Free Custom «Global Inequality and Poverty» Sample Essay

Global inequality and poverty are crises being experienced worldwide. Today’s world is connected through a series of issues and problems that can only be addressed by different government leaders, and financial institutions. In such a case, the subject at hand is not an exception. These issues are social, economical and political, and as such, affect individuals profoundly. Poverty is an enormous and silent killer of most people. Men, women and children in different countries are faced with inequality and poverty. This paper focuses on the facts about global inequality and poverty. Further, it will explore causes of inequality and poverty and their effect on the society, theoretical explanations for global inequalities and ways to reduce these crises.

Ten Good Facts on Global Inequality and Poverty

First, over three billion people survive on less than $2.50 on a daily basis since that is what they can afford (Shah, 2013). Second, it is evident that almost a billion people entered the 21st century not capable of neither signing their names nor reading a book due to lack or absence of education. Most of those affected are the people from poor backgrounds. Thirdly, 270 million people do not have access to the quality health services. Quite unfortunate, nearly 10.6 million children died in the year 2003 before they could reach five years of age, which is roughly 29,000 children per day. In addition, 640 million individuals lack an adequate shelter. Fifth, unluckily enough, 400 million people lack access to clean water (Shah, 2013).

The sixth fact is that for every dollar each developing country receives, approximately 25 dollars are spent on repaying debts. Seventh, approximately 27-28 percent of children in developing countries are stunted or underweight. Two regions that are mainly affected are Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Eighth is the fact that most wealthy nations have the widest gap between the poor and the rich. Ninth, two million children die yearly from preventable diseases, such as pneumonia, since their parents cannot afford treatment. Moreover, since 2011, 19 million children are not vaccinated yet. Amazingly, about 1.6 billion individuals do not have access to electricity (Shah, 2013). Tenth, World Food Program depicts that the poor are starving and thus, their hunger drives them into absolute poverty.

Identify Causes for Global Poverty and Its Effect on Society

Most individuals survive on a few dollars a day. However, whether staying in the poorest or the wealthiest parts of the world, it is easy to notice high levels of inequality. There are different factors that contribute to poverty, such as corruption, discrimination, social inequality, and centralization of power. Corruption is one of the major causes of poverty (Shah, 2014). Often, corruption accompanies centralization of power, especially when leaders are not responsible to the people they serve. Corruption inhibits development since leaders use the money set aside for developmental projects on their personal needs. In most cases, leaders reward political support by rendering services to their followers and supporters.

The second cause of poverty is discrimination and social inequality that stems from cultural ideas, such as different genders, ethnic groups, races, and social classes. The third cause of poverty is centralization of power. In most of the developing countries, political power is disproportionately centralized. Rather than having a network of political representatives equally distributed throughout a society, in centralized systems one major politician, region, or party is responsible for making decisions for the whole country (Shah, 2014).

All over the world, in both rich and poor nations, the issue of poverty has always being present. In addition, inequality and the gap between the poor and the rich are often widening and become quite high in most nations. The causes of inequalities are numerous, including bad government policies, lack of individual responsibilities, exploitation by businesses, and people with influence. In addition, money, power, greed, and other factors fuel inequality (Institute for Research on Poverty, 2014).

Global inequality and poverty have numerous effects on the society. Societies that experience global issues, such as poverty, have high social tension. Moreover, poverty also threatens the issue of inequality. People are living in houses that are in poor conditions due to poverty. The issue of water- and food-related diseases is not new since the poor are unable to afford ‘safe’ foods. Alcohol and substance abuse are common issues in poor societies. Most of the poor individuals abuse these drugs hoping to forget the problems they have (Pieterse, 2012). They also view drug use as a common self-destructing way of trying to cope with a huge level of stress and despair. Inequality also impairs development and growth in societies. Only children from wealthy families have access to quality education thus those from poor families end up getting poor or no education at all.

Ways to Address Some Global Issues

There are several ways and policies suggested to put to end global issues. First is reducing the level of corruption. In case government leaders allocate funds appropriately, it will be easy to curb corruption. Second, introduction of education campaigns will inform citizens of their rights and as such introduce and teach them different job skills. Therefore, individuals will not be dependent on their state at all times. Thirdly, it is significant to strengthen institutions, such as parliament, so that they exercise their oversight roles effectively in terms of offering to protect people. Fourth is enforcement of the rules that discourage foreign investments, especially in undemocratic countries, and reward business that will follow fair employment practices.

In conclusion, nations and societies at large ought to eliminate the issues of global inequality and poverty. Poverty has left many people vulnerable. On the other hand, children cannot achieve quality education due to poverty. Parents and teenagers are also turning to drug abuse as a way of escaping poverty. Sadly, parents cannot afford to take their kids to hospitals for medical check-ups thus leading to endless deaths due to lack of money. Statistics also show that hunger is killing many people worldwide. Inequality has also caused division among social classes. Only children from high social ranks can access quality education. It is therefore important to observe the ways that will help eradicate inequality and poverty in the entire world.