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Poverty Facts

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Poverty's face is largely female and young. And because of poverty, families and communities suffer from malnutrition, illiteracy, violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The World Bank estimates that more than a billion people still eke out an existence on less than US$1 per day. And, a 2005 United Nations Development Program report showed growing inequality within and between countries. Each day, over 30,000 children die from malnutrition and preventable diseases.

The biggest challenge of meeting the needs of those in extreme poverty is mounting a campaign that adequately matches the sheer magnitude of this global problem.

Read on for the facts about poverty and some resources you can use to learn more about the problem.

Women

70% of the world's poor are women.
Worldwide, women receive 30% to 40% less than their male counterparts for comparable work.
Between 80% and 90% of poor families are headed by women.
Women comprise two-thirds of the world's illiterate population.
Women in Southern Asia, Western Asia, and Northern Africa hold only 20% of paying jobs outside agriculture.

Health

One in five children in the developing world does not have access to safe water, and one in seven has no access whatsoever to essential health services.
Every year eleven million children die -- most under the age of five -- and more than six million from completely preventable causes like malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia.
Of these children, more than one in three children does not have adequate shelter. Over 16% of children in developing world 10 under the age of five lack adequate nutrition.
153 million children under 5 in the developing world are underweight.

Hunger

In 2002, there were 815 million hungry people in the world. While this number has been declining slightly worldwide, hunger has increased greatly in South Asia and Africa.
A lack of food can stunt growth, slow thinking, sap energy, hinder fetal development and contribute to mental retardation.
In developing nations, more than a quarter of children under age five are malnourished.
Poor nutrition and calorie deficiencies cause nearly one in three people to die prematurely or have disabilities, according to the World Health Organization.

Blogs related to poverty and development

ONE Campaign Blog: The Campaign to Make Poverty History
NextBillion.net: Development through Enterprise - Eradicating Poverty through Profit
WorldChanging: Another World is Here

Views on poverty

Resources to learn more about poverty

Development Gateway - Poverty Reduction: Portal site with reports, links, bulletin board and other resources focusing on poverty reduction and development.
Poverty Mapping: Articles, case studies, maps, and graphics on the issues of poverty, food security, and the environment.
World Bank PovertyNet: Information about poverty, its assessment, its impacts, and initiatives to reduce poverty internationally. Includes a special collection of the "literature of poverty."
Results: Results is an organization whose aim is to generate the political will to end hunger and poverty through lobbying, letter-writing and media work.

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