Brazil is quite rich however it is amongst the most unequal countries in the world. The richest 10% of the population have about 48% of the national income whereas the poorest 20% have 2.5%. The poorest 50% earn 10% of the national income and the richest 1%. Brazil has a high GDP however, per capita is quite low because inequality is so high in Brazil. There are many causes for this poverty, one of them being the poverty cycle where children are being born into poverty such as the favela’s due to the lack of public health care and no public security. There are high levels of social discrimination which means it is less likely for woman to get jobs and also quite limited to government services.
The UK suffers from relative poverty, which are people who live under the national UK income, whereas in Brazil they suffer from absolute poverty where people lack the necessary food, clothing, or shelter to survive. 1 in 7 children are currently living and being born into poverty in the UK. This is one of the highest rates in the industrialised world. Given the wealth of our nation, this is a very shocking figure. There is a lot of social exclusion, from recreational activities, hobbies, holidays, peers etc. Compared to other people in the country, many families cannot support themselves with medicine. The UK is becoming more polarised as there are more rich people and more poor people. It’s quite unfair because people who live in poverty do less well in education, the resources are taken for granted, and this puts pressure on the economy as a lack of education can lead to unemployment.
In both countries, crime has been a major issue. In Brazil many children who are brought up in favelas have become a part of the gang warfare, therefore many children who have no education will continue violent crimes. Similarly in the UK, many young teenagers are committed to crimes due to the bad housing and area’s which they live in. This is caused from a lack of education and being raised in an uneducated family. The quality of lifestyle needs improving in both countries; better housing should be built as well as bigger homes for bigger families which should be at an affordable price. This will reduce crime, keep children off the streets and slowly reduce child poverty.
In the UK many families are on a low income, this will lead to serious consequences as the cost of living is increasing; they will not be capable of supporting their families.
Brazil and UK have extreme inequality and high social exclusion rates. Many children are at risk of being excluded from society; this means they remain marginalised and have less opportunities. Roughly 9.5 million people in Britain today cannot afford adequate housing conditions due to low income. Less than 10% of the population sees a dishwasher, a mobile phone, and Internet access or satellite television as necessities. Individuals are not able to participate fully in society because of certain “barriers” such as poor housing, bad health, and low skill levels etc.
The government and NGOs are supporting both countries and many others who suffer from child poverty. It is because of this reality that we are pushing the government harder to do more to end child poverty in the UK, one of the richest countries in the world. The government needs to focus on areas where deprivation is worst. Not only technology will help bring children out of poverty, but the amount of families who rely on working tax credit and benefits needs to be decreased. Even more parents will not be able to provide for their children if this situation gets worse.
In Brazil children are being brought up into child labour, working long hours with very little wages. The exploitation of labour has no hope of decreasing child poverty.
However, top-down support such as “Fome Zero” is a government programme to tackle poverty and hunger, as well as bottom up for example the charities such as ‘the Posse’ are pulling kids off the streets. The government wants to devolve power to local governments, which in theory is good, however in practice a lack of resources and co-operation means it is often ineffective.
Economic growth is necessary for reducing inequality in Brazil. It will increase in educational achievement which leads to fewer sick people; therefore there will be an increase in employment.
I believe that the government should put more time into thinking how do help these children. The Brazilian government should concentrate more on improving the situation, getting more children to attend school. Whereas the British government needs to improve but also keep it stable.
