SOCIAL INCLUSION

WHY SOCIAL INCLUSION?

Including disadvantaged people in economic, educational, and social opportunities is not only a matter of equity, but leads to improved wealth and GDP for entire nations. Despite the advantages of social inclusion, many individuals and communities – including women and girls, Indigenous peoples, ethnic and racial minorities, and people living with disabilities – face extensive barriers that make them particularly vulnerable to extreme poverty. In all regions of the world, women are more likely to experience poverty than men, in large part because 100 countries bar women from certain jobs, and women around the globe earn on average 20% less than men. Similarly, people living with disabilities are more likely to experience food insecurity, illiteracy, and poverty; in some countries poverty rates are double those of people without disabilities. Disparities in poverty are also felt by Indigenous peoples and others who face discrimination based on ethnicity, race, and/or caste. For example, Indigenous peoples form 6% of the world’s population but make up 19% of people living in extreme poverty. Social exclusion further increases people’s vulnerability to gender-based violence, human trafficking, and physical and mental illness. Alleviating extreme poverty is contingent on initiatives that ensure financial and social services are accessible to all people regardless of gender, ability, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, race and/or caste.

DID YOU KNOW?

• If every country were to progress toward gender parity at the same rate as the fastest progressing country, annual GDP could increase by up to $12 trillion
• 84% of women who experience gender-based violence are at risk of poverty and/or exclusion
• Indigenous peoples live on and manage more than half the world’s land, yet only have legal ownership of 10% of these territories and account for about 19% of the global extreme poor population
• Children and youth with disabilities are 49% more likely to have never attended school in comparison to children and youth without disabilities

OUR RESPONSE

One Day’s Wages prioritizes partnering with organizations led by people who have lived experience of the issues they are addressing, and supporting projects that uplift and address the unique needs of marginalized groups, including women and girls, survivors of gender-based violence, people living with disabilities, and communities experiencing discrimination due to their ethnicity or caste. Since 2009, we have supported 54 projects focused on social inclusion, impacting over 78,000 people. Through our partnerships, Manisha was able to stay in school despite living in a part of India where girls’ education is not prioritized, and members of the indigenous Batwa community in Rwanda are gaining access to safe drinking water and meaningful employment.