Social inequality: Evidently a matter of public policies, not individual choices

My niece Bongbong who is my blogging mentor told me that Oct 16 is Blog Action Day (BAD). And guess what the topic is for this day? INEQUALITY. I didn't know there was such a day celebrated. When I started the blog, I didn't know who is behind BAD2014, but it didn't matter, the call to "talk" about inequality was simply too tempting for me to pass up. (See my P.S. below)

Mathematically, an inequality shows that 2 values are not equal, symbolized by a  /= b  (a is not equal to b). Simple! In sociology, inequality is about who gets what, how they get it, and why they get it. Complex!

Social inequality is typically tied to race, gender, and class... and is a major predictor of beliefs, behaviours, lifestyle, and life itself.

A recent Credit Suisse study showed that the richest 1 percent of people own nearly half of the global wealth. Not surprising. In many countries of the world, the top 5 per cent of the population are usually the richest, whose net assets often surpass the combined income of the remaining 95 per cent. Another report claimed that the resources of the top 10 wealthiest people is enough to wipe out poverty in this world, not just in the least developed countries.

The Human Development Index (HDI), is a tool developed by the United Nations to measure and rank countries' levels of social and economic development  and is based on four criteria: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. The HDI makes it possible to track changes in development levels over time and to compare development levels in different countries. HDIs have been calculated for member states since 1975. In 2014, the top 10 countries in a list of 187 countries surveyed were (from the number 1): Norway, Australia, Switzerland, Netherlands, the USA, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, and Denmark. Wondering which countries were at the bottom five? They were Sierra Leone, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Niger (no. 187). By comparison, the 2013 top 5 countries from the top were Norway, Australia, USA, Netherlands and Germany; whereas the countries with low human development included Togo, Malawi and Benin. So based on the criteria, the ranking can change on a year to year basis.

It is sad to note that the last 5 countries in 2014 are all in Africa, one of them at least (Sierra Leone) is one of the 3 most affected countries by the Ebola outbreak. Being from the Philippines, I was keen to note that the Philippines ranked #117 in the HDI, better than South Africa (#118), Syria (#119), Iraq (#120), and Vietnam (#121). Additionally, it may be interesting to know that UK ranked #14 and two Asian countries -  South Korea #15, and Japan #17.

Gender equality and women's empowerment are at the heart of the work of the UN agency  (UNFPA) I served in the last 20 years. Do you know that in spite of international human rights standards, women in many countries, by law or custom, still lack the ability to own land or inherit property; obtain access to credit; attend and stay in school; earn income and move up in their work, free from job discrimination; and have access to services that meet their sexual and reproductive health needs?

Unfortunately, there are many social and cultural patterns of conduct that stereotype either gender or put women in an inferior position. There are also many harmful practices that victimize women and young girls, among them the practice of early or forced marriage and female genital mutilation. In many countries that are in crisis or experiencing conflicts, the incidence of gender-based violence and discrimination (including sexual assaults) is very alarming. Among other efforts, UN agencies promote legal and policy reform, as well as skills training and improved access to micro-credit and employment opportunities, in order to reduce inequality.

For a country like the Philippines, which has a high literacy rate, and where women have enjoyed increased opportunities for education, work, social and political participation, some of the issues cited above may not seem as real. We have had 2 female Presidents, to say the least, and  there are significant numbers of  successful female managers and leaders in various sectors, both public and private. So there is hope in this world. One must remain optimistic, but also vigilant!

To complement the HDI, I also decided to check out the World Happiness Report, a measure of happiness published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. In July of 2011, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution inviting member states to measure the happiness of their people and to use this to help guide public policies. Bhutan is the first and only country so far to have officially adopted gross national happiness instead of gross domestic product as their main development indicator.

One can literally cross reference countries high, or low, in their HDI, with their ranking in the happiness index.  In 2013, the ranking listed these countries as tops in terms of their happiness (starting with the happiest): Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Austria, Iceland, and Australia. Additionally, the USA ranked #17, the UK ranked  #22, Singapore #32, South Korea #41, Japan #43, and Vietnam #63 . Norway ranked happiest in another survey, which also showed it to have a strong per capita GDP of $57,000 per year, and have the highest level of satisfaction with their standards of living. Different surveys have also put Luxembourg as the healthiest country, Iceland as the safest country, and Switzerland as the world's best economy and governance system. Impressive.

Unfortunately, there is also a strong correlation between the HDI and the Happiness (or lack thereof)  index, as the saddest countries also turned out to be many of those in the lower spectrum of the Human Development Index. In 2013, the saddest country was identified as the Central African Republic (CAR), which has a GDP of only $790 per year, life expectancy of 48, and only 2 per cent of the population having access to internet. CAR is closely followed in terms of sadness, by Congo, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Haiti. Both CAR and Haiti, have been declared by the UN as Level 3 (the highest level) in terms of  conflict/crisis and humanitarian response. (Similar to Syria and Iraq, in the Arab States), and also the Philippines (during the height of typhoon Haiyan).

So where is the Philippines in terms of its level of happiness? Various surveys have shown the Philippine ranking to be as follows: the third happiest in Asia; the 67th in the global Prosperity Index, and the 25th in the Happy Planet Index.

I have only barely touched the surface of this complex phenomenon of inequality, but I think the figures I have quoted above are indicating something deep and serious about why inequality exists. Inequality is closely linked to socio-economic disparities ; and consequently manifests in the level of happiness satisfaction with one's life. 

While it is true that happiness can be a choice for some; for most people in the world, the word choice does not even exist.

Sadly, it seems inequality is here to stay, or will take generations to correct present trends.

(Note: I used various sources for this blog; any misquotes or inaccuracies are mine.
P.S. By the time I had finished the blog, I realized it was started by Oxfam International, whose Executive Director Winnie Byanyima is passionately concerned about the issue of inequality. In her personal note to bloggers, she states " I have seen with my own eyes the enormous progress that many of the poorest countries have made in the struggle against poverty. But this progress is being threatened by rising inequality which allows the wealthiest to blend the rules in their favour - rules that are keeping people in poverty.."..We are with you Winnie!)