The distance that separates two districts of the city of São Paulo is not measured in kilometers or minutes, but in life time: 21 years. What could be more shocking and revealing about our inability to build a fairer society than these 21 years that are stolen from the most vulnerable population?
It is the perfect example of the construction, brick by brick, of an exclusionary society. It is the legacy of politicians and an economic elite that defends private interests to the detriment of public ones, which concentrates income and makes Brazil one of the ten sad global champions of inequality, along with countries like Botswana, Zambia and Namibia.
The synthesis of the inequalities of the richest city in the country and in Latin America is stamped in these 21 years, the difference in the average age at death between Jardim Paulista, in the west zone (80 years old), and Iguatemi (59 years old), in the west zone . A mayor who proposed to halve this difference would do his greatest work, would leave his greatest mark.
To do so, it would be necessary to invest in the issues that separate us: access to quality health and public education; to decent housing; adequate sanitation; reduction of violence against women and young people, especially black people. Also part of this mosaic of inequalities is the reduction in infant mortality and teenage pregnancy, among other topics.
The persistent difference in the average age at death in a city like São Paulo demonstrates society’s inability to react to Brazil’s biggest problem: social inequality. In turn, the root of many other problems such as poverty, violence and our difficulty in facing climate change.
The Sustainable Cities Institute and the Nossa São Paulo Network are launching this Wednesday (23) the Map of Inequality of the City of São Paulo.
The map was conceived to show the inequality between the best and worst districts in the city, in several relevant themes. Thus, it seeks to highlight the differences within the city, alerting to the fact that the solution is also installed in the city. Theoretically, it would be repeating the conditions of the best districts to forward solutions in the worst districts, reducing inequalities.
The Map reveals that violence against women, the black population and LGBTQIAP+ has increased in the city. That the mortality of young people is twice the average of homicides. That the offer of jobs is very unequal between the districts, forcing those looking for a job to face long displacements, which greatly reduce the quality of life. That the teenage pregnancy rate in Cidade Tiradentes is 33 times higher than in Moema. That we have 31,884 homeless people, especially in the expanded downtown neighborhoods, lacking a structured care program.
That the offer of spaces for culture and leisure, besides being unequal between the regions of the city, has been decreasing year by year. That, in relation to internet access, the digital inequality is enormous; in Itaim there are 50.9 antennas per 10 thousand inhabitants, while in Jardim Helena there are 0.88 antennas per 10 thousand inhabitants. How to have the same access to employment, business, education and health opportunities, without the possibility of accessing the internet?
Public policies are the solution to inequality. The Map contributed to the creation of an unprecedented public policy, which considered the vulnerability index of the districts to direct 25% of municipal investment to those most vulnerable. More needy districts receiving more resources, a way to reduce inequality.
When we analyze how inequality has behaved in the last five years, we realize our inability to face the problem and generate solutions. In summary, the topic was not a priority. In half a decade, violence against women has increased a lot (+67%), as well as against (+28%), while the offer of jobs has decreased by 13%.
In these five years, there was an improvement of more than 90% in the time spent waiting for a place in a day care center, as well as in the teenage pregnancy rate (a 26.7% drop) and infant mortality (a 12.5% drop).
A prosperous city like São Paulo should be a reference in the fight against inequality, but the logic of the model does not allow resources to flow to the most vulnerable.
Inequality is a matter of humanity, sensitivity and justice, but that was not enough, it impacts the whole of society, and it is everyone’s interest to resolve it.
A peaceful, democratic, innovative and humane city will only be possible when we are able to untie the knot of inequality, which requires courage to face the interests of a small group of super rich people, for the benefit of the vast majority of the population.
How can such a rich country be so unequal? The unanswered question is revealed in the 2022 Inequality Map, but it can be answered to the extent that inequality is seen as a national priority. The solution involves conditioning all public policies, without exception, to their reduction. Otherwise, they lose their meaning at this moment in Brazil.
I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years, and my work has been featured on many different news websites. I am also an author, and my work has been published in several books. I specialize in opinion writing, and I often write about current events and controversial topics. I am a very well-rounded writer, and I have a lot of experience in different areas of journalism. I am a very hard worker, and I am always willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done.
