Today the wealthiest 10% of people own over 80% of global wealth. 20 billionaires own approximately the same wealth as nearly 4 billion people – nearly half of the global population.
What is social justice?
Article 1 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “All human beings are born free and equal and should be treated the same way”. Extreme inequality threatens this historic achievement and, alongside climate change, is the greatest challenge of our time. Solidar Suisse works towards fairer global distribution.Yet social inequality does not only manifest itself in the distribution of wealth. There is also a global rift when it comes to consumption of resources – the richest 1% of the population is responsible for 15% of carbon emissions, while the poorer half of the global population is responsible for only 7% of emissions.
The gap is ever increasing
The World Bank defines the extreme poor as those living on less than 1.90 US dollars a day. Under this definition, in 2017, 9.2% of the global population was extremely poor. However, if you set the daily sum needed for a dignified life at 5.50 US dollars, then 40% of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty.
At the same time, private wealth has increased rapidly and multinational companies are now making record profits. For example, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Cambodia, El Salvador, Bolivia, Burkina Faso or Mozambique is merely a fraction of the annual turnover of large companies like Amazon (280.5 billion); Glencore (215.1 billion) or Nestlé (92.10 billion). Globalisation has further exacerbated social and economic power imbalances. Investors and large companies benefit from open borders to move their money around, outsource production to lower wage countries and benefit from international tax competition. The resulting outflows of capital from developing countries leads to underfunded public services. Workers in global supply chains are often exploited. Extreme inequality tears societies apart, weakens democracy and encourages destruction of the environment.
Fact
40%
of the world's population have to get by on less than $5.50 a day
Solidar Suisse supports the development of unions, for example in the textiles sector or on palm oil plantations, and provides for the minimum wages to be increased. We inform workers of their rights and offer legal assistance.We use our research into working conditions to shine a light on abuses and we call on companies operating internationally to take on responsibility for their supply chains. We promote awareness of the link between sustainable consumption and fair conditions of production.
«When I started working at the factory, we had many problems with factory owners. I wanted to advocate for the rights of us workers – that’s why I joined the trade union.»
Solid school education and a functioning public service are basic prerequisites for breaking the link between poverty and exploitation. 258 million children worldwide have no access to school. This figure has stagnated since 2007 and is even increasing since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. Therefore, Solidar Suisse is enabling children from poor families to access education in Burkina Faso, Pakistan and Malaysia.
Democratic processes and political participation are another cornerstone for a more equal society. We promote participation at the municipal and regional level in Burkina Faso, Bolivia and El Salvador and strengthen actors – especially women and young people – who otherwise often are not heard.
«We need better working conditions for everyone – that includes both decent wages and also health and care work.»
Selected projects
Our projects contribute to the empowerment of workers in the global south. We support exploited workers and advocate for a functioning public service.
