Poverty and Inequality Analysis
When President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo took office in 2014, Indonesia was facing stagnating poverty and high inequality. To address these problems, he quickly introduced several initiatives, mainly in the form of social assistance programmes which gave the poor access to education and health services, as well as food and cash transfers, and grants for villages as mandated by the Village Law.
Since the launch of Indonesia's decentralization reforms in 2001, the country has achieved significant progress in improving the welfare of its citizens—as seen from increasing income per capita and decreasing poverty levels. However, vertical inequality has increased, raising concerns whether inequality between different parts of the country has also grown.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused changes in multiple aspects of life. As a response to these changes, the vulnerable communities have been forced to set out their coping strategies. Looking at their livelihoods, the vulnerable communities working in the nonagricultural sector have experienced an income decline during the pandemic.
In late 2019, we—the SMERU management and staff—finalized the SMERU Strategic Plan 2020–2024. The strategic plan aims to increase SMERU’s relevance and improve the institute’s financial sustainability.
The partnership between SMERU, as a knowledge producer, and UNICEF, which is focused on child rights advocacy, is expected to provide a stronger and more effective advocacy base for improving child well-being in Indonesia.
