Fighting Poverty and Inequality –task of the health- and welfare worker?

Poverty and Inequality in the EU and its Impact on the social worker

Input by Quinta Ansem

Content of the presentation

A quick story about EAPNBeing poor in the EUThe effect on People Experience PovertyEquality versus InequalityThe effect on health- and social workersSome questions to be answered

EAPN Origins

Established in 1990

A network of independent NGOs

Defending what?

EAPN Membership and Financing

26 National Networks

23 European Organisations

financial support?

What do we know about Poverty in the EU?

EU Poverty Programmes

Social OMC

Progress?

Poverty in the EU (2007)

60% of median equivalised income

EU Average 17% (79 million people)25% Romania (83 Euro) 10% Netherlands (910 Euro) 10 % Czech

Republic (271Euro)

In Work Poverty (2007)

In work poverty rate

EU Average 8% of working population (18 million people approx)

14% Greece (510 Euro) 3% Czech Republic (271 Euro)

Significant damp problems in housing

EU Average: 18%

37% Poland 5 % Malta and Finland

Lack of indoor flushing toilet for sole use of household

EU Average: 4% (18.5 million people)

44 % Romania, 34% Bulgaria, 1% EU 15 (the old members of EU) 3% Slovakia

Material Deprivation in the EU

Basic necessities EU Average 17%

45% in Latvia (Romania and Bulgaria higher) 3% in Luxembourg 6% Sweden and

Netherlands 40% below poverty line but ………………..

13% above the poverty line

People Experiencing Poverty (PEP)

‘I am undocumented, so for you I don’t exist’ ‘waking up in bad housing conditions which

saps the will to do anything’ ‘being paid regularly, but my debts still

mounting up anyway’ ‘hard to talk about, but when I did start to talk

to others I felt no different from them and I wasn’t embarrassed’

Social protection – a cost or an investment?

Social Spending reduces risk of poverty Increased expenditure on social protection

Conclusion

Effective Social protection systems not only reduce poverty, and increase security, but provide an essential platform for participation, and social cohesion as well as supporting growth.

Trends in Inequality USA

Innovation

Trust

Mental Health

Violence

http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/why/evidence/rich-and-poor-countries

Wealth and Inequality in the EU

EAPN Motto: ‘You can’t speak about the fight against poverty and remain silent about wealth’

Building Trust: The role of Democracy

More Equal Societies work better for Everyone The rich developed societies have reached a

turning point in human history Politics should now be about the quality of social

relations and how we can develop harmonious and sustainable societies

And doing that in respect and support with those who need the respect and support the most.

The impact of inequality on the health- and social workers

Good intentions Increasingly numbers of poormatching mental and physical health Work Overload Little effects low salaries

Area of tension

Most Welfare- or Health worker is paid out of public money

Policy changing's (political changes)Being subsidizesNo (or little) cooperation with local

government Only project findingNo (real) participation from the PEP

Question for the discussion

Can the health- and welfare worker really make a difference in fighting poverty and social exclusion?

Yes…. or No?Changes?And how can the PEP be involved in this

fight?

The basis thinking of EAPN Netherlands

Giving the oor an equal chance to participate in all kind of processes, is a vital part of fighting overty and social exclusion

Building Alliances for 2010