A look at Poverty in Zambia

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Written by Nelly Salikumbi
POVERTY is a major problem in most third world countries today and Zambia is not unexceptional. However, most people are able to recognize poverty when they see it, but few are able to give a generally accepted definition. This is because it is a complex phenomenon as many people have tried to define it differently. Therefore, poverty is a condition of life so limited by mal-nutrition diseases, low life expectancy, illiteracy and squalid living conditions.
In Zambia majorities of the poor live in rural areas and if special attention is given to this area poverty can be alleviated. Below are some of the suggestions in which poverty can be reduced in Zambia especially working under the sustainable development goals.
Poverty elimination cannot be based on a narrow approach that relies solely on “rising incomes” or macroeconomic growth. Although achieving a positive and a sustainable growth rate is important for poverty alleviation, it is not sufficient since the benefits of growth do not trickle down automatically to all households or to all household members. Households must not be treated as harmonious units. Gender differences in the experience and incidence of poverty must be addressed in a contextualized way. If it is found that women as individuals are poorer in income terms and how and why they are poorer, such information should be used for designing policy. Gender-aware benchmarks and gender-aware monitoring must accompany gendered analyses of poverty.
Poverty must be understood in a multidimensional sense, i.e., it must be conceptualized not only through the lens of consumption/income poverty, but also that of human poverty, i.e., deprivation in basic capabilities. Given that poverty elimination strategies must be informed by the concept of human poverty, they must be multidimensional and cognizant of the trade-offs that poor people may face between different dimensions of poverty. Eradicating illiteracy, closing gender gaps in education, public provision of health services, water, among others, all contribute to overall poverty eradication,
However, eliminating poverty must require other interventions such as increasing the productivity of labour in both paid and unpaid activities through access to better technologies and knowledge. Efforts toward redistributing the burden of reproductive labour toward men within households or socializing the cost of child care or other types of caring labour are necessary for both reducing women’s time poverty and helping them participate in labour markets more fully.
Asset distribution strategies, such as land reform, must be made gender aware and gender fair. Similarly, strategies that increase poor people’s access to productive resources such as credit as well as employment schemes must be made gender aware. The effects of all such policies must be monitored from a gender perspective as well as from a poverty perspective. This must also include the goal of democratic governance as a poverty issue. If poverty is to be eradicated, it cannot be done without the empowerment of the poor. Empowerment enables people to take more control of their livelihood with ownership of productive assets and escape from poverty. NOTE:-17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals
By Derrick Sinjela
(1) End Poverty in all forms everywhere.
(2) End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture.
(3) Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-Being for All Ages
(4) Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Life-Long Learning Opportunities for All.
(5) Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls.
(6) Ensure Availability and Sustainable Management Water and Sanitation for All.
(7) Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable Modern Energy for All.
(8) Promote Sustained Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth, fun and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All.
(9) Build Resilient Infrastructure; Promote Inclusive and Sustained Industrialization and Foster Innovation.
(10) Reduce Vulnerability within and Among Countries
(11) Make Cities and Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable.
(12) Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
(13) Take Urgent Action to Combat Climate Change and its Impacts.
(14) Conserve and sustainably use The Oceans, Seas and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development.
(15) Protect Restore and Promote Sustainable Use OF Ecosystems, Sustainably Manage Forests, and Combat Desertification and halve and reverse Land Degradation and halve Biodiversity Loss.
(16) Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies for Sustainable Development, provide Access to Justice for All, and Build Effective, Accountable and Inclusive Institutions at All Levels.
(17) Strengthen the Means of Implementation and Revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. www.derricksinjela.blogspot.com www.rainbownewszambia.com