Magdalena Sepúlveda: 'Austerity is devastating for the world's poorest'

Stigmatisation of the poor has become normal, and policy is now based on negative stereotypes, says Sepúlveda. Photograph: Francois Walschaerts As the UN's special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Chilean lawyer Magdalena Sepúlveda is proving to be one of the most vocal international opponents of austerity. Since being appointed by the UN in 2008, just as the financial crisis hit, she has staunchly argued that austerity policies all over the world are having a "disproportionate impact" on the poor and are undermining the human rights of vulnerable people.
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