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Priorities of the People: Hardship in the Federated States of Micronesia

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Who is Facing Hardship?

The assessment showed that there are strong systems in place that generally ensure the welfare of those in need, but this extended family and community support system is weakening. This is due to the increasing pressures exerted on limited resources by growing numbers of family dependents, mostly those who did not finish primary or secondary school. As a result, some men and women in both urban and rural areas are facing financial difficulty and declining living standards, thus placing them in more extreme hardship than the rest of the community.

The elderly were said to be among the most disadvantaged

At the beginning of the consultations most people, particularly those from the rural/outer island communities, said: “We are all in a similar situation here and no one is experiencing more hardship than the rest.” This sense of shared disadvantage, seen as different from being poor, was common. However, as the community consultations progressed, people started to recognize that there were individuals or categories of people in their community who are experiencing more hardship than the rest because of low income, inability to access basic services, caste, traditional beliefs, poor governance, and gender.

The elderly, widows, single mothers and the mentally and physically handicapped were recognized as being among the most disadvantaged in society. There were also concerns about increasing drug abuse, teenage pregnancies and petty crime among the youth.

Other groups said to be facing hardship are people without regular income, families with large numbers of dependents and without land or tenure to their land, and people without access to basic services (e.g., schools and markets).

Most of those surveyed were in agreement that disadvantaged people can be found throughout all the communities surveyed and in both urban and rural areas of the country. However, people living in urban areas said those living in the outer islands experience more hardship, while those living in rural areas or outer islands said the opposite. The main reasons cited for hardship in the rural/outer islands were distance from the capital to access markets and services and limited income opportunities. Congested living conditions, landlessness, and constant need for cash to pay for daily needs and services were the most common factors identified for hardship in urban areas.

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