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Social Development Briefs |
The wave of popular protests seen in 2019 has largely subsided in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. New restrictions on movement and assembly are limiting large-scale gatherings, while opinion polls suggest that people in some affected countries are “rallying ‘round the flag”, as concerns about the impact of the crisis likely overtake long standing grievances. But as the immediate health crisis morphs into a long-term economic and social crisis with huge human costs, it has the potential to exacerbate past grievances, further undermining social cohesion and trust in institutions. Policies that ensure a more equitable, inclusive and less uncertain future are essential to avoid a return of…
Social Development Briefs |
Recent evidence suggests that labour markets are becoming increasingly polarized (World Bank, 2016; Breemersch, Damijan and Konings, 2017; Goos, Manning and Salomons, 2010; Autor, 2010). Middle-skill occupations are losing ground compared to low- and high-skill occupations. Skill-biased technological change, off-shoring, deindustrialization, import competition and labour market institutions are often cited as driving factors. This trend has, to an extent, contributed to the rise in income inequality observed in many countries as argued in the World Social Report 2020.
The discussion on polarization is often focused on the experience of developed countries, but there is some evidence that a…
Social Development Briefs |
The World Social Report 2020: Inequality in a Rapidly Changing World recognizes that mobilizing support for policies to promote greater equality can be difficult. However, it also points to pathways for political action to reduce inequality (United Nations, 2020). This brief explores the barriers to redistribution and how Governments can create an enabling environment for equitable change.
Barriers to redistribution Inequality is a major concern. In 2014, 60 per cent of survey respondents across 44 developed and developing countries, agreed that “the gap between the rich and poor is a very big problem” facing their countries (Pew Research Center, 2014). Rising inequalities can lead to a…
Social Development Briefs |
Income inequality levels and trends vary greatly by country and depending on the indicator used. In its Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report 2016, the World Bank finds that income inequality within countries somewhat declined between the late 1990s and 2013 (World Bank, 2016). In contrast, the World Inequality Lab states that income inequality has increased in most countries in recent decades (World Inequality Lab, 2017). How can these two leading sources of information reach such different conclusions?
Read our Social Development Brief on “Income inequality trends: the choice of indicators matters”
Social Development Briefs |
A shared history of exclusion and discrimination based on identity has led to higher levels of poverty and disadvantage among many ethnic minority and indigenous groups than among dominant ethnic groups. While recent years have witnessed improvement in the situation of many ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples, others continue to be left behind.
Read our Social Development Brief on “Social protection for indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities: Overcoming discrimination and geographic isolation”
Social Development Briefs |
Migration is an integral part of the global development process. The lives of millions of people and whole societies have been transformed, mostly for the better, through international migration. Despite the important contributions that migrants make to the economies of both their host and home countries, many migrants lack basic social protection coverage in their countries of destination. This social development brief examines gaps in migrants’ access to social protection and discusses ways to improve their coverage. The brief summarizes findings from the Report on the World Social Situation 2018 (“Promoting Social Inclusion through Social Protection”).
Read our Social Development Brief…
Social Development Briefs |
Social protection is a potent policy tool to protect people from poverty throughout the life cycle. It can also reduce inequality and social exclusion. However, as the Report on the World Social Situation 2018 (United Nations, forthcoming) makes clear, access to social protection varies significantly depending on a person’s background or identity, including their age, race, and gender. This can limit its potential to promote inclusion.
In 2015, young people aged 15 to 24 years accounted for 1.2 billion, or 16 per cent, of the world’s population (United Nations, 2017). Creating a social and economic environment that enables these young people to thrive in adulthood—including through…
Social Development Briefs |
Societies continue to make distinctions based on ethnicity, race, sex or gender and other characteristics that should have no bearing on people’s achievements or on their well-being. The Report on the World Social Situation 2016 argued that discrimination is one of the key drivers of social exclusion (United Nations, 2016).
Discrimination remains a fundamental problem in the world today. Based on existing literature, the Report found that discriminatory norms and behaviours remain widespread and continue to drive social exclusion. Yet while formal institutional barriers faced by marginalized groups are easy to detect, informal barriers are frequently more subtle, making measuring…
Social Development Briefs |
An important step towards meeting the 2030 Agenda’s aspiration of leaving no one behind is to identify who is being left behind and from what. Hoping to contribute to this discussion, the recently released Report on the World Social Situation 2016 (United Nations, 2016) examines group-based inequalities, with the focus being mainly on the disadvantages faced by youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities and migrants. The report’s analysis shows that disparities in access to education, health care, infrastructure and employment as well as inequalities in political participation are pervasive and symptomatic of the exclusion of members of these groups.…
Social Development Briefs |
With its central pledge to leave no one behind, the historic and ambitious 2030 Agenda recognizes that development will only be sustainable if it is inclusive. Promoting inclusion is fundamental to achieving a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable future.
No single set of policies or strategies is applicable across all countries and in all contexts to tackle exclusion and promote inclusion. Instead, Governments should bring a stronger equity lens to policy-making. Successful examples point to several imperatives to address the structural causes of exclusion and social injustice.
A universal approach to social policy, complemented by special or targeted measures The first…