2 | Slums and Poverty in Rio De Janeiro
2.1. POVERTY, INEQUALITY AND SLUMS
Women – widows in particular – , children, unemployed youths and disabled people have all been identified as the most vulnerable amongst the poor, as have female-headed households and certain ethnic and religious groups. Source: UN Habitat 2006/7
Poverty is a terminology used to indicate the situation of not having enough possessions, food or income to satisfy one's basic needs to linger on. People in poverty are lack of choices and opportunities. They cannot fully participate in society due to some deficiencies. It is a violation of human dignity, according to United Nations. While according to Work Bank, poverty is "deprivation in well-being, and comprises many dimensions. It includes low incomes and the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for survival with dignity. Poverty also encompasses low levels of health and education, poor access to clean water and sanitation, inadequate physical security, lack of voice and insufficient capacity and opportunity to better one's life". The World Bank research observer Martin Ravallion indicates in his article How Long Will It Take to Lift One Billion People Out of Poverty? that 1.2 billion people lived in poverty in 2012, using a poverty line $1.25 a day. In addition, it would take 100 years to bring those 1.2 billion people to poverty line. (Hickel) UNICEF estimates half the world's children (or 1.1 billion) live in poverty. In October 2015, World Bank readjusted the poverty line as $ 1.90 a day.
The reason of poverty does not have to be caused by lack of income all the time. Although most of the countries consider poverty related to economic conditions mostly, there are also other aspects of poverty. Their poverty might be derived from the lack of enough, lasting and safe aids which can help them through though times. Also condition of being poor might arise from living with too many people under the same roof, which leads unhealthy, insecure and low quality environments. Also deprivation of access to clean water, adequate sanitation, health care or education causes for one being in the condition of poverty. Social aspects of poverty is significant to be considered as well: It might be derived from also because if people are not protected by laws and regulations concerning civil and political, as well as economic, social and cultural rights, discrimination and environmental health. UN Habitat described the different dimensions of urban poverty as follows: • Low income: consisting of those who are unable to participate in labour markets and lack other means of support, and those whose wage income is so low that they are below a nominal poverty line; • Low human capital: low education and poor health are the components of ‘capability poverty’ used in the UNDP HDI. Health shocks, in particular, can lead to chronic poverty; • Low social capital: this involves a shortage of 66
