Introduction to Special Issue on: ‘Inequalities in the Least Developed Countries – Some Lessons from Africa’

• Published date: 01 June 2019
• Date: 01 June 2019
• Author: Finn Tarp,Carlos Gradín
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/saje.12225

South African Journal of Economics Vol. 87:2 June 2019

doi : 10.1111/ saje .122 25

87

© 2019 UNU-WIDER. South A frican Journa l of Economics published by John W iley & Sons Ltd on behal f of

Economic Societ y of South Africa.

INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL ISSUE ON: ‘INEQUALITIES

IN THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES – SOME LESSONS

FROM AFRICA’

CARL OS GRADÍN* A ND FINN TAR P†‡

Abstract

This special issue comprises six papers analysing different dimensions of inequalities in African

countries. Three papers deal with the trend in inequality in consumption in Mozambique, with

multidimensional poverty in four sub-Saharan countries, and with the relationship between living

conditions and subjective well-being in African countries. The other three are focused on gender

issues and are focused on Mozambique, dealing with gender inequalities in the access to contract

farming arrangements as well as to employment out of subsistence agriculture, or with the effect of

women’s empowerment on children’s health. This introduction provides a short overview of how

they contribute to a better understanding of inequalities in low-income countries.

1. INTRODUCTION

There is an increasing interest in the analysis of economic inequalities in least developed

countries. This is not only the result of a general social preference for equality, but also

the consequence of a growing sense that highly unequal societies may distort the func-

tioning of a country. While the battle against poverty remains being the main priority

in low-income countries, it is widely and increasingly recognised that a high level of

inequality will make more difficult any poverty-reducing strategy. The initial level of

inequality and the growth pattern do matter and help to explain why some countries

have been more successful in reducing poverty than others in recent years; e.g. Arndt

et al. (2012:190-217) comparing Vietnam and Mozambique. In highly u nequal societies,

faster growth rates will be necessary to achieve a given target in reducing poverty. The

lack of social cohesion may also compromise the economic and social stability, as well

as good governance, required for a sustainable growth path, the reason for which longer

growth spells are robust ly associated with more equality in the income distribution (Berg

and Ostry, 2011). The inclusion among the UN Sustainable Development Goals of the

* Corresponding author: Ca rlos Gradín, UNU -WIDER, Katajanoka nlaituri 6 B, FI-00160

Helsinki, Finla nd. Tel: +358 (0) 9 6159213. E-mail: gradin@ wider.unu.edu

† UNU-WIDER

‡ University of Copenhagen

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