Human rights and poverty reduction: what are the linkages?

Hans-Otto Sano

Chapter 6 in Research Handbook on Human Rights and Poverty, 2026, pp 94-110 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter explores the linkages between poverty reduction and human rights in a situation where the poverty rate had been declining before COVID-19 in many African countries, especially in urban areas. It asks whether human rights-based approaches are effective in reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. In this context, the chapter examines the interlinkages between inequality and human rights. These issues also prompt a discussion on the measurement of poverty, including the assessment of non-economic metrics. A hypothesis is forwarded that the inclusion of human-rights thinking may lead to a broader, partly non-economic understanding of poverty. Specifically, the chapter investigates the trend of poverty reduction in Africa south of the Sahara. Issues of inequality and poverty reduction are addressed, including the local experience of human rights-based approaches, livelihood empowerment, and the non-monetary perspective of poverty reduction. The last section reflects on how human rights are affecting the discourse on poverty.

Keywords: Poverty reduction and poverty measurement; Human rights-based approaches; Inequality; Empowerment and livelihoods; The discourse on poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035350506
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