concept of poverty Flashcards
(6 cards)
what is poverty?
Poverty is defined by the World Bank (Haughton and Khandker, 2009, p. 1) as a ‘pronounced
deprivation in well-being’
. It can be defined narrowly or more broadly, depending on how well-
being is understood.
what is multi dimensional poverty?
Multidimensional poverty is a concept that goes beyond traditional income-based definitions of poverty to capture the varied and overlapping deprivations that people experience in their daily lives. It acknowledges that poverty is not solely a matter of low income, but a complex, interrelated set of disadvantages in areas such as education, health, living standards, access to services, and social inclusion. The concept gained international recognition through the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2010, which built upon the theoretical foundations laid by Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach
Why Move Beyond Income?
Traditional poverty measures—such as the $1.90-a-day threshold used by the World Bank—have been criticized for being overly simplistic. These measures assume that income levels alone determine well-being, ignoring non-monetary aspects of poverty such as illiteracy, malnutrition, or lack of safe drinking water. A family may earn above the poverty line but still live without electricity, access to healthcare, or basic sanitation—conditions that severely constrain their quality of life and capabilities.
Multidimensional poverty provides a more nuanced understanding of human deprivation by highlighting these intersecting disadvantages, thus informing more targeted and effective policy responses.
Key Components of Multidimensional Poverty
The Global MPI is composed of three core dimensions, each with several indicators:
Health
Nutrition: Presence of malnutrition among adults or children.
Child mortality: Any under-five child death in the household.
Education
Years of schooling: No household member has completed at least six years of schooling.
School attendance: A school-aged child is not attending school up to the age appropriate for grade 8.
Living Standards
Cooking fuel: Use of wood, charcoal, or dung.
Sanitation: Inadequate sanitation or shared sanitation facilities.
Drinking water: Unsafe or distant water sources.
Electricity: Lack of access to electricity.
Flooring: Dirt, sand, or dung floors.
Assets: Lack of ownership of more than one asset (e.g., radio, TV, bike).
what is Advantages of the MPI Approach?
Granularity and Depth
Unlike single poverty lines, the MPI captures not just whether someone is poor, but how poor they are (the intensity of their poverty) and in what ways.
Policy Relevance
The MPI enables policy-makers to identify specific deprivations and tailor interventions accordingly. For example, in a region where education is the primary driver of poverty, targeted investments in schools and teacher training would be prioritized.
Regional and Subnational Comparisons
The MPI allows for disaggregated analysis—by age, gender, region, ethnicity—which helps uncover hidden pockets of poverty that national averages often obscure.
Time Sensitivity
MPI indicators can often change more rapidly than income, making it a more responsive tool for tracking progress and the impact of development policies or shocks such as natural disasters or pandemics.
SDGs
No poverty, zero hunger, good wealth and well-being, quality education, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace justice and institutions, partnerships for the goals.
