Poverty in Transition

The report says that the countries of the Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe have suffered an unprecedented increase in poverty and mortality. The process of transition has been painful for millions of citizens. Through a comprehensive comparative analysis, Poverty in Transition attempts to shed light on this situation as it takes a hard look at what types of problems are most acute, what the nature of the difficulty is and which reforms have worked thus far. The book goes beyond numbers as it tries to capture some of the pain and insecurities accompanying reversals in human development. It contains a broad framework of analysis of what key measures are required to address poverty and equity in the region. The areas of discussion surround such topics as: poverty and income distribution; striking a balance between liberalisation and a credible State; poverty, education and white collar trends; building small and medium-sized enterprises; and microfinance development.