what causes poverty? 
Economic injustice
Limited Access to Education
Structural Inequality
Social Discrimination and Exclusion
Educational opportunities serve as a gateway out of poverty, yet millions encounter barriers such as inadequate infrastructure, gender-based discrimination, and economic constraints.
Bridging the global education gap is vital for empowering communities and eliminating poverty
We must ensure that every child goes to school and thrives in the educational environment.
We must break down barriers and create a pathway for chance at a brighter future.
We need to recognize the impact of structural inequalities within societies.
These inequalities create disparities in access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making power, and addressing them is essential for breaking the cycle of poverty.
Marginalized social groups often bear the brunt of poverty’s weight disproportionately.
It deprives people of choices and opportunities to escape from poverty and denies them a voice to claim their rights
Unfair economic systems contribute significantly to global poverty.
Exploitative labor practices, unequal distribution of wealth, and limited access to credit and resources hinder the economic progress of vulnerable populations.
Addressing these economic injustices is critical to a sustainable poverty solution.
Conflict
At the top of the list of risks for poverty is conflict.
Large-scale, protracted crises, such as the decade of civil war in Syria, can grind an otherwise thriving economy to a halt.
As fighting continues in Syria, for example, millions have fled their homes (often with nothing but the clothes on their backs). Public infrastructure has been destroyed
Prior to 2011, as few as 10% of Syrians lived below the poverty line. Ten years later, more than 80% of Syrians now live below the poverty line.
little access to clean water, hygiene, or sanitation
Currently, more than 2 billion people don’t have access to clean water at home
Contaminated water can also lead to a host of waterborne diseases, ranging from the chronic to the life-threatening
Poor water infrastructure, such as sanitation and hygiene facilities, can compound this. It can also create other barriers to escaping poverty, such as preventing girls from going to school during their cycles.
lack of social support systems
In the United States, we're familiar with social welfare programs that people can access if they need healthcare or food assistance. We also pay into insurances against unemployment and fund social security through our paychecks. Theses systems ensure that we have a safety net to fall back on if we lose our job or retire.
not every government can provide this type of help to its citizens. Without that safety net, there’s nothing to stop vulnerable families from backsliding further into extreme poverty.
Global health crises including epidemics and pandemics
A poor healthcare system that affects individuals, or even whole communities, is one cause of poverty
COVID-19 isn't the first time a public health crisis has fueled the cycle of poverty. localized epidemics like Ebola in West Africa helped fuel poverty.
this demonstrates how local and national governments can grind to a halt while working to stop the spread of a disease, provide resources to frontline workers and centers, and come up with contingency plans as day-to-day life is disrupted.
In Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the three countries hit hardest by the 2014-16 West African Ebola epidemic, an estimated $2.2 billion was lost across all three countries' GDPs in 2015 as a direct result of the epidemic. This included losses in the private sector, agricultural production, and international trade.
poor public works
A lack of infrastructure, from roads, bridges, and wells, to cables for light, cell phones, and internet, can isolate communities living in rural areas. Living off the grid often means living without the ability to go to school, work, or the market to buy and sell goods. Traveling further distances to access basic services not only takes time, it costs money, keeping families in poverty.