Key messages on tackling chronic poverty

Social and political action that directly challenges the social orders that perpetuate chronic poverty. 

• CPRC research emphasises that the chronically poor are constrained structurally rather than lacking in attitude. Existing social orders (intergenerational, caste, gender, race and class relations) perpetuate the social discrimination, poor work opportunities and limited citizenship that chronically poor people face.
  Read Chapter 4 (Sec 3) on Progressive social change 

• Achieving progressive social change depends primarily on social and political leaders, social movements and political parties. Elites need to be convinced that social structures underpin chronic poverty; this understanding can expand policy discussion from one focused on the poor to a focus on class, ethnicity and caste.
  Read Chapter 3 (Sec 5) on Social, economic and political relations: adverse incorporation and social exclusion

• Decent work, gender equality, social protection and secure rights to assets are needed to achieve progressive social change. To address these issues will require redistribution, and in most cases, ‘redistribution by stealth’ rather than radical redistribution of poverty.
  Read Chapter 4 (Sec 2) on Economic growth
  Read Chapter 4 (Sec 3) on Progressive social change 

• Intergenerational transmission of poverty occurs through different channels in different contexts. The CPRC finds that if inequities, especially those that confront women, in the social, political and economic environment are not addressed, intergenerational poverty will continue to occur.
  Read Chapter 2 (Sec 2) on Intergenerational poverty   

• Greater women’s agency is required to reduce chronic and intergenerational poverty. Recent CPRC research underlines the need for governments to revisit legislation and social norms on inheritance and women’s access to property.
  Read Chapter 3 (Sec 3) on Assets and markets (including women’s) 

• Breaking the poverty traps that girls and young women face, as well as achieving gender equality and progressive social change – requires thinking carefully about reforming or dismantling social institutions to address discrimination and deep-rooted inequalities.
  Read Chapter 4 (Sec 3) on Progressive social change