Strategies and policies must be implemented by the State to achieve social justice and promote an equitable distribution of wealth.
Economic inequality is a concept that refers to the imbalance and difference that is seen in the distribution of wealth , whether when analyzing the reality of the members of a community, the social situation within the same country or when comparing nations.
In this panorama, experts and analysts who are dedicated to studying the issue point out, multiple factors influence. Generally, gender, race, and educational background are closely linked to financial divergence.
To dream of the possibility of eradicating economic inequality from the planet and for the idea to be viable, there would have to be gender equality throughout the world, human rights guaranteed for each individual without exception, equal access to education, decent living conditions and peace. social.
The fear and instability derived from insecurity , violent contexts and conflicts that cross borders do not allow progress along the path of equality and, therefore, there is no collective progress possible.
Economic inequality throughout history
Economic inequality is a problem that has been suffered, intensified and expanded throughout history in all countries.
With the implementation and spread of capitalism, different forms of inequality began to be recorded. After the Second World War , in the most developed territories the inequality gap was reduced at a social level although, from that time onwards, the distribution of income has not been balanced.
It should be noted that economic inequality is usually measured through the Gini coefficient , beyond also considering the Hoover and Atkinson indices , among others. In this framework, the Multidimensional Poverty Index even becomes relevant.
Research released in recent years reflects that, in recent decades, income inequality , although not at the same rate, increased in almost all States. In 2019 , the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) presented a report focused on human development where Latin America was marked as the region where the most pronounced income inequality was concentrated. In that corner of the planet, the text detailed, indigenous and/or Afro-descendant people are forced, compared to the white population, to face more barriers when wanting to progress. These minorities have fewer chances of accessing schooling, of finishing school, of achieving well-paid jobs and, therefore, are more exposed to poverty .
Jobs have to be paid fairly, basic services must be guaranteed and the cost of living needs to be accessible to be able to achieve decent conditions and not suffer deprivation.
Corruption , labor exploitation , discrimination , privatization of public services and precarious employment appear, broadly speaking, as causes of economic inequality .
The coronavirus pandemic also left consequences related to inequality . It has been determined, for example, that worldwide the public sector has been impoverished because it lost wealth and added debt ; while, according to estimates by the World Bank , the number of subjects in conditions of extreme poverty increased but the assets of billionaires also increased.
Types of inequality
There are multiple types of inequality on the planet. It is unfortunate and unfair but, while the upper class squanders its fortune and accumulates more and more money, concentrating wealth , the lower class is condemned to survive amid deprivation, precariousness and the absence of guaranteed basic services .
Social inequality becomes evident when walking through, for example, neighborhoods without access to drinking water inhabited by working people who strive to get ahead and sacrifice daily to put a plate of food on their table located meters from residential areas populated by people with high purchasing power.
Inequality spans gender, race and income. Unemployment , malnutrition and illiteracy usually hit the lower class hard, a segment of the population that tries to give a hopeful future to the new generations through job searches in the informal economy circuit, taking advantage of the public education and registration in social assistance programs. It is outrageous to know and discover that there are those who take advantage of the needs of others and subject enormous numbers of people to forced or slave labor , labor exploitation and child labor to enrich themselves at the expense of the suffering of the staff.
Inflation devalues assets, lowers purchasing power, undermines the ability to save and accentuates economic inequality.
It is essential, in order to minimize inequalities , combat crimes and fight injustices , that rulers implement strategies and policies that improve the tax and fiscal reality, access to medical care , the right to receive education , salaries , conditions of employment and social security . It is essential for social well-being and national progress to battle inflation , detect and sanction tax evasion maneuvers , protect children, reduce unemployment rates and work from the State to promote progress, stimulate sustainable development and ensure social justice .