SDG: Reduced Inequalities Within & Among Countries

By Angelina Clapp, JMU ’20, Political Science

The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 related goals created by the United Nations in 2015. The goals, intended to be met by the year 2030, are designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.”

Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report:

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Goal 10: Reduced Inequality Within and Among Countries 

Institutions around the world are working to address factors that lead to poverty and inequality.

Background Information 

The international community has made substantial progress towards alleviating poverty globally. However, poverty is still a pervasive issue and large disparities within and among countries still exist. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these inequalities and has left many people more at risk than ever before. Inequalities that exist between countries include developmental disparities, preferential trade status, access to resources, and now access to COVID-19 relief and vaccines.

Inequality has been measured in different ways, including social, political, economic, racial, gender and geographic measures. Persistent inequality around the world threatens long-term sustainable development and the ability of individuals to thrive, especially more vulnerable populations of people.

Reducing inequalities within and among countries will require transformative change. More effort must be made in this area in order to alleviate extreme poverty and hunger. Greater investment must be made in health, education, social protections, job growth, and resources for migrants and refugees. Individual countries must empower and promote sustainable and inclusive social and economic growth and eradicate any discriminatory policies or laws. Countries must ensure that developing countries have greater representation in decision-making and are able to contribute to the creation of solutions to decrease global inequalities.

COVID-19

The most vulnerable populations -the elderly, children, people with disabilities, women, migrants and refugees- have been most affected by COVID-19, and the poorest countries are expected to experience the longest-term impacts of the pandemic. The United Nations has called for an increase of international support and political commitment to aid middle and low income countries. The pandemic has shown where policies and procedures fall short of addressing the inequalities of societies. This is the time for countries to create and promote policies that address the greatest inequalities, especially because those experiencing inequalities are being hit harder by the pandemic.

Facts and Figures 

• The world’s richest 1% have more than twice as much wealth as 6.9 billion people. Almost half of humanity is living on less than $5.50 a day.
• Prior to the COVID-19 public health crisis, income inequality was falling globally. The GINI Index, which measures income inequality, fell in 38 out of 84 countries.
• Income inequality in the U.S. is the highest of all the G7 nations, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
• The wealth gap between America’s richest and poorer families more than doubled from 1989 to 2016.
• Evidence from developing countries shows that children in the poorest 20 percent of the populations are still up to three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than children in the richest quintiles.
• Only 54% of countries with reported data have a comprehensive and inclusive set of migration policies.
• Aid to developing nations decreased from $420 billion in 2017 to $271 billion in 2018.
• 31 countries with reported data for 2014-2019 showed that one in five people experienced some form of discrimination on at least one ground being illegal under international human rights law.
• The proportion of products exported by least developed countries increased from 2017-2018.
• More than 75% of the population in developing countries are living in societies where income is more equally distributed than it was in the 1990s.
• Every day 10,000 people die around the world because they lack access to affordable healthcare. Every year, 100 million people are forced into extreme poverty due to healthcare costs.
• Social protections have increased globally, however persons with disabilities are still five times more likely than average to incur catastrophic health expenses.
•  Globally, 1 out of every 5 children are not allowed to go to school.

Targets 

• By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population at a rate higher than the national average.
• By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
• Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard.
• Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.
• Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations.
• Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions.
• Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.
• Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements.
• Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programmes.
• By 2030, reduce to less than 3 percent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 percent.

Take Action 

• Get involved with local organizations supporting those experiencing homelessness such as Open Doors. Join others from JMU in serving meals at Open Doors during a Week of Learning and Action to Address Homelessness, April 12-18.
• Exercise your right to hold your elected officials accountable by participating in elections. (Resource for U.S. citizens on our website here.)
• Exercise your right to freedom of information. (See our information literacy resource here.)
• Express your opinion to your elected officials by writing or calling them about policies meant to alleviate inequalities in health, income, education, and other areas.
• Ask your elected officials to support the Sustainable Development Goals and advocate for the United States to participate and help achieve them.
• If you are able to, donate to organizations that support reducing inequality, such as the United Nations Development Program, Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders.
• Promote inclusion and respect towards people of different ethnic origins, religions, gender, sexual orientations and different opinions.
• Look into these resources from the United Nations: The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World, The UN Campaign for Individual Action, the UN’s Be the Change Initiative

Discussion Questions

1. How does your demographic background and social identities affect your experience with and perceptions of inequality?
2. How might inequality look different within and between countries?
3. How does inequality affect the ability of individuals and families to thrive?
4. What can you do in your everyday life to address the inequalities that persist in the world?