112 This means that an individual in the top 10% earns about 30 times more than someone in the poorest half. INCOME INEQUALITY Income inequality is the disparity in wealth and income distribution among individuals and countries. This uneven distribution of richness and the differences in pay depend on a number of factors, including colonialism, the wrong economic policies, and discriminatory practices like the gender pay gap. Disparities between and within countries average: media income: reddito uneven: impari, dispari wages: stipendio (su base settimanale) wealth: ricchezza 7 Even if some developing countries like China and India have experienced a rapid economic growth in the last few decades, in poor countries the income disparity is still very high. It is estimated that the richest 10% of the world s population takes more than half of global income, while the poorest 50% earns just 8% . Europe is the least unequal region; however, even within this continent there are significant disparities, with countries like Latvia and Bulgaria having higher inequality than countries like Luxembourg and Iceland. In contrast, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America are among the most unequal areas of the world, with the richest 10% getting more than half of national income. The gender pay gap The gender pay gap is a component of global income inequality. On average, women worldwide generally earn less than men. This gap is influenced by several factors: occupational and sectoral segregation: women are much more employed than men in fields of activity where pay is lower, such as health, social work, and education, while men dominate higher-paying sectors like finance, technology, and engineering; unpaid work: women globally do much more unpaid household and care work than men. This reduces the time they can dedicate to paid employment, which leads to fewer working hours and more part-time work, which is often characterised by lower hourly wages and fewer benefits; career breaks: women are often forced to take career breaks to take care of children or elderly parents; this has negative consequences on their career progression and earnings. Choose the correct answer. 1. Which of the following factors is not mentioned as a cause of income inequality? a. Economic policies. b. Colonialism. c. Technological development. 2. The percentage of global income earned by the poorest half of the world s population is a. 50%. b. 8%. c. 10%. 3. Which part/s of the world is the least unequal? a. The Middle East and North Africa. b. Latin America. c. Europe. 4. What is one of the reasons why women earn less? a. They generally prefer part-time work. b. They are more likely to work in lower-paying fields. c. They have fewer educational opportunities. 5. In which type of working fields do men work more? a. Finance, technology, and engineering. b. Education and social work. c. Healthcare and education. 6. How does unpaid work influence women s paid employment? a. It increases the time they can dedicate to paid work. b. It reduces their time for paid employment. c. It helps women direct themselves to work in healthcare or education. 5.1 CIVIC EDUCATION 263