here are some key
strategies:
- Policy Reforms: National governments are obliged to adopt and enforce the policies that would permit the voices of vulnerable groups to be heard. These are like the anti-discrimination laws, education and health care policies that aim at ensuring that individuals have equal rights to education and quality health care, and the social protection policies such as free school feeding policies for children, note book and uniform schemes for the vulnerable members of the society like the orphaned families and children, free and subsidized health care to vulnerable groups like women and children and elderly among others.
- Inclusive Economic Growth: Particularly, economic policies should be oriented on the creation of opportunities for those groups of people who are considered to be disadvantaged and discriminated. These are through the provision of education, vocational training and promoting entrepreneurial culture, and financial services.
- Strengthening Social Protection Systems: These social protections must be well implemented in order to cover all the population. They range from ensuring increased, access, scope and timely delivery; eradicating restrictions from the Bureaucracy setting and guaranteeing delivery of the benefits to the client. There is also the need to use social protection programs that can also be flexible enough to correspond to crises such as the current pandemic or natural disasters.
- Community Engagement: People should be made to be part of the policy making process and this means that some policies should be made depending on the needs of the community. This area of governance empowers the minorities to be able to present their views and also we find better policies than those of autocratic rule.
- International Cooperation: Poverty is a worldwide problem that needs the support of all nations of the world. Scholars have noted that countries need to cooperate in exchange of experience, money and support of international programs concerning poverty and inequality reduction.
Case Studies: Positive Outcomes in Responding to Individual and Institutional
Maltreatment
This is because learning about successful practice can be helpful for identifying how best to
address social and institutional abuse. Here are a few notable examples:
- Rwanda's Gender Equality Initiatives: Today, Rwanda has been founded winning the battle of gender parity as women gained more than sixty percent of the Rwandan parliamentary assembling which is the highest proportion in the worldwide. For example, the country supports women’s rights in leadership and entrepreneurship.
- Brazil's Bolsa Famlia Program: This conditional cash transfer entails giving cash to programmed beneficiaries on the basis of certain conditions often stated and detailed to be met by the family. In this sense, the program has achieved positive results on poverty, health and education.
- South Africa's Social Protection System: Some of the major social protection policies in South Africa include child support grants meant for children below 18 years, social grant. They have also been useful in fighting poverty and offering other barriers to vulnerable groups of the population.
- India's Right to Education Act: India has achieved appreciable progress in enhancing the enrolment rates with the help of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act. They have contributed to raise school attendance and lowered dropout levels; among vulnerable groups most of all.
India has been more or less successful in the accomplishment of the objectives of
poverty alleviation and social justice through planned programmes. The efforts
that have been made in this regard have been towards tackling the complex aspects
of poverty and work towards making sure that deprived groups of culture, race, gender
and disability have the ability to obtain proper basic facilities and opportunities
respectively. Such as:
MGNREGA
Without doubt one of the most comprehensive programs for combating poverty India
launched in 2005 is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
Under this program, adult members of rural households are given a job card that
guarantees them at least 100 days of pay employment during the fiscal year in
exchange for performing unskilled physical labor. From its analysis of the condition
of the country’s millions of rural families, MGNREGA has been seen to positively alleviate
poverty while enhancing people’s livelihoods. It has also formed part of provision of capital
assets in form of roads, ponds, and irrigation facilities which has boosted development of
the rural areas.
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is another major activity that is in
the pipeline for the purpose of cash transfer for the populations categorized as
elderly, widowed and disabled persons. NSAP comprises of programs among them are
the National Old Age Pension Scheme, the National Family Scheme, an Annapurna Scheme
among others. These programs have proven helpful for needy people as those affected
individuals get support for fundamentals of life and cash.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
The most significant development in the reinforcing of social welfare programs in India
has been the introduction of the Direct Benefit Transfer, or DBT. Since subsidies and
benefits are delivered to the bank accounts of eligible card holders, DBT has helped block
the leaks while reaching out to the intended target population with the support they require.
This has been particularly useful in programmes that include the Public Distribution System
(PDS) where a number of beneficiaries are issued with food grains, fertilizers and other
necessities which are credited into their account.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
Which began in 2014 specifically aims to unite households to the financial system as a
prudential measure. This scheme has also proved to be very successful, by this more than 45
crore (450 million) bank accounts has been opened. This has created an opportunity for
millions of people particularly from the backward sections of our society to open bank
accounts and take various products like savings account, insurance and pension.
National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)
The NRLM has its target laid on self-employment generation and organization of the rural
poor. Impact has been observed through the creation of livelihoods and Institutional
development through NRLM- issued micro credit, capacity building and support to micro
enterprises. It has also aided in the creation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and women's
collectives are among the best means of organizing women to improve their social and
economic standing in rural areas.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
Low-income groups, economically weaker sections, and marginal middle-income groups are
the beneficiaries of the scheme in order to provide them safe and hygienic housing. PMAY
has come far in its efforts of helping in eradicating homelessness and enhancing living
standards of millions of families across the country.
SC/ ST (Preventive of Atrocities) Act
The provisions dealing with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act are instrumental in safeguarding the socially defeated from discrimination
and tyranny. The act also includes provisions to provide justice and prevent violations of the
rights of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes. It has been used effectively to champion for
social justice and embrace of the rights of such groups among the population in the different
states.
The SDG’s
India is on the right track to enhance the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) as per desired goal settings. The Evaluation of sustainable development goals in
India is measured by NITI Aayog through the SDG India Index across the indicator
concerning poverty, health, widow and children, etc. India’s rating on the index has also
increased over the years, a testimony to the sustainable development goal in progress.