Poverty and inequality are ubiquitous. A scientific approach to fighting poverty can yield impressive results, both as a way of efficiently allocating scarce resources and as a tool for determining what policies are most effective. Eliana La Ferrara, professor of development economics at Bocconi, describes how science can help disadvantaged communities both in the rich world and in developing countries. She has interesting stories to share involving how to use educational media for empowering women, and other underprivileged groups.