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

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

Digital disinformation in Africa: Hashtag activism and state propaganda

In an era of hashtag campaigns and online organising, politicians and corporations are spending billions to disrupt dialogue and drown-out dissent online across Africa. Join this event to discuss these issues and more, explored in the new book Digital Disinformation in Africa: Hashtag Politics,...

30 April 2024

News

Join BASIC Research at the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks!

The Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) provides a unique forum for humanitarian actors to discuss and solve common challenges in humanitarian affairs. Between 29 April to 10 May, more than 60 networks and partnerships will hold their annual meetings and consultations to share...

19 April 2024

News

UK aid watchdog raises concerns about British International Investments

The International Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) has published a new report on UK Aid to India that it says ‘raises significant concerns’ on the lack of transparency, and governance processes of British International Investments (BII). The report is a follow up to the ICAI review of...

18 April 2024

Brief

Key Considerations: Child Engagement in the Context of Disease Outbreaks in Eastern and Southern Africa

SSHAP Briefing

Effective child engagement strategies are essential to optimise the response to disease outbreaks and minimise their impact while ensuring children's protection, well-being and resilience. When children understand disease outbreaks, they are better able to cope, contribute and recover. This...

Elena Reilly & 2 others

18 April 2024

Opinion

Building trust: Community solutions for social assistance accountability in Somalia

Somalia is consistently among one of the most challenging environments for aid agencies and government entities to provide social assistance due to the ongoing conflict and limited government control. Aid providers struggle to reach people in areas not under government control, which exacerbates...

Louisa Seferis & 2 others

18 April 2024

Working Paper

Power, Trust, and Pre-Cooked Programmes: The Accountability of ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍Social Assistance in Somalia

BASIC Research Working Paper 22

Social assistance in Somalia has become deeply embedded in the country’s political economy and struggles with systemic diversion and corruption, which negatively affects how programmes on accountability of aid function in practice. This paper examines systems for accountability of social...

Louisa Seferis & 4 others

18 April 2024

News

Podcast: Reflections on Development with Melissa Leach

In this special episode of the IDS Between the Lines podcast Andy Sumner, President of European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) and Professor of International Development at Kings College London interviews Professor Melissa Leach who leaves IDS after 33 years....

17 April 2024

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).