Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung

Center for Development Research

University of Bonn

Marginality: Addressing the Root Causes

of Extreme Poverty

What is the Problem?

Although there has been progress in reducing the number of poor at the global
Poor living on less than 1.25$/day
level, especially those just below the income poverty line of about 1$/day, pro-
1,373 million in 2005
gress for the poorest has been slowest. The ultra-poor, those living from less than
63 cents/day have reached 223 million in 2005.
East Asia & Pacific Europe &
Sub- Central Asia The poorest are becoming increasingly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and
23% 1%
Saharan South Asia.
Africa Latin America
& the Caribbean Poverty and widespread hunger remain even in regions that have experienced
28% 3%
rapid economic growth and substantial reductions in poverty.
Middle East &
North Africa
Whereas the number of urban poor is increasing rapidly, the poor are still predo-
South Asia
1% minantly rural.
Poverty and hunger reduction has been slower among the poorest and among
44%
excluded groups—ethnic minorities, disadvantaged people, and the disabled—
Data: Ahmed, A. 2011 causing poverty and hunger to be increasingly concentrated in these groups.

What is marginality? Who are the marginalized poor?

Marginality is an involuntary position and The marginalized poor are those
condition of an individual or group at the who are affected by both margi-
margins of social, political, economic, nalization and poverty. Findings to
ecological and biophysical systems, pre- date show that there is a correla-
venting them from access to resources, tion between remoteness, exclusi-
assets, services, restraining freedom of Poor but not Marginalized on and extreme poverty and that
Marginalized
choice, preventing the development marginalized and poor
but not poor the incidence of extreme poverty
of capabilities, and eventually causing and food insecurity is concentrated
extreme poverty. in remote rural areas. In addition,
The poorest themselves have descri- the poorest often belong to ethnic
bed their situation as being trapped in a minorities and socially excluded
“complex knot which can lead to further groups.
knots if the wrong threads are pulled.”

What can be done to reduce marginality ?

Marginality is an involuntary position and condition of an individual or group
at the margins of social, political, economic, ecological and biophysical
systems, preventing them from access to resources, assets, services, res-
training freedom of choice, preventing the development of capabilities,
and eventually causing extreme poverty.
The poorest themselves have described their situation as being trapped
in a “complex knot which can lead to further knots if the wrong threads
are pulled.”
Graw, V. et al. 2011

Learn more: Contact:

Dr. Franz W. Gatzweiler
http://www.zef.de/margip.html Center for Development Research, ZEF Bonn
Walter-Flex-Straße 3
53113 Bonn
gatzweiler@uni-bonn.de