Inequalities and Poverty

IDS works with global partners to generate new knowledge and evidence to identify the underlying causes of inequalities and poverty in all their dimensions and the progressive policies and practices that can help bring about transformative change.

Eradicating extreme poverty remains one of the world’s most pressing challenges, and addressing it requires the rising economic, social and political inequalities that harm people in rich and poor countries alike to be tackled.

IDS has also played a prominent part in promoting an approach that puts power at the heart of development analysis and contributed to strengthening understanding of the relationship between power, gender, sexual rights and poverty.

We continue to provide new analysis on inequalities and poverty trends, particularly in relation to the expansion of digital technologies and their impact on the lives of the poorest and most marginalised, and the growth of global cities and what this means for both urban and rural livelihoods, social relations and sustainability. Moreover, we work with governments, civil society, businesses and many others to help ensure this analysis shapes policies and programmes such as social protection and cash transfers to reduce poverty and vulnerability and strengthen livelihoods including agriculture.

People

Deepta Chopra

Professorial Research Fellow

Keetie Roelen

IDS Honorary Associate

Jerker Edström

Research Fellow

Melissa Leach

Emeritus Fellow

John Gaventa

Research Fellow and Director, Action for Empowerment and Accountability (A4EA) programme

Danny Burns

Professorial Research Fellow

Sohela Nazneen

Research Fellow

Patricia Justino

Professorial Fellow

Programmes and centres

Projects

Recent work

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Upcoming Event

Food Equity

Power relationships and aquaculture livelihoods in Vietnam

Join us for this seminar that explores different kinds of power relationships that influence people’s access to resources, livelihood options and sustainability outcomes. This seminar looks at a case study of aquaculture production systems in northern Vietnam and the power relationships...

15 July 2025

Upcoming Event

The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health: IDS launch event

We are delighted to invite you to attend the IDS launch of The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health (LCGGH) report. The rollback in gender rights and challenges to global health organisations around the world threatens to reverse decades of progress on global health. This...

14 May 2025

Opinion

Fifty years post war, Vietnam’s future for economic success

The busy streets of Hanoi are full of Vietnamese flags and many people dressed in military attire to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of Vietnam War (or the American War as it is sometimes called in Vietnam). With celebrations across the country, an estimated 13,000 people attended the...

9 May 2025

News

New NOURISH Initiative seeks to achieve equitable wellbeing for all

A new initiative called NOURISH has been established to find a new way of working to achieve equitable wellbeing for all. The initiative comprises of a collective of people from around the world, including Brazil, New Zealand, UK, Canada and Sweden, who are practitioners, researchers and...

8 May 2025

Opinion

Familiar territory: Coming back to IDS after 35 years

Dr Sepali Kottegoda - Director Programmes, Gender and Political Economy at Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka and IDS alum (MPhil class of 1984 and DPhil class of 1990) - recently came back to IDS to deliver a guest lecture on exploring unpaid care in Sri Lanka. While she was with us, we...

Dr Sepali Kottegoda, Director Programmes, Gender and Political Economy, Women and Media Collective

8 May 2025

Past Event

Folk seed banks to build resistance to seed capitalism

https://youtu.be/xtem1iwFy9k Talk by Indian seed sovereignty scholar and activist Dr. Debal Deb. Neolithic farmers created all the cultivated crop species from their wild progenitors. Generations of pre-industrial farmers since the Neolithic era have subsequently developed a legion of...

7 May 2025

Opinion

Climate under threat: A call for more action

Shortly after his inauguration, President Donald Trump announced a series of climate measures with major ramifications: he passed an order to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and dismantled a host of federal government climate action measures. Other like-minded leaders are poised to take...

6 May 2025

Why learn with us.

In an extraordinary time of challenge and change, we use more than 50 years of expertise to transform development approaches that create more equitable and sustainable futures. The work you do with us will help make progressive change towards universal development; to build and connect solidarities for collective action, locally and globally. The University of Sussex has been ranked 1st in the world for Development Studies for the past five years (QS World University Rankings by Subject).

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