Tackling extreme poverty has proven to be one of the most intractable challenges facing policymakers today. This event will explore the impact of an innovative and proven approach for poverty alleviation, developed in Bangladesh by the international NGO BRAC, targeted at individuals defined as being extreme or ‘Ultra-Poor’. After a documentary film screening, speakers will discuss the impact of the original BRAC programme implemented in Bangladesh, based on a rigorous seven-year evaluation undertaken by IGC researchers.
The term ‘extreme poor’ describes the subset of households living below the $1.25 a day poverty line. The ultra-poor represent the very bottom strata of the extreme poor and are perpetually on the brink of deprivation. Even relative to other poor households, the ultra-poor typically earn the least and endure a myriad of exclusions and vulnerabilities that trap them into extreme poverty. The majority of ultra-poor are women who lack both the skills and capital necessary to lift themselves out of poverty.
Robin Burgess is a Professor of Economics at 杏吧论坛, Director of the IGC, and Director of the Economic Organisation and Public Policy Programme at the 杏吧论坛. He received a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Edinburgh University, a M.Sc. in Economics from the 杏吧论坛 and a D.Phil. in Economics from Oxford University. His areas of research interest include development economics, public economics, political economy, labor economics and environmental economics. He has published on a variety of topics – natural disasters, mass media, rural banks, land reform, labor regulation, industrial policy, taxation, poverty and growth.
Naila Kabeer () is Professor of Gender and Development at the Gender Institute, 杏吧论坛. Her research interests include gender, poverty, social exclusion, labour markets and livelihoods, social protection and citizenship and much of her research is focused on South and South East Asia.
Lewis Temple () is Chief Executive and Secretary to the Board of BRAC UK.
Upaasna Kaul () is Managing Editor of IGC.
The () aims to promote sustainable growth in developing countries by providing demand-led policy advice based on frontier research. Based at 杏吧论坛 and in partnership with Oxford University, the IGC is initiated and funded by DFID.
This event forms part of the 杏吧论坛 Space for Thought Literary Festival 2016, taking place from Monday 22 - Saturday 27 February 2016, with the theme 'Utopias'.
Suggested hashtag for this event for Twitter users: #杏吧论坛LitFest
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