The “invisibility” of poverty in Japanese society has long been one of the reasons for the underestimation of this social issue by the authorities. Walking down a street in Tokyo, it is rare to see any signs of poverty. Graffiti and run-down buildings are almost non-existent, and the crime rate is very low. Nevertheless, data from the OECD reveals that the poverty rate in Japan (15.7% in 2018) is actually higher than that in the UK (11.7%). Moreover, the impact of COVID-19 seems to be exacerbating social divisions and inequality, revealing the true scale of the problem. Research methods developed in the UK are helping finally to uncover Japan’s ‘hidden’ poverty, and policies are, slowly, starting to be implemented.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Steering Group on Measuring Poverty and Inequality has been tasked with producing a guide on Measuring Social Exclusion which references a lot of our PSE work.
Our colleagues at Heriot-Watt University have published their latest report on destitution in the UK, which makes grim reading even before the effects of the pandemic...
UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 16, gives the UK an overall ranking of 27 among 41 EU and OECD countries on children’s health, academic and social skillsets. According to the data analysis, the UK ranks 29th for mental well-being, 19th for physical health and 26th for skills.
‘Home sweet home’ no longer tenable as new report shows spaces are becoming physically and emotionally suffocating for most African girls.
Quarantines, stay-home measures and movement restrictions related to COVID-19 have brought potential victims and potential perpetrators together under the confines of the home setting, increasing girls’ close and constant exposure to abuse and violence.
Plan International and African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) are calling for urgent interventions to address spiralling rates of violence against girls and women in Africa as COVID-19 intensifies and lockdowns continue.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has adopted a Guide to Poverty Measurement and data disaggregation which is now formally endorsed by the Conference of European Statisticians (CES).
The numbers currently used by the UN to estimate malnutrition underplay the true extent of the problem. New analysis of data from 18 countries in the West and Central Africa shows that conventional estimates of malnutrition for the region effectively overlooked millions of malnourished children.
A new Office for National Statistics release has compared the Covid-19 death rates in England and also in Wales finds that the mortality rate in the most deprived areas is around twice as high as in the least deprived areas.
An overview of the various global and regional analysis on the impact of COVID-19 on poverty from the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty finds that millions more will be pushed into extreme poverty worldwide.
A new United Nations food assessment of 17 West African countries - made before the potential impact of Covid-19 - finds more than 19 million people in the region will go hungry during the upcoming lean season.