Global poverty, religious restrictions, discrimination against women remain high, report says

A woman asks for alms on the street in this file photo from Feb. 2, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

More than a quarter of the global population still lacks access to seven basic needs identified as fundamental by the late Pope Francis – with close to 60 percent living in nations with severe restrictions on religious freedom, and more than half of the world’s women living in countries with severe sex-based discrimination, according to a new report from Fordham University.

In addition, a majority of those represented by the statistics live on the African continent, as well as in some Asian nations.

The data was made public in the university’s “Pope Francis Global Poverty Report,” released Nov. 14 ahead of World Day of the Poor, observed Nov. 16.

Read more on the original article : https://www.cathstan.org/us-world/global-poverty-religious-restrictions-discrimination-against-women-remain-high-report-says