INTRODUCTION: Producing Poor and Naming Them – Globalization and Neoliberalism in the Global South

Economic growth induced by pro-growth policies lifted billions of people in the world from extreme poverty; however, poverty in developing societies remained in different forms. Determined to achieve a world of poverty and hunger-free by 2030, the United Nations formulated the post-2015 agenda and named it – Sustainable Development Goals. The relationship between globalization and poverty is complex and has been debated extensively in academia and among policymakers. Despite neoliberal trade policies, nothing much has changed in several African countries. Poverty, lack of employment, lack of good health, and bad working conditions still characterize a larger proportion of African populations. Development in countries with extreme poverty and inequality was further reduced during the COVID-19 outbreak. While addressing already existing issues in the global society, it is also important to debate and examine the new challenges that Global South societies are facing.