Tackling poverty is about Policy Choices

"We must recognise that poverty is almost always the result of the wrong policy choices by those at the helm of States and other powerful national and international economic institutions ... If the global human rights system does not tackle this seriously, it will soon be left facing a political, moral and legitimacy crisis that it may not be able to weather," wrote Vijay Nagaraj, the Executive Director of the International Council on Human Rights Policy on opendemocracy.net.

This statement is an eye-opener and in Malta we desperately need a reality check. Each time segments of civil society, academics, charities and professionals in the social sector put poverty issues in the public limelight; they trigger a barrage of skepticism and criticism.  Just look at online reader comments, each time the news or columnists mention this matter.

We often get a range of responses: Why should our national budget feed numerous addictions that range from gambling, smoking and drug abuse? Why should we permit lazy butts to suck at our national coffers? Why should the hard working, efficient and honest workforce permit an army of dependents to shackle our national targets?

In spite of this we still maintain a clean conscience through a Christian sense of solidarity. Most of us readily dig into our pockets to help chosen charities. Nevertheless, charity is not the same as insisting on the human rights of the poor.

A recent Eurostat study revealed that 15.5% of the Maltese population is living in poverty or on the brink of poverty. This means that they earn less than 60% of the national median income. Eurostat also noted that almost one fourth of the Maltese population would be at risk of poverty if they did not receive some kind of social assistance.

Yet, there are some very misleading perceptions of people who end up in dire straits. Those of us who can make ends meet often feel uncomfortable whenever the realities faced by poor people shake our comfort zone. Moreover, I strongly suspect that popular stereotypes may suit some policy-makers. Negative public perceptions, together with our state of denial, tend to reinforce the status quo as decision-makers are under less pressure from constituents to push for reform. They also make it harder for those organisations fighting for the rights of the poor, as these have to swim against the tide whenever they call for action.  

One common question is: Why should we support irresponsible 'welfare queens' who bear children when they can hardly support themselves? Participants at a recent seminar organised by the political think tank Fondazzjoni Ideat challenged myths such as this.

It is true that single mothers, divorced, separated or widowed women are among the most vulnerable groups but little do we know that only one fourth of them are actually entitled for social welfare, even when 56% are living below the poverty line. There are also a growing percentage of couples with two or three children who are also unable to make ends meet.

Statistics and percentages are clear indicators but they often conceal the real life severity and misery of these individuals' daily struggles. "I had a middle class background. My husband was a lawyer", confessed one woman. "I initiated separation proceedings because of physical and psychological abuse. He refused to contribute for the maintenance of the kids and court litigation lasted for many years. During that time I was not entitled for welfare assistance. To feed the family I bought food by the bulk because it was the cheapest; sack-full of pasta and lots and lots of tuna cans. Once the pasta became infested with bugs but I could not afford to throw it away because we had nothing else to eat."

"I work 52 hours per week" said a middle aged mother. At the end of the month I earn 700 Euros. I do not earn enough even though I work long hours". This woman belongs to a growing category of people who describe themselves as the "working poor". GWU President Victor Carachi gave further evidence of the working conditions of these people. Some earn even less than the minimum wage. "On Friday they cash their pay cheque, on Monday they are expected to return some of that money to their employer". If they refuse, they are sacked. Each time the state fails to monitor the practices of private contractors who are awarded public tenders, it becomes an accomplice in these people's exploitation.

Precarious workers are often self-employed and the employers have no obligations whatsoever to guarantee their job security. Prospects for precarious workers are dim; they do not even qualify for bank loans to be able to buy a humble property. Consequently, most of what they earn is spent on rent and they can never invest in their own homes. Whenever they fail to pay the rent, they immediately run the risk of homelessness.

"There are seven pockets of poverty in the Maltese islands" said researcher Leonid MacKay, from Caritas. Poor people tend to congregate in particular areas. The rest of the community may not be aware there exist people in misery in their midst. Very often poor people struggle hard to retain their dignity and in some instances they suffer their problems in silence behind closed doors. In the past, it was the South that was associated with sub-standard housing inhabited by poor people. Now we have similar poor areas in the north like Qawra and Bugibba. "It is a shame that our society still tolerates rat-infested slum areas like Okella Agius in Hamrun", he concluded.

School and education may help lift the coming generations out of a cycle of poverty. At a theoretical level we are all aware of optimistic visions, such as that of Paolo Freire, that education can help people cope with their social reality and learn how to improve and transform their condition. But in reality this is hard to achieve and it necessitate holistic and coherent policies. Our recurrent expenditure on education is high but the results are poor. The unacceptable level of early school-leavers and illiterate teenagers implies that the system is not breaking the cycles of poverty.

Children from poor backgrounds start to lag behind in their education at a very early age; differences are noticed as early as when they are two years of age. Those poor families who make efforts to encourage their kids to study, still face great challenges to succeed, noted psychologist Profs Angela Abela.

Sociologist Dr Josanne Cutajar and researcher Mario Cardona both claimed that local communities could take positive initiatives to respond to poverty. Dr Cutajar pointed we must be aware what is happening at a cultural level too: "Whereas middle class women now tend to assert themselves through education; in poor areas young women can only assert themselves when they become mothers". In the past decades teenage pregnancies have fortunately become less of a taboo, but Profs Angela Abela insisted that society now also needs to send a clear message that teenage pregnancies "are not good for the babies" as this is contributing to the cycles of poverty.

If poverty is on the increase it may be that our structures are failing us. There was a time when we all believed we were middle class but we were wrong. For too many years now, the invisible hand of the market used its magic wand to diminish our commitment towards the values of social solidarity. This current debate is a wake up call that economists cannot tackle poverty only. Poor individuals may not be in a position to break the cycles of poverty on their own. A welfare society needs coherent and a holistic effort to take the bull by the horns.