Lesotho - Sharing Growth by Reducing Inequality and Vulnerability : Choices for Change A Poverty, Gender, and Social Assessment

Lesotho began a structural economic transformation in the early 1990s. The transformation has brought higher, more secure incomes to households while the government succeeded in dramatically improving access to services such as education, health, water, and transportation. Yet today, Lesotho faces a number of serious development challenges, including a high rate of chronic poverty, entrenched income inequality, and most troubling one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world. This report focuses on three main areas: i) livelihood patterns among Lesotho's households and how these correlate with opportunity and exclusion; ii) how the government could make access to public services and overall social development more equitable; and iii) how the economic and social vulnerabilities of households, including HIV/AIDS, could be alleviated in order to reduce poverty. In this report concludes that it is possible for Lesotho to reduce poverty and to continue its transition to an economically diverse middle-income country by undertaking three key strategies: continuing to develop the investment climate for labor-intensive production; implementing programs to support commercial agriculture and reduce land degradation in rural areas; and developing a strategy to support socioeconomic and geographic mobility of workers into higher-productivity sectors. Public funds should be better targeted towards assisting the poor to build human capital and manage risks. Other recommendations to improve the plight of the people of Lesotho include creating a more equitable and inclusive society, especially for women, and developing a more effective campaign against HIV/AIDS.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank 2010-06-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO EDUCATION, ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, ACCESS TO SERVICES, ADULT MORTALITY, ADULT POPULATION, AGED, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, AIDS, AIDS PREVENTION, AIDS RELIEF, ANTENATAL CARE, BASIC SOCIAL SERVICES, CALORIES, CASH TRANSFERS, CHILD MORTALITY, CHILD NUTRITION, CHILDREN, CHRONIC POVERTY, CIRCUMCISION, CITIZENS, CLIMATE CHANGE, CLINICS, COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE, COMMUNITY HEALTH, CONDOMS, CROP PRODUCTION, CYCLE OF POVERTY, DEATH, DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION, DISCRIMINATION, DISTRIBUTION OF LAND, DROPOUT, DROUGHT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, ECONOMIC POLICIES, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, EMERGENCY PLAN, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, EPIDEMIC, EQUAL ACCESS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, EXTERNAL MIGRATION, FAMILIES, FARMERS, FARMING SYSTEMS, FEMALE-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS, FERTILITY, FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY, FOOD AID, FOOD INSECURITY, FOOD NEEDS, FOOD PRICES, FOOD SECURITY, GENDER EQUALITY, GRAIN PRODUCTION, GROWTH RATE IN AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH FACILITIES, HEALTH INDICATORS, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH SYSTEM, HIGH INEQUALITY, HIV, HOSPITALS, HOUSEHOLD BUDGET, HOUSEHOLD DEMOGRAPHICS, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HOUSEHOLD WELFARE, HOUSEHOLDS WITH LIVESTOCK, HUMAN CAPITAL, ILLNESS, IMPLEMENTATION, INCIDENCE ANALYSIS, INCOME, INCOME INEQUALITY, INCOME POVERTY, INCOME RISK, INEQUALITY, INEQUITIES, INFANT, INFANT MORTALITY, INFORMAL SAFETY NETS, INTERNAL MIGRANTS, INTERNAL MIGRATION, KNOWLEDGE, LABOR FORCE, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKETS, LABOUR MARKET, LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, LAND DEGRADATION, LAND DISTRIBUTION, LAND OWNERSHIP, LAND RIGHTS, LAND TENURE, LANDHOLDINGS, LAWS, LEVEL OF EDUCATION, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, LIFE EVENTS, LIFE EXPECTANCY, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES, MALNUTRITION, MARKETING, MEASURES, MIGRANT, MIGRANTS, MIGRATION, MIGRATION FOR EMPLOYMENT, MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, MINORITY, MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, MORTALITY RATE, MOTHER, MOTHER-TO-CHILD, MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION, NATIONAL AIDS, NATIONAL AIDS COMMISSION, NATIONAL POVERTY, NATIONAL POVERTY LINE, NATURAL RESOURCE, NATURAL RESOURCES, NURSING, NUTRITION, NUTRITION OUTCOMES, OPEN SOCIETY, ORPHANS, PATIENTS, PEOPLE, POLICY MAKERS, POLITICAL RIGHTS, POOR, POOR AREAS, POOR CHILDREN, POOR HOUSEHOLDS, POOR NUTRITION, POPULATION DENSITY, POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS, POVERTY, POVERTY PROFILE, POVERTY RATES, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY, POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PAPER, POVERTY SITUATION, PREVENTION, PRIMARY EDUCATION, PRIMARY SCHOOL, PRIMARY SCHOOLS, PROFITABLE FARMING SYSTEMS, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC POLICY, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SERVICES, PUBLIC SPENDING, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS, PURCHASING POWER, RAPE, RECREATION, REGISTRATION, REMITTANCE, REMITTANCES, RISK FACTORS, RISK GROUPS, RISK MANAGEMENT, RISKS, RURAL, RURAL AREAS, RURAL COMMUNITIES, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RURAL ECONOMY, RURAL HEALTH, RURAL HOUSEHOLD, RURAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME, RURAL HOUSEHOLDS, RURAL INCOME, RURAL INCOMES, RURAL INEQUALITY, RURAL LABOR, RURAL LIVELIHOODS, RURAL POPULATION, RURAL RESIDENTS, SAFE WATER, SAFETY NET SYSTEMS, SECONDARY EDUCATION, SECONDARY SCHOOL, SECONDARY SCHOOLS, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE FACILITIES, SEX, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, SHARECROPPING, SOCIAL CHANGE, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL POLICIES, SOCIAL PROGRAMS, SOCIAL SERVICE, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL WELFARE, SPOUSES, STRATEGY, STRESS, STUDENTS, SUBSISTENCE FARMING, SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT, TARGETING, TEACHER SALARIES, TERTIARY EDUCATION, TRAINING, TRANSPORTATION, UNEMPLOYMENT, URBAN AREAS, URBAN MIGRATION, URBANIZATION, VICTIMS, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, VULNERABILITY, VULNERABLE GROUPS, WATER PROJECT, WOMEN, WORKERS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, YOUNG WOMEN,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000333038_20100805000656 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/2884
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