Vincentian Social Justice Chair Discusses Ties Between Poverty, Gender, and Education

The relationship between poverty and educational opportunities in the developing world served as the climax of the 2024–25 Vincentian Chair of Social Justice lecture series, delivered by Sabina Alkire, D.Phil., at St. John’s University. 

Dr. Alkire, Professor of Poverty and Human Development and director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative at the University of Oxford in England, illustrated in the April 7 lecture how a lack of educational possibilities in Africa, South Asia, and elsewhere reinforces centuries of gender-based poverty, where girls and women in particular are often unable to elevate themselves. 

“Sixty-three percent of people in Nigeria are poor,” Dr. Alkire said. “Of those, 96 percent are deprived of education, where no one in their household has completed six years of schooling. That is a very good predictor of poverty, where only four percent of people experiencing poverty are self-made with no education.”

Dr. Alkire is among the world’s leading experts on the extent and impact of poverty. With a colleague, she developed the Alkire-Foster Method, a key element of their Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which is used to identify the poor by the range of deprivations they suffer. When unpacked, the MPI can provide detailed information for policy design, showing how people are poor by nation, region, and by indicators, including access to education.  

An economist, she previously worked at George Washington University, Harvard University, the United Nations Commission on Human Security, and the World Bank. Her fourth and final lecture as holder of the 2024-25 Vincentian Chair of Social Justice was titled, “Poverty and Gender: Why is the Multidimensional Poverty Index Necessary?” In addition to examining the forces behind poverty, it also re-examined traditional gender stereotypes among poor populations.

Close to 100 students, faculty, and administrators attended the lecture, in the D’Angelo Center ballroom. 

“The data say various things, and we must be curious about the data,” Dr. Alkire said. “Doubly poor are those women who endure situations of exclusion, mistreatment, and violence. It is unacceptable that they have fewer rights. But boys are out of school significantly more than girls in some countries. In some cases, males have a far higher level of school attrition than women.”

Dr. Alkire’s earlier lectures focused on poverty measurement, the face of charity, and poverty policies in a shifting global environment. After her most recent discussion, she engaged the St. John’s community in a question-and-answer session, demonstrating the audience’s passion for Dr. Alkire’s work. Dr. Alkire is also an Anglican priest. 

“She is a brilliant thinker and speaker,” junior International Management student Sophia Feeney said. “Especially for someone like me who is interested in public policy, climate change, and global economics. The poverty index she developed is a great illustration of what it means to live in poverty.”

As she had in earlier lectures, Dr. Alkire joined St. John’s students for lunch ahead of her lecture. She engaged in a lively give-and-take with mostly first-year Ozanam Scholars from an Anthropology class led by Alana L. Glaser, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Alkire discussed examples from research work done by her colleagues in poor environments and reinforced the value of education coupled with action.

Hearing such stories, first-year Legal Studies student Isabel Cuffari said: “There are people in the world who go through things we cannot imagine. People going through those things often feel as if their voices are not heard.”

“In poor environments, sometimes people just need that one person to help them,” first-year Government and Politics student Reilly Green observed. “If you can be that one person for a child, you are going to make a positive impact.”

Later,  Rev. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M. ’13HON, Executive Director, Vincentian Center for Church and Society, thanked Dr. Alkire for putting a human face on the issue of poverty throughout her four lectures, adding, “we know Dr. Alkire is at the United Nations often. Now and then, I am sure we are going to find a topic that we think is worthwhile for her to share some thoughts with us.”