1. World problems
  2. Social injustice

Social injustice

  • Dependence on social injustice

Nature

Social injustice is a pervasive global issue that manifests in unequal access to rights, resources, and opportunities based on factors such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, and nationality. It is rooted in systemic inequalities that favor certain groups while marginalizing others, often leading to discrimination, oppression, and exclusion. This injustice is evident in various forms, including economic disparity, inadequate access to education and healthcare, racial and gender discrimination, and political disenfranchisement. Social injustice is maintained by biased policies, cultural norms, and historical inequalities that continue to shape societies. It denies individuals the ability to fully participate in their communities, restricts their potential, and reinforces cycles of poverty and marginalization. It fosters social unrest, resentment, and division, weakening the fabric of societies and impeding collective progress. 

Incidence

As of 2024, global social injustices persist, manifesting in widespread poverty, hunger, environmental vulnerability, and economic disparities. Approximately 700 million people, or 8.5% of the global population, live in extreme poverty, subsisting on less than $2.15 per day. Hunger has escalated alarmingly, with 343 million individuals across 74 countries experiencing acute food insecurity—a 10% increase from the previous year. Notably, 1.9 million people are on the brink of famine, with catastrophic hunger reported in regions such as Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali. Environmental challenges are acute, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where over 170 million people face acute hunger, exacerbated by conflicts and climate extremes intensified by the El Niño phenomenon. Economic disparities are stark; the richest 1.1% of the global adult population owns 45.8% of the world's total wealth, while the bottom half holds a mere 1.3%.

 

In 1991 it was reported by Oxfam that across the globe: one in six families is poorer than a decade ago; one in four children go to bed hungry; three quarters of the poor people in the developing world live in ecologically fragile zones where resources are scarce; more than 300 million subsistence farmers are clearing native vegetation because they have no other way to survive (accounting for half of tropical deforestation); in Bangladesh and Egypt, 50 million people could be made homeless by flooding caused by rising sea levels; and by the start of 1989, debtor nations owned foreign creditors just over half their combined gross national product, and two thirds more than their annual export earnings, and paid back $40 billion to the rich world and received $34 billion in aid.

Claim

Across the world, the wealthiest few hoard resources while millions starve, face systemic discrimination, and struggle against policies designed to keep them in perpetual hardship. The fact that children still go to bed hungry, women are denied basic rights, and marginalized communities are forced to fight for their very existence proves that society has failed to create a fair and just world. This is not just an unfortunate reality—it is an engineered failure that benefits the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable.

When governments and corporations prioritize profit over people, they reinforce a system where the poor get poorer, racism thrives, and basic human needs are treated as privileges rather than rights. Climate change, poverty, and discrimination are not accidental—they are direct results of policies that favor a select few. To turn a blind eye to these injustices is to allow oppression to continue unchallenged.

Poverty, systemic racism, gender inequality, and environmental degradation are not isolated issues; they are deeply interconnected crises that fuel conflict, migration, and economic collapse. Governments that refuse to take action against social injustice are paving the way for more unrest, more suffering, and an inevitable reckoning when the oppressed rise against their oppressors.

Counter-claim

The world has always had inequalities, and no system can create absolute fairness. The idea that society is rigged against certain groups is a narrative designed to fuel division and entitlement. People who work hard, make smart choices, and contribute to society tend to succeed, while those who fail often do so because of their own decisions. The constant outcry over social injustice ignores the personal responsibility and effort required to improve one's situation.

The free market naturally corrects disparities, making social injustice a non-issue. Wealth, opportunities, and resources are distributed based on merit and innovation, not oppression. The so-called “social injustice” activists complain about is actually the result of differences in effort, talent, and decision-making. If someone is disadvantaged, it is up to them to change their circumstances rather than blaming the system. Societies that embrace free-market capitalism have lifted billions out of poverty—proving that systemic inequality is a myth perpetuated by those unwilling to compete.

The obsession with addressing perceived inequalities has led to policies that punish success, enforce unnecessary regulations, and divide people along racial and class lines. Affirmative action, wealth redistribution, and diversity quotas are examples of misguided attempts to engineer equality, which ultimately undermine meritocracy and social cohesion. Instead of constantly complaining about injustice, society should focus on promoting self-reliance, individual achievement, and equal opportunity rather than forced equal outcomes.

Narrower

Slavery
Excellent
Racism
Excellent
Apartheid
Excellent
Urban poverty
Presentable
Statelessness
Presentable
Segregation
Presentable
Forced labour
Presentable
Ageism
Presentable
Scapegoats
Yet to rate

Aggravates

War
Excellent
Strikes
Excellent
Social conflict
Presentable

Aggravated by

Persecution
Presentable
Discrimination
Presentable
Capitalism
Presentable
Authoritarianism
Presentable
Social apathy
Yet to rate
Deviant society
Yet to rate
Arbitrariness
Yet to rate

Reduced by

Related

Strategy

Value

Unsociable
Yet to rate
Justice
Yet to rate
Injustice
Yet to rate
Independence
Yet to rate
Dependence
Yet to rate

UIA organization

Reference

Web link

SDG

Sustainable Development Goal #16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

Metadata

Database
World problems
Type
(B) Basic universal problems
Subject
  • Societal problems » Dependence
  • Society » Social
  • Content quality
    Excellent
     Excellent
    Language
    English
    Last update
    Mar 11, 2025