The Missing Dimensions of Poverty

21.10.2015 Since its foundation in 1945, one of the main priorities of the United Nations has been to improve the well-being of people through development.

Throughout the years, global understanding of development has changed. On 25 September, the world agreed that implementing Sustainable Development Goals is the best course for improving people’s lives.

World Development Information Day on 24th October is an opportunity to draw the world’s public attention to development problems and the necessity to strengthen international cooperation to solve these issues.  

To generate awareness, the mobilization of public opinion is essential. To reach this goal, we need education, research and publications on these topics.

The economic research centre “Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative” (OPHI) led by Professor Sabina Alkire is one of the leading institutes undertaking this role.

Alkire has developed the ‘Alkire Foster Method’ with fellow economist James Foster, measuring multidimensional poverty. Their identification of a ‘poor person’ also considers the range of deprivations people suffer, combining that information to express societal poverty. Professor Alkire, along with ther colleagues at OPHI, have identified five ‘missing dimensions’ of poverty which are: 

• Quality of work

• Empowerment

• Physical safety

• Social connectedness

• Psychological wellbeing

“Information and communications technologies have the potential to provide new solutions to development challenges, particularly in the context of globalization, and can foster economic growth, competitiveness, access to information and knowledge, poverty eradication and social inclusion.” – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

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•   Cover - Photo: CIAT