30 Aug 2024 A new commitment by companies to tackle poverty

A new commitment by companies to combat poverty :

France is currently experiencing a historic trend reversal, with poverty figures on the rise once again.

Young people are the first victims. The State, local authorities and associations are working every day to combat this scourge, but their resources are inadequate. Companies are also mobilizing, but there are too few of them. And yet, no one wins in a world that loses.
A debate is currently underway on corporate social responsibility. Isn’t this a new solution in the fight against poverty ?

All the indicators are red. According to INSEE, 13% of the French population, or more than one French person in 8, lives below the poverty line. Nearly 4 million people have no home of their own, or live in insalubrious conditions;. Shantytowns, which disappeared in the 80s, have reappeared : 571 were counted at the beginning of 2017 (for 16,000 people, including 6,000 minors).

Young people are the first victims of poverty. 15 % of young people aged 15-29 have dropped out of the school system and have no job or training. 6 out of 10 children are afraid of becoming poor one day.

The inexorable migratory pressure on Europe will only reinforce this trend towards impoverishment. Since 2008, asylum applications have multiplied, reaching an all-time high of 90,000 in 2016 (source: French Ministry of the Interior). The number of unaccompanied minors (MNAs) has risen from around 4,000 in 2012 to 25,000 in 2017. Reception facilities are overwhelmed.

Solutions exist. Everywhere in France, traditional social players (associations, public services) are innovating and inventing new approaches to meet the scale of the challenges. These approaches are moving away from historical, institutional, uniform and ineffective responses. They focus on prevention, particularly in the field of education. They use the tremendous leverage of volunteering to maximize their reach, at lower cost. They exploit the potential of digital technology for widespread deployment. They play on cross-functional partnerships, breaking away from historical silos (partnerships between associations and companies, associations and the State, or companies and the State). But resources are sorely lacking.

Despite the growing mobilization of corporate philanthropy, their investments are not enough to create the conditions for major change. And yet, no company wins in a losing world.

Corporate social responsibility is often restricted to social or ecological measures linked to business activities and to relations with the stakeholders involved in economic activity. However, being socially responsible should not be limited to limiting one’s negative impact (pollution, etc.) or to treating one’s employees or suppliers well. A company’s social responsibility must extend to its entire territory, benefiting not only its stakeholders, but also its entire immediate environment.

No one wins in a losing world. A breakthrough scenario is needed to create the conditions for change in France. It is now important to give companies the means to assert their social responsibility and fight poverty in the long term.

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Fondation Abbé Pierre’s 2017 report on poor housing.

Crédit photo : Progrès, Unsplash.