An inequitable societyEcuador is also one of the most inequitable societies in the world. The richest 20% of the population receives almost 50% of the national income, while the poorest 20% receives only 5%. Many of the poorer urban population receive $2.70 a day and indigenous populations receive just $1.30, according to a study of 12,000 urban homes conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (November 2004). The gravest social problem in Ecuador is inequality. For many families, international migration has been the answer to unemployment and a deteriorating quality of life. Skilled workers are leaving Ecuador, those who are prepared to confront an unequal labor market in illegal conditions. The majority leave their children with grandparents, aunts and uncles, or with older siblings. They go mainly to the United States and Europe. Because of this, Ecuador is losing its skilled workers in the prime of their professional careers. Social inequality and cultural exclusion are the principal threats to the rights of children and adolescents.
|
