mmegi

One in five households is ‘multidimensionally’ poor

Who feels it know it: About four percent of households in the country are classified as being in extreme multidimensional poverty PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Who feels it know it: About four percent of households in the country are classified as being in extreme multidimensional poverty PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

Statistics Botswana’s first study looking at the different elements of poverty in the country beyond poor incomes has found that about one in five households is ‘multidimensionally’ poor, lacking sufficient food, shelter, education, access to ICT and others. Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI reports

While the leading indicator of poverty is monetary income, global experts are increasingly studying the different dimensions of hardship to better guide policies and interventions.

Ten years after the University of Oxford and the United Nations launched the first study into multidimensional poverty, Statistics Botswana last week released its own research using the Botswana Multi Topic Household Survey (BMTHS) of 2015-2016 as a basis. The BMTHS is the most recent multi-topic dataset showing detailed household economic activity for the country across indicators such as education, employment, well-being, healthcare and others.

Editor's Comment
Who watches the watchdog?

For a fact, in a democratic society such as Botswana, the media plays a crucial role of being watchdog, holding the powerful to account and exposing all possible wrongdoing for the benefit of the public.There has been a nagging question about who watches the watchdog after all? Perhaps, the investigations into alleged wrongful acts implicating those supposed to be playing the watchdog role will shed more light into what has happened such that the...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up