Colombia : Poverty Report, Volume 2. Background Report

Abstract

The report appraises the impact of
 economic development, or lack thereof, on the welfare of the
 Colombian population, and the poor in particular, over the
 last two decades, and, identifies priority areas for public
 policy action, vis-e-vis the most vulnerable groups. The
 welfare assessment covers three key areas - income, access
 to social services, and personal security, while it also
 compares welfare indicators between urban, and rural areas,
 and across other regional partitions. Questions are raised
 on the depths of poverty, and, on the Government's
 responsiveness to the incidence of poverty. Findings suggest
 that despite substantial long-term progress, a recent
 setback fostered an extreme urban poverty, and, although
 during the period social indicators reflect positive social
 development trends, homicide and domestic violence for the
 poor, and property crime for the non-poor have escalated to
 unprecedented rates, where the burden of crime is
 disproportionately borne by poor women. This violence
 disrupts the market economy, imposing a considerable
 psychological cost on those who are not directly victimized
 as well. Government actions nonetheless, show huge public
 expenditure efforts in social sectors, but with mixed
 results; therefore, the study addresses the imperative need
 for high economic growth to reverse poverty, through social
 programs prioritizing on childcare, health, and basic
 infrastructure. Likewise, an environment of increasing
 economic insecurity calls for valuable policy instruments,
 namely, safety-net programs, to enhance social protection.