Poverty is one of humanity's greatest tragedies. Various efforts have already been made, but whatever strong efforts have been taken have not been able to overcome the problem of poverty or its impact due to the complexity of the underlying causes of poverty.

This edition contains findings from the consolidation of participatory poverty assessments which was undertaken by SMERU and Pradipta Paramitha that analysed the understanding and views of the poor about poverty. Apart from looking at the gender dimension of poverty problems, this edition also presents articles on the causes of poverty, the coping strategies of the poor, as well as government interventions in addressing poverty.

Our guest writer, Andik Hardiyanto from KIKIS, raises the local context of the problem of poverty and its impact in conflict areas, while Mardiana Andi from the Independent Women's Association in Deli Serdang shares the experiences and secrets of the fisherwomen of Dusun Pematang Pasir in facing the problem of their poverty. By better understanding the multi-dimensional nature and complexity of the problem, we can hopefully overcome poverty in our country together.