The writer is the Resident Representative UNDP Pakistan. He tweets @knutostby
Inequality makes headlines every day. Most of us now, are unfortunately getting used to the bold font condemning racial injustice, gender violence, and the rising costs of living. Inequality has even defined the Covid-19 pandemic; from who gets infected to who gets vaccinated first. Within this context, one can be forgiven for thinking that inequality is simply collateral for the world we live in: ‘This is how it has always been, and this is how it will always be’. However, inequality is not inevitable.
UNDP’s Pakistan National Human Development Report (NHDR) 2020 on Inequality, entitled “The Three Ps of Inequality: Power, People, and Policy”, attempts to highlight this idea. Authored by former finance minister Dr Hafiz Pasha, the report examines inequality of income and opportunity in Pakistan, and lays out a reform agenda that can put the country on the road to an equal society.
Reducing inequality and romanticisation of poverty dailytimes.com.pk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailytimes.com.pk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Inequality and inter-provincial marginalisation in Pakistan
Economic inequality is considered undesirable with a variety of economic and social consequences
The writer is an Associate Professor at Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad
Economic inequality, defined as unequal access to wealth or income, is considered undesirable with a variety of economic and social consequences. On the economic front, the rising number of poor people causes lower investment in education and health, bearing a negative impact on the future productivity and economic prosperity of nations. Likewise, poverty or a squeezing middle class reduces demand for goods and services which, again, is detrimental to the economic growth of societies. In the social sphere, economic inequality is associated with high crime rate, mental illnesses, suicides, social unrest or class conflict between the haves and the have-nots. In a nutshell, vulnerability or inequality threatens the foundations o
The Inequality Quagmire — more fear and less hope (Part 2) dailytimes.com.pk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailytimes.com.pk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.