Advocacy, Engagement, & Social Media ToolkitOctober 2021

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

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Rising extreme poverty is an emergency that we must address urgently.• From1990to2019,thenumberofpeoplelivinginextremepoverty(accordingtotheWorldBank

thresholdof$1.90perday)plummeted,from1.9billionto648million.COVID-19hasreversedmuchofthisprogress.

• Evenbeforethepandemic,progresstowardsglobalpovertyreductionwasslowingandexistinganti-povertypoliciesandprogramsweremissingmanyofthemostmarginalizedpopulations.79percentofthebottomquintileofearnersinlow-incomecountrieswerereceivingnosocialassistance.

• Thedataisclear:Wewillnotbeabletoeliminateextremepovertyunderthestatusquo.Macroeconomicgrowthalonecannoteliminatethedeepestformsofpoverty.Weneedpoliciesandprogramsthataddressthemultidimensionalneedsofpeoplelivinginextremepovertyandempowerthemtoescapethepovertytrapandstayoutforthelongterm.

• Thoselivinginextremepoverty,soisolatedandexcludedthattheyareoftenleftoutofexistingdevelopmentprogramsandmarket-ledinitiatives-needtostopbeinginvisibletopolicymakers.Withoutintegrated,comprehensiveprogramstailoredtoservepeoplewhoarethemostvulnerableinthesecircumstances,theextremepovertyratewillbecomeincreasinglyhardertobudge.

• Atthebeginningof2020,anestimated700millionpeoplelivedinextremepovertyaroundtheworld.Bytheendof2021,theWorldBankestimatesthatnearly100millionpeoplecouldbeforcedtojointhem.Theimpactsofthisincreasearelikelytobefeltmostseverelybylowincomecountrieswherepovertyisincreasingatafasterratethanbeforethepandemic.

• Thepandemichastakentheworldfurtheroffcourseinpovertyreduction,anditslong-termimpactsmeannearly600millionpeoplecouldstillbelivinginextremepovertyby2030,anincreaseof50millionpeoplecomparedtopre-pandemicestimates.

• Extremepovertyismorethanalackofincome-itisinextricablylinkedtoandexacerbatedbyongoingdisasters,contributingtorisesinchildlabor,genderinequality,andfaminearoundtheworld.

• In2020,progressineliminatingchildlaborstalledforthefirsttimein20yearsduetorisingpovertyinAfrica;47millionmorewomenandgirlshavebeenpushedintoextremepovertybythepandemic;andamidrisingpovertyandfoodprices,41millionpeopleareatimminentriskoffaminein2021.

• Povertyisapolicychoice,andwithsufficientpoliticalwill,funding,andevidence,theinternationalcommunitycannotonlyreversethepandemic-drivenriseinextremepoverty,butalsomakestridestowardsitseradication.

• Totrulymovetheneedleonendingextremepovertyby2030,financialandpoliticalchangeisneeded,butitisnotimpossible.Wemuststrivetomobilizesupportandresourcesattheglobal,regional,andlocallevels,cultivatingmultisectoralpartnershipstorapidlyexpandprovenanti-povertypoliciesandprograms.Onlythenwillwebetreatingthisissuewiththeurgencyitdeserves.

Extreme poverty is not insurmountable: Research shows Graduation can break the poverty trap. • Thepovertytrapisreal,anda“bigpush”canempowerpeopleinextremepovertytoescapeit.

ResearchersattheLondonSchoolofEconomicsfoundthatoncepeoplereachaspecificthresholdinthevalueoftheirassets,theystayoutofpoverty.

• AnotherstudyfromLSEfoundthatevensevenyearsafterenteringBRAC’sGraduationprogram,93percentofparticipantshadmaintainedorincreasedtheirincome,assets,andconsumption,orhouseholdspendingongoodsandservices.Thisincludeda37percentincreaseinearnings,a361percentincreaseinhoursofstableandproductivework,aninepercentincreaseinconsumption,aninefoldincreaseinsavingsrate,andatwofoldincreaseinhouseholdassetsandaccesstoland.

• 13yearsafterenteringBRAC’sUltra-PoorGraduationprograminBangladesh,participantswhoescapedthepovertytrapwereabletomovefromcasuallabortoself-employmentandmaintainthese

BACKGROUND/KEY MESSAGES

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• NobelPrizewinnersEstherDufloandAbhijitBanerjeeledamulti-countryevaluationandfoundthatGraduationisoneofthemosteffectivewaystobreakthepovertytrap.

Evidence suggests that holistic approaches that go beyond cash or asset transfers alone have a greater impact on poverty• Whilecashtransferscanbeausefulandcost-effectiveanti-povertyintervention,currentresearch

showsthelong-term,sustainableimpactsofGraduationacrosscountriesandglobalcontexts.• ResearchonGraduationprogramsinUgandacomparedGraduationtocashtransfersofequivalent

valueandfoundthatwhilecashtransfersdidnothaveaclearimpactonpovertyoutcomes,Graduationledtoincreasedassets,income,andconsumptionaswellasimprovementsinnutritionandsubjectivewellbeing.

• GraduationparticipantsinBangladeshincreasedormaintainedincome,consumption,assets,andsavingsevensevenyearsafterimplementation,whilethelong-termimpactsofcashtransfersrequirefurtherstudy.

• TheGraduationapproachintegrateswithexistingprogramstosupportparticipants’basicneeds,whichcanincludecashassistance,andprovidesassets,coaching,training,socialinclusion,andpsychologicalempowerment.Thisenablesparticipantstobecomeself-sufficientevenaftertheinterventionends.Thismayexplainthemoredurablelong-termimpactofGraduationcomparedtocashtransfersalone.

Graduation participants who escape from extreme poverty appear to have more productive, higher paying jobs and greater job security even 13 years after entering the program.• 13yearsafterenteringBRAC’sUltra-PoorGraduationprograminBangladesh,participantswho

escapedthepovertytrapwereabletomovefromcasuallabortoself-employmentandmaintaintheselivelihoodsduringtheCOVID-19pandemic.

• Participantswhoescapedthepovertytrapwerelesslikelytobeforcedtomigrateforworkduringthepandemic,potentiallyduetoincreasedjobsecurity.

Addressing extreme poverty requires an approach tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable people• Peoplelivinginextremepovertyoftenlackaccesstofood,water,income,education,healthcare,

housing,electricity,andtheresourcesandskillsneededtodevelopasustainablelivelihood.Thiskeepsthemtrappedinastateofseveredeprivation,unabletoreachthethresholdtoescapeit.Thecircumstancesofextremepoverty,however,varyacrossdifferentcontexts,demographics,andphysicalities,bringingwiththemauniquesetofneedsandchallenges.

• Peopleinextremepovertyareoftensocially,financially,andeconomicallyexcluded,unabletoaccesspublicservicesormarketstomeettheirbasicneeds.Intimesofcrisis,governmentsfacechallengesinreachingthemwithemergencyassistance.

• Womeninextremepovertyareparticularlymarginalized,oftenlackinglegalrights,socialempowerment,andaccesstohealthcareandeducationwhilebeingfarmorelikelytoperformunpaidorunderpaidcarework.

Investing in the wellbeing of those furthest behind means investing a better future for everyone• Researchsuggeststhatasmallinvestmentinthewellbeingofpeopleinextremepovertycanhave

largescaleimpacts.Raisingthestandardoflivingforthepoorestpeopleinasocietymakescountrieshealthierandbettereducatedandmakestheirdevelopmentmoresustainable,inclusive,andjust.

• Economicinclusionforlow-incomehouseholdsbringsmorepeopleintothemarket,raisingaggregatedemandandencouraginggrowth.A2018UNDPandLSEstudythatsimulatedthepotentialmacroeconomicimpactsofscalingGraduationacrossCambodiapredictsthiswouldnotonlyreducepovertyforthepoorestpeoplebutalsoincludethemintheirlocaleconomies,therebystimulatingeconomicgrowthforentirecommunities.

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Twitter

OnthisInternationalDayfortheEradicationofPoverty,nearly100millionpeoplehavebeenpushedinto#extremepovertydueto#COVID19.Eradicatingpovertyrequiresmultidimensionalapproachestobreakoutofthe#povertytraplong-term.

Even before #COVID19, theworld was not on-track to eradicate #extremepoverty by 2030. Onthis#IDEP2021,wemustrecommittoglobalcooperationtoreachthoseleftbehindbytraditionalsystems.https://tinyurl.com/3kwsjyvs

47Mmorewomenhavebeenforcedinto#extremepovertyduetotheimpactsof#COVID19.ThisInternationalDayfortheEradicationofPoverty,it’scriticaltorecognizethegendereddimensionsofpoverty.#BreakTheCyclehttps://tinyurl.com/wvjwy7h7

Nowmorethanever,theneedforsustainaleanitpovertyeffortsiscritical.‘Bigpush’approachesareproventoenablepeoplelivingin#extremepovertytobuildresiliencetofutureshocksandbreakoutofthe#povertytrap.

To#EndPoverty,wemustbreakthestatusquo.Thisrequiressystemicchangethatwilladdressthetruemultidimensionalnatureofextremepoverty.#BreakTheCyclehttps://tinyurl.com/4u3ye7jk

Leveraging@WorldBankIDAfundstosupport#economicinclusionprogramsandreachthoseleftbehindbyexistingprogramscanleadtocritical,long-termimpactsinreducing#globalpovertyandreaching44-54millionpeople,themajorityin#extremepoverty.https://tinyurl.com/yvue2evf

LinkedIn

#COVID19 has disproportionately impacted people living in #extremepoverty and communitiesfacingmarginalization.Toeradicatepoverty long-term,weneed tochallenge thestatusquoandbacksustainable,evidence-basedprograms.https://tinyurl.com/4u3ye7jk

Stopping the global crisis of #extremepoverty startswith reaching those left behind by existingpolicies and programs. @BRAC’s #TheGraduationApproach empowers people to build resilient,sustainablelivelihoodsandbreakoutofthe#povertytraplong-term.

OnthisInternationalDayfortheEradicationofPoverty,47millionmorewomenhavebeenpushedinto#extremepovertyduetothe impactsof#COVID19. It’s timetoact—usingproven,evidence-backedapproachestoreachthepeopleleftbehindbyexistingsystemsandempoweringthemtodevelopsustainablelivelihoodsand#resiliencetofutureshocks.https://tinyurl.com/wvjwy7h7

Whatifwecouldenablepeopletoescape#extremepovertylong-term?ThisInternationalDayfortheEradicationofPoverty,weneedtobackprovenapproachesthatgobeyondone-dimensionaldefinitionsofextremepovertytouseholistic,integratedprogramstoempowerpeopletodeveloplong-termresilienceandsustainablelivelihoods.https://tinyurl.com/3kwsjyvs

Withoutspecifically-dedicatedefforts,fundshistoricallyfailtoreachthoselivingin#extremepovertyandmarginalization.Theproposalsputforwardbyover30organizationsaffiliatedwith@TheWorldBank’sNGOCollaborativeleverageIDAfundstostrengthen#economicinclusionandreachthoseleftbehindbyexistingpolicies.https://tinyurl.com/yvue2evf

SOCIAL MEDIA: MESSAGING AND THEMES

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HowtoStrengthenAnti-PovertyEfforts

HowtoStopthePovertyPandemic

WhyWeNeedtoUnderstandExtremePovertyasMultidimensional

AdaptingProgramstoMeettheNeedsoftheWorld’sPoorestPeople

EscapingPovertyLong-Term:InvestingintheMultidimensionalNeedsoftheNextGeneration

GraduationOverviewVideo

WorldBankInternationalDevelopmentAssociation(IDA)-LetterfromNGOs

BRACUltra-PoorGraduationInitiative(UPGI)OfficialWebsite|BRACUPGI/GraduationBlogs&News

BRACOfficialWebsite

Hashtags:

#EndPoverty

#BreakTheCycle

#IDEP2021#IDEP#SDG1

Social Media Channels to Follow and Tag:

Twitter:@BRACworld@BRAC_UPGI@Shameran

Facebook:Facebook.com/BRACWorld/

Instagram:Instagram.com/bracworld

LinkedIn:LinkedIn.com/showcase/69692604/

YouTube:BRAC’sGraduationPlaylist

KEY RESOURCES, HASHTAGS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS TO TAG

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CLICKHEREFORFULLVISUALASSETCOLLECTION

VISUAL ASSETSInstagram: Graduation Impacts

Twitter/LinkedIn: Quote Cards

Animated GIFs / Poverty Trap Video

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