Asian economies are grappling with slowing growth but for most of them, from China to the Philippines and from India to Fiji, the challenge is exacerbated by the need to close growing income gaps.
And slowing growth may hamper those efforts by hitting government revenues used to fund education, healthcare, employment training, clean water and sanitation, and the myriad other programs.
Inclusive growth is key to not only eliminating abject poverty, but to making it possible for those in the worst of conditions to continue to climb the economic ladder, ideally with secure prospects for themselves and future generations.
