Can you help shape our future priorities? Take a five minute survey now. Survey closes on 8 July.

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

Filter results by

Showing 133–144 of 15451 results

Working Paper

Supporting Mutual Aid in Sudan: Conflict-Sensitive Approaches to Risk and Accountability

BASIC Research Working Paper 40

This study explores how mechanisms of social solidarity have been shaped by the war in Sudan, as well as by their interaction with external funders.

20 May 2025

News

IDS celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Digital accessibility is a prominent topic this year, highlighting the importance of creating and sharing content that is perceivable, operable and understandable by all users. More often than not the focus is on forthcoming legislation, such as the European Accessibility Act which will come...

15 May 2025

Brief

Key considerations: Mpox in the Busia-Malaba border region linking Uganda and Kenya

SSHAP Briefing

Mpox has spread along the Busia-Malaba border that links eastern Uganda and western Kenya, with risk factors centred on cross-border mobility. Community responses to mpox are shaped by access to information on radio, television and social media as well as local terminologies, understandings of...

15 May 2025

Publication

What Impact Do Tax Agents Have on Taxpayers’ Compliance in Uganda? Evidence from Tax Administrative Data

ICTD Working Paper 221

This study builds on existing exploratory evidence on the role of tax intermediaries in encouraing or hindering tax compliance in low-income countries through the analysis of all corporate income tax (CIT) and value added tax (VAT) returns submitted in Uganda between 2019 and 2023.

14 May 2025

Publication

Bioeconomy Development in Uganda

This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review explores the current state of bioeconomy development in Uganda.  There is limited evidence reviewing the life-cycle development of many nascent bioeconomy industries, and limited evidence to demonstrate directly attributable nature positive outcomes. There...

14 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).

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.