Short Abstract

Amid growing global uncertainty, development actors face persistent and shifting forms of poverty linked to gender inequality and environmental fragility. This panel examines lessons from two decades of anti-poverty work to guide the next generation of inclusive and sustainable development.

Description

The eradication of extreme poverty remains elusive, while links between poverty, gender inequality, and environmental vulnerability have become increasingly apparent. Over the past 15 years, multifaceted approaches such as Graduation programming have transformed poverty reduction. Evidence from diverse contexts shows that sustained investments in productive assets, psychosocial support, and social inclusion yield long-term gains in wellbeing and economic security. Yet the evolution of these interventions, through innovations such as Gender-Transformative and Green Graduation, signals a critical moment for reflection. How have these adaptations reshaped poverty reduction and empowerment? What conceptual, methodological, and policy lessons emerge from their implementation?

In this multistakeholder panel co-organised with the DSA Multidimensional Poverty and Poverty Dynamics working group and Concern Worldwide, we invite empirically grounded and conceptually informed papers that assess the impact, mechanisms, and limits of anti-poverty interventions. We particularly welcome contributions that engage with:

-The multidimensional and intergenerational nature of poverty and empowerment outcomes;

-Innovations in measuring and evaluating empowerment, including longitudinal and mixed-methods approaches;

-The integration of gender-transformative, and environmental sustainability dimensions into poverty programming;

-The interface between global frameworks (e.g. SDGs) and local realities of implementation; and

-Practitioner reflections on scaling, adaptation, and learning in complex contexts, particularly conflict.

By bringing together scholars and practitioners, the session aims to bridge conceptual debates and empirical insight with practical experience. Ultimately, the panel seeks to re-examine how anti-poverty interventions can more effectively foster agency, resilience, and empowerment, and what this means for reimagining development futures in an uncertain world.

This Panel has 3 pending paper proposals.
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