One-third of humanity still live in poverty, despite steady increases in global income since 1960. The gap between rich and poor is growing as never before, leaving hundreds of millions with little stake in a secure global future. Women, children, indigenous peoples, the elderly and refugees are more likely to live in poverty. For these groups, powerlessness in the social and political arenas means less access to land, credit, education, health care, jobs and civil rights. Solutions to poverty must be thoroughly grounded in the complexities of the problem, both in its global dimensions and its real-life impact on people.
Population growth is a good example.
Roughly 5.7 billion people inhabit the planet today. By the year 2025, world population will hit 8.3 billion. In a global context, the population problem means a growing strain on food supplies, agricultural production and the environment. For individual families, it means more mouths to feed, fewer resources for education and health care, poor health for mothers and children-in short, the entrenchment of poverty. Providing access to family planning services, one of CARE's major programs, thus addresses a problem with local and global dimensions.