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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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Showing 25–36 of 15448 results

News

Supporting teachers working in areas of violent conflict and displacement

A new research project seeking to understand how to best support teachers working in crisis-affected areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and refugee-receiving areas in Uganda, is being undertaken by a new partnership led by IDS. Conflict levels have almost doubled across the...

29 July 2025

Opinion

Training with IDS: Taking a participatory approach to M&E

As a filmmaker and researcher working at the intersection of advocacy, community storytelling, and policy, I joined the IDS short course in Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) for Learning to refine my skills in this area. Much of my work involves co-creating with communities, asylum...

Isabel Soloaga, Filmmaker, Research Fellow, consultant for nonprofit organisations.

28 July 2025

News

What would it take to transform food systems?

The Food Equity Centre has launched a series of short videos interviewing experts on how food systems could be transformed to work better for people and the environment. The following films – released by IDS to coincide with the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4), taking...

28 July 2025

Opinion

Growing urbanisation in Pakistan: challenges and opportunities

Pakistan is urbanising at an increasingly rapid rate – as of 2023, almost 40% of the population lived in urban areas. This poses major challenges, in relation to such things as housing, essential services, pollution, and security. However, it also presents major opportunities for economic...

28 July 2025

News

ICTD extends research partnership with WIEGO on informal sector taxation

The International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD), based at the Institute of Development Studies, has signed a memorandum of understanding with global research and advocacy network WIEGO, formalising a long-standing collaboration on research and informal sector taxation.

25 July 2025

Publication

Succeeding in the Snakes and Ladders Game of Development in Mozambique: The Role of Collaborative Approaches

IDS Research Report 91

The existing wisdom on efforts to promote accountability highlights the importance of ‘thinking and working politically’ and moving from confrontational to collaborative approaches. This is particularly relevant given current trends, including closing civic space and the decline in...

24 July 2025

Brief

Supporting Mutual Aid in Sudan

BASIC Research Policy Briefing 7

This Policy Briefing sets out how donors and aid organisations can improve the quantity and quality of their support in Sudan.

24 July 2025

News

Podcast – Between roles: Mother, student, or self?

What does it mean to navigate motherhood while pursuing a postgraduate degree? How do students balance identity, care, and academia in a world not built with them in mind? In this podcast, MA Gender and Development (GAD) students Patronela Tshuma, Chaltu Merera Fana, and Akinyi Ochieng'...

24 July 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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