Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America

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Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development
in Latin America

• Harry Anthony Patrinos
• World Bank

February 9, 2007 Georgetown University Washington,
DC
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Context

• UN Decade of Indigenous Peoples 1994-2004
• Indigenous gains in political influence
• Upheavals Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia
• Indigenous political representation increasing
• Changes in international national policy

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Good news the education gap has been narrowing
steadily
Percent of population that had some schooling
Peru by birth cohort, 1950-1980 ( of population
with some schooling)
Non-indigenous
Indigenous
Lines are logarithmic estimates of trends
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But indigenous people still have fewer years of
education
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and receive less added income for each year of
education
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Evidence of labor market discrimination is still
significant
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Low tests scores for indigenous children suggest
low quality schooling
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Some new and successful social programs reach
indigenous peoples
Mexico portion of indigenous/non-indigenous
peoples in income quintile that benefit from
Oportunidades conditional cash transfers
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But social insurance systems cover fewer
indigenous peoples
Percent of workers in firms with 10 employees
who contribute to social security, Guatemala 2000
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Evidence of poor health among indigenous peoples
is widespread
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Little progress in income poverty reduction for
indigenous people
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Indigenous people also recover more slowly from
economic crisis
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Four priority areas for action

• More and better education
• Decrease gap in years of schooling
• Improve school quality (bilingual/bicultural
  education)
• Promote equal opportunities head start for
  indigenous
• Maternal and child health projects
• Improve accountability in delivery of social
  services
• Improve data collection efforts
• Include identification questions for indigenous

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Moving beyond poverty human development

• Link between indigenous poverty established
• Poverty has not diminished over time
• But need to move beyond human development
• Need to examine distribution returns to income
  generating assets (physical, human, public,
  social capital)

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Objectives of new study

• Economic Opportunities for Indigenous Peoples in
  Latin America
• Examine composition of income and
  income-generating activities of indigenous
• Investigate factors determining participation of
  indigenous in income-generating activities
• Identify key features of policies programs to
  increase economic opportunities