Many people described security as peace of mind or confidence in survival. Survival referred not just to livelihood, but also to sheer physical survival in the face of rising corruption, crime, violence, lack of protection from the police and absence of recourse to justice, wars between ethnic groups, tribes and clans, frequent natural disasters, and the uncertainties of season and climate. Lawfulness and access to justice were widely seen as crucial aspects of wellbeing. The bad life is deeply embedded in insecurity and feeling vulnerable. In many countries, women spoke about widespread domestic violence, although there is evidence it may have peaked and be in decline in some countries.
Insecurity is also the experience of worry and fear.
Even where poverty has declined, the majority of poor people said that life had become more unstable and uncertain, particularly as a result of increased crime, violence and corruption.