This study evaluates the impact of intergenerational trauma on the experience of poverty by women of African descent (WoAD) who live in the Western suburbs of Melbourne. It is a cross-sectional study with reflexive thematic analysis and employs methodological strategies of qualitative and descriptive data analysis. Meanwhile, an online survey questionnaire was developed using Qualtrics XM software. The work argues that intergenerational trauma has a significant impact on the poverty experience of women ofAfrican descent in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, increasing mental health issues, breakdown of family relationships, social isolation, and low self-esteem. The findings show that to support these women, there is a need to improve the knowledge and understanding of available services that deal with mental health issues such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The experience of these factors has led to women's inability to participate in economic activities, resulting in financial hardship and poverty. It suggests the need to engage in advocacy to address systemic barriers and improve the cultural responsiveness of service providers to better support women of African descent and reduce poverty.
Recent policy reports highlight the continuing adverse impact of financial poverty on many Australians. Yet, governments continue to largely ignore the needs of those living in poverty. This article revisits the findings of three major inquiries into poverty: the bipartisan Henderson Poverty Inquiry which reported from 1975-1977, the Senate Community Affairs References Committee (CARC) inquiry headed by the Labor Party which reported in 2004, and the recent Senate CARC inquiry headed by the Australian Greens which reported in 2024. It critically examines parliamentary speeches responding to these inquiries, and interrogates how the contested framing of the causes of poverty alternatively highlights or marginalises concerns about social and economic disadvantage.
This article examines the enduring economic disadvantage experienced by older Australians who spent time in childhood institutions, arguing that their poverty in later life is not accidental, but structurallyproduced and historically entrenched. Drawing onexisting national and international data, as well as thematic findings from recent research, the article traces how early institutionalisation- characterised by dislocation, neglect, and disempowerment-sets Care Leavers on a trajectory of systemic exclusion. Despite the state assuming parental responsibility, Care Leavers were systematically denied the social, emotional, and material foundations necessary for security in adulthood. Instead, they were made dependent on fragmented systems-welfare, housing, justice, and health-that replicated the control and conditionality of institutional care while offering little safety or redress. In older age, these patterns manifest in chronic poverty, housing insecurity, limited educational and employment opportunities, and a lack of intergenerational support. The article identifies critical policy and practice failures, including the absence of economic justice in redress schemes and the failure to adequately compensate for a lifetime of disadvantage, that recognises the structural legacy of institutional harm. Drawing on recommendations developed in partnership with Care Leaver advocacy groups, the article proposes strategies to ensure that Care Leavers can age in place with dignity-through approaches that avoid replicating the harms and institutional practices of the past.
Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) and Australia report high child poverty rates, particularly amongst Indigenous/First Nations peoples, minority ethnic groups, those with disabilities, and refugee communities. To meet UN Sustainable Development Goal 1: ending relative poverty, including for children, consistent long-term efforts are crucial. Whilst NZ's Child Poverty Act (2018) initially reduced its incidence, political shifts and the cost-of-living crisis have reversed that trend. Australia has not adopted similar legislation. Poverty infringes children's rights by limiting participation in educational, social, cultural, and recreational occupations, defined broadly as all the things people do in everyday life, such as playing, doing homework, sports, chores, and computer games. The social, physical, and mental capacities and knowledge children gain from engaging in occupation supports their health, wellbeing, development, and future prospects. Within NZ's child poverty policies, perspectives on children's occupations are underrepresented. Recent NZ research suggests that multidimensional poverty constrains children's patterns of participation across all occupational domains, including domestic, educational, recreational, and cultural activities, limiting their opportunities to develop their capabilities. Occupation-focused and transdisciplinary solutions, driven by those most affected, such as Indigenous communities, minority groups, children, young people, their families, and community-based organisations are required. Therefore, adopting an occupational perspective is crucial to designing government policy that attends to community-driven opportunities for children to participate in occupations that will optimise their capabilities and lift them out of poverty.
A significant number of youth in Indonesia are vulnerable to experiences of poverty and other forms of inequality. Young people have the highest rate of unemployment in Indonesia, and there is also data showing that they are one of the groups most likely to experience inequalities such as mental health challenges, housing instability, and lack of access to health and education systems. To date, little research or policy has analysed the disadvantage experienced by those aged between 18 and 25 years old in Indonesia. Most of the research and policy intervention has specifically targeted child poverty and family poverty, with less attention paid to wider poverty and inequality experienced by youth. This article critically examines the key vulnerabilities and inequalities experienced by youth in Indonesia, and uses a "Political Settlement" framework to identify alternative policy directions.
