Tourists see one side of Sri Lanka – sun-drenched beaches and luxury hotels. But just along Dehiwela beach is another world. This beach slum is full of squalid, ramshackle huts. High unemployment, frequent alcoholism and domestic violence, and children who are vulnerable to foreign 'sex tourists'.
Whilst India is emerging as a power on the world stage, the contrast between rich and poor is still profound. According to a study published in 2016, India is the second most unequal country in the world, with just 1% of the population owning over 50% of the total wealth. For those at the bottom of the heap, life is tough. Figures are endlessly disputed, but probably around a quarter of the population – an estimated 300 million people - still live below an extremely low poverty line.
India is emerging as a power on the world stage, and yet poverty is a significant problem across the country. Figures from 2016 show that over 50% of India’s wealth is owned by just 1% of the population. For India's poorest people, life is very tough. Actual numbers are endlessly disputed, but probably around a quarter of the population – an estimated 300 million people - still live below an extremely low poverty line.
Despite India's emergence as an economic power on the global stage, the contrast between rich and poor is profound. According to a study published in 2016, India is the second most unequal country in the world, with just 1% of the population owning over 50% of the total wealth. Very little international aid funding or corporate funding trickles down to marginalised communities in India.
