Bulgaria, a country located in southeast Europe, has a population of 7.2 million and is comprised of 51.3 percent of women. Women’s empowerment in Bulgaria has made significant progress in the past decade.
The status of women varies from country to country and is often determined by a combination of factors such as the local cultures and ideologies. In Bulgaria, women are extended several rights that are enjoyed by men, such as the rights to vote, own property, receive an education and have equal opportunities to seek employment. Despite this, Bulgarian women have slightly lower literacy rates, are often employed in lower-paying jobs and occupy fewer leadership roles than men in society. These are issues that must be addressed in order to achieve women’s empowerment in Bulgaria.
In 2015, Bulgaria ranked 45th out of 144 countries on the Gender Inequality Index. As of 2017, Bulgaria is one of the top 20 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia on the Global Gender Gap Index, having closed 76 percent of its overall gender gap. Nevertheless, promoting the gender equality of Bulgarian women still demands further work within its patriarchal society.
Women in Bulgaria were initially granted limited suffrage in 1919. The country continued to show its dedication to gender equality by adopting various international treaties. It ratified the Convention on the Political Rights of Women in 1954, the Convention Against Discrimination in Education in 1962, and the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1982. While the Constitution of Bulgaria recognizes the principles of equal rights and non-discrimination, gender equality is not specifically regulated.
Education is a crucial metric for determining the gender equality of a nation. Annual statistics between 2012 and 2014 indicate that in Bulgaria 48.3 percent of students in primary education were female. While women are more likely to attain a higher education than men in Bulgaria, which was reflected by 54.3 percent of women in tertiary education, this figure did decrease between 2013 and 2014.
Women’s empowerment in Bulgaria also highly relies on their employment status. As indicated by a 2013 country profile, the employment rates of men and women were 61.3 percent and 56.3 percent, respectively. At the time, only 24.6 percent of Parliament was made up of women representatives, though this was considered a symbolic win for equal rights. Bulgaria has the highest proportion of women software engineers in Europe, consisting of 27.7 percent of women in technology.
The gender pay gap of Bulgaria is 13 percent: though lower than the EU-27 average, women still earn 13 percent less than their male counterparts.
Unfortunately, women face a difficult path to attaining gender equality within the family unit and marriage, due to its traditional society. Women are likely to spend more time caring for their family, doing housework and looking after children than men are. Despite certain family laws enshrining equal rights and obligations between spouses in matrimony, conventional norms of the Balkan culture are still prevalent in some families, leading to women being treated as subordinate to men. Some regions in Bulgaria, such as the old Zagora district, still retain traditions of buying and selling brides.
To address this, Bulgaria started to execute a project against domestic violence in 2001. It also adopted the Program on Prevention and Protection of Domestic Violence, which provides a 24-hour hotline for victims.
Bulgaria plans to achieve gender equality in the next 15 years in order to fully realize women’s empowerment. It plans to implement a new specialized law related to gender equality and ensure that all the related policies are mainstreamed with a gender perspective. In doing so, the government has agreed to eliminate the gender wage gap as well as discrimination and violence against women.
Despite these few challenges, substantial progress is being made for women’s empowerment in Bulgaria. With continued efforts, equal rights will be extended in all aspects of society, including civil, political, educational, economic and social domains.
– Xin Gao
Photo: Flickr
Credit Access in Haiti is Growing
The credit financial system allows one party, typically a bank, to provide money as a loan to another party who is obliged to repay and return those resources at a later date. The process of obtaining credit is relatively easy in places such as the United States. However, credit access in Haiti and other small countries is not as simple.
Credit is beneficial to entrepreneurs because it offers a way of obtaining funds that is not illegal. It is also convenient as it offers a system for repaying the loan in the future, when funds are available or when people have a higher income. People can do this as a one-time payment, or they can pay off their credit in a developed installments plan.
For micro and small businesses, especially, credit access in Haiti is very limited. This makes it all the more difficult to establish any sort of entrepreneurial endeavor. The reality of the situation can actually be rather tough: very few individuals can afford to start a practice entirely from their own savings. This is why loans or other forms of investment are necessary.
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) has been working to improve access to new economic opportunities to the over 50,000 micro and small businesses in Haiti (2013). The MIF strategically plans to expand financial services beyond the capital city of Haiti, which is Port-au-Prince.
Fortunately, there are companies that are working to improve access opportunities for those who need it most. For example, in 2010, Technoserve and its partners initiated the Haiti Hope Project. The projected goal was to double the incomes of 25,000 mango farmers within five years of joining. This goal would be accomplished by creating relationships between the mango farmers located in rural areas and investors in the capital.
Many of these farmers were previously excluded from financial programs, making it difficult to kick start and fund any sort of business. This fact is exacerbated given the environmental and economic competition also occurring in the country. The results of the Haiti Hope Project show that 44 percent of the participants now have access to credit.
While credit access in Haiti is still limited, in comparison to other countries, there is a lot of progress being made. Thousands of rural farmers and micro-entrepreneurs are being offered credit and other financial resources. Once adequate incomes are generated, and businesses are steadily entering and competing in the market, the loans can be paid off.
Credit, while seemingly complex, can be a simple way to change the market and economy of countries in need of growth and development.
– Caysi Simpson
Photo: Flickr
Oil Infrastructure in Libya: The Key to Rebuilding its Economy
Lacking stability in politics and social structure, Libya is a state susceptible to widespread volatility. Its economy is no exception. Developing infrastructure in Libya is key to rebuilding its economy.
Before the 2011 Arab Spring Revolution, Libya exported large quantities of oil to China, Italy, Germany, Spain and Turkey, among other countries. In 2010, Libya had a GDP of $74.76 billion, while Tunisia, a bordering state, had a GDP of $44.43 billion. Following the death of Muammar Gaddafi in late 2011, the country’s GDP fell to $34.7 billion, almost half that of the previous year.
While Libya exported 1.6 million barrels of oil per day before the revolution in 2010, in August 2016, just over 200,000 barrels per day were exported. This dramatic fall can be traced to considerable damage to oil infrastructure in Libya as a result of rival factions and militias feuding after the Revolution. The power struggles were not only the result of seemingly endless internal instability but also the ongoing proxy wars in the Middle East.
The struggle for control over Libya’s oil continues even within the high levels of government, especially between the United Nations-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC). NOC chairman, Mustafa Sanalla, warned the GNA that the new government had overstepped its bounds by closing the oil ministry and by commandeering some of the NOC’s role.
Without an agreement between the rivaling political parties, the future of oil in Libya remains bleak. In an Op-Ed piece penned for the New York Times, Libyan oil boss Mustafa Sanalla suggests that the only way to “save Libya from itself” is to keep oil and politics separate. However, even as Sanalla has been urging investors to have confidence in the oil infrastructure in Libya, it has continually proved to be turbulent.
The Petroleum Facilities Guard, charged with protecting oil infrastructure in Libya, has fallen into a network of local fiefs. The tension between these competing pockets of power has blockaded nearly all of Libya’s main oil ports, costing the country over $120 billion in lost revenue.
A Brookings Institution report on Libya’s economy recommends that the country “drastically change the management of revenues to ensure they are used in the best interests of the population, for example by using revenues to finance large infrastructure investments, creating productive jobs for Libyans in the process.” Sanalla agrees with this sentiment.
According to the NOC, oil production will reach one million barrels per day for the first time since 2013. This milestone, says Sanalla, would give the NOC the opportunity to “restart the economy” using “oil-sector investment to help develop local industry.”
Stabilizing oil infrastructure in Libya could lead to sustained exports and a more stable economy, and country, for all of its citizens.
– Richa Bijlani
Photo: Flickr
Infrastructure in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has long been considered a country approaching middle-income status. Economically, it has been slowly improving poverty levels throughout the nation. However, one major issue stands in the way of further progress: infrastructure in Bangladesh.
Obstacles to Improving Infrastructure in Bangladesh
Under the Sixth Five Year Plan, which was in operation between 2010 and 2015, the government hoped to achieve eight percent GDP growth by the end of the plan. However, the poor infrastructure development was a major obstacle. Infrastructure includes physical and organizational structures, like access to efficient water sanitation and transportation systems, both which greatly contribute to reducing poverty and improving the economy.
At a five-day meeting on infrastructure, hosted by Bangladesh in 2008, officials said it would take $20 billion in investments to develop a high-quality infrastructure system in the country. Most of this money would come from organizations like the Asian Development Bank.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has other projects set up in Bangladesh, such as the Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Project, which takes a community-driven approach to improving infrastructure. Though these organizations contribute to the growth of infrastructure in Bangladesh, it is ultimately up to the government to implement concrete goals and achieve tangible results. The funds committed are vital to the success of such projects, however, there must also be an organized and transparent method of spending these funds.
Current Infrastructure Improvements
Recently, the government of Bangladesh took steps towards improving the infrastructure of its own country.
In March 2017, $2 billion of Bangladesh’s foreign reserves were poured into an infrastructure fund. Further, a legal framework was drafted in order to make this monetary contribution an annual occurrence. While this is a positive improvement, it is not nearly enough to create a completely effective infrastructure system.
In order to successfully improve infrastructure in Bangladesh, there must be an increased commitment from the government, in addition to foreign investments. This will ensure that large-scale projects will be funded continuously and in a transparent manner. These changes will result in further improvements in the future and help the development of Bangladesh.
– Liyanga de Silva
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Panama Benefits All
In 2015, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported that access to basic rights such as health, education and employment was becoming increasingly difficult for women in the country of Panama. UNDP representative Martin Santiago lamented that the current climate was creating a “Panama for men and not for women.” Women’s empowerment in Panama is ultimately about making sure that all of Panama’s citizens have the same opportunities to thrive. It is important to remember that a society cannot truly move forward unless it empowers all its citizens.
The idea that women’s empowerment is good for everyone within a society became quickly apparent in a U.N. Women water management program. The program set out to increase access to drinking water for Panama’s indigenous population.
The indigenous population in Panama has the lowest standard of living of any group in the country. Ninety-six percent of Panama’s indigenous citizens live in poverty and accessing clean drinking water is extremely difficult.
The U.N. Women program found that women in these indigenous groups had more relation to water than the men did, but the women were treated like second-class citizens in many ways. By working toward women’s empowerment in Panama, they could also increase access to clean drinking water.
The program sought to foster greater gender equality within the Ngäbe Bugle people by increasing women’s community involvement and access to education and by instilling the idea that women and men are equal members of society. The program had very successful results: 99 percent of the Ngäbe Bugle people no longer have problems accessing clean water and there has been a significant decrease in illnesses that result from unsanitary water usage.
The program also led to a more equitable society. The Ngäbe Bugle women now play a more significant role in their community. They are able to start their own economic activities and more women are being elected to leadership positions.
U.N. Women has pledged to continue to work toward women’s empowerment in Panama. The organization states that its goal is to promote the rights of women and girls by closing gender gaps in the labor force, eradicating violence against women and ensuring that women play an equal role in Panama’s development.
With the continued work of this organization and many others, women’s empowerment in Panama will continue to improve and create a Panama not just for men, but for everyone.
– Aaron Childree
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Bulgaria
Bulgaria, a country located in southeast Europe, has a population of 7.2 million and is comprised of 51.3 percent of women. Women’s empowerment in Bulgaria has made significant progress in the past decade.
The status of women varies from country to country and is often determined by a combination of factors such as the local cultures and ideologies. In Bulgaria, women are extended several rights that are enjoyed by men, such as the rights to vote, own property, receive an education and have equal opportunities to seek employment. Despite this, Bulgarian women have slightly lower literacy rates, are often employed in lower-paying jobs and occupy fewer leadership roles than men in society. These are issues that must be addressed in order to achieve women’s empowerment in Bulgaria.
In 2015, Bulgaria ranked 45th out of 144 countries on the Gender Inequality Index. As of 2017, Bulgaria is one of the top 20 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia on the Global Gender Gap Index, having closed 76 percent of its overall gender gap. Nevertheless, promoting the gender equality of Bulgarian women still demands further work within its patriarchal society.
Women in Bulgaria were initially granted limited suffrage in 1919. The country continued to show its dedication to gender equality by adopting various international treaties. It ratified the Convention on the Political Rights of Women in 1954, the Convention Against Discrimination in Education in 1962, and the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1982. While the Constitution of Bulgaria recognizes the principles of equal rights and non-discrimination, gender equality is not specifically regulated.
Education is a crucial metric for determining the gender equality of a nation. Annual statistics between 2012 and 2014 indicate that in Bulgaria 48.3 percent of students in primary education were female. While women are more likely to attain a higher education than men in Bulgaria, which was reflected by 54.3 percent of women in tertiary education, this figure did decrease between 2013 and 2014.
Women’s empowerment in Bulgaria also highly relies on their employment status. As indicated by a 2013 country profile, the employment rates of men and women were 61.3 percent and 56.3 percent, respectively. At the time, only 24.6 percent of Parliament was made up of women representatives, though this was considered a symbolic win for equal rights. Bulgaria has the highest proportion of women software engineers in Europe, consisting of 27.7 percent of women in technology.
The gender pay gap of Bulgaria is 13 percent: though lower than the EU-27 average, women still earn 13 percent less than their male counterparts.
Unfortunately, women face a difficult path to attaining gender equality within the family unit and marriage, due to its traditional society. Women are likely to spend more time caring for their family, doing housework and looking after children than men are. Despite certain family laws enshrining equal rights and obligations between spouses in matrimony, conventional norms of the Balkan culture are still prevalent in some families, leading to women being treated as subordinate to men. Some regions in Bulgaria, such as the old Zagora district, still retain traditions of buying and selling brides.
To address this, Bulgaria started to execute a project against domestic violence in 2001. It also adopted the Program on Prevention and Protection of Domestic Violence, which provides a 24-hour hotline for victims.
Bulgaria plans to achieve gender equality in the next 15 years in order to fully realize women’s empowerment. It plans to implement a new specialized law related to gender equality and ensure that all the related policies are mainstreamed with a gender perspective. In doing so, the government has agreed to eliminate the gender wage gap as well as discrimination and violence against women.
Despite these few challenges, substantial progress is being made for women’s empowerment in Bulgaria. With continued efforts, equal rights will be extended in all aspects of society, including civil, political, educational, economic and social domains.
– Xin Gao
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Algeria
The literacy rate of women in Algeria is 73 percent, for men it is 87 percent. The unemployment rate for women rests at 41 percent, for men it is only 22 percent. There is clearly a disparity in how women are treated in Algeria. Fortunately, efforts are being made to encourage women’s empowerment in Algeria.
Algeria is a country with Islamist values where women are expected to wear conservative clothing. Even at the beach, women are expected to be almost completely covered up. Recently, however, women have begun to push back against these values by wearing what they like, including bikinis.
An Algerian woman, Sara, started a Facebook group to garner acceptance in favor of the bikini. “Swimming in beachwear at the beach shouldn’t be an exploit or shocking,” she said. Some 200 women have gone to the beach in bikinis in support of women’s freedom to wear what they want when they want to. It is a small step for women, but a crucial one for women’s empowerment in Algeria.
Even more significant to women’s empowerment is that more women are appearing in parliament in Algeria. Despite a patriarchal system, women now occupy 31 percent of parliamentary seats, due to political reforms supported by the UNDP, ranking the country first in the Arab world. According to its website, UNDP “helped establish a legal framework that granted women 30 percent representation in elected assemblies.” Building upon this framework, UNDP founded a program to support elected women officials and ensure that they got the proper education for these roles.
Yasmina, a resident of Algeria who is a lawyer and has been in training to learn about the democratic process understands the importance of this work. “Through these exchanges with the trainers, I’ve come to understand the importance of having women participate in the decision-making process and the impact this has on the future status of women in Algeria,” she said.
Educating women leads to gender parity. Gender parity is a way in which poverty can be reduced. With women gaining more powerful roles in society, gender parity can more likely be achieved and, by extension, reduction of poverty.
While Algeria has made significant strides, there are still some roadblocks to overcome. A woman was set on fire after refusing a man’s advances and a pamphlet instructing men how to beat their wives has been circulated. Women’s rights need to be adopted and respected by everyone in Algeria for progress to be fully realized. Women’s empowerment in Algeria still has a long way to go.
– Dezanii Lewis
Photo: Flickr
Infrastructure in Bhutan
Bhutan, also known as the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a picturesque country bordering India and China and situated in the foothills of the Himalayas. The country has transformed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy under the rule of King Jigme Singye Wangchunk. To protect the environment as well as its culture from the outside world Bhutan remained in isolation for a long time. In June 1999, the country legalized television and the internet, slowly moving towards modernization.
Instead of using Gross National Income (GNI), the indicator of socio-economic development, Bhutan measures the quality of life with Gross National Happiness (GNH), a unique way of valuing the country’s self-worth.
Although Bhutan has a lot of potential in tourism, the infrastructure in Bhutan still remains a question. Due to the mountainous terrain, road construction was a challenge for a long time. The few options for transporting goods were porters, ponies or cantilever bridges built over rivers. To overcome this problem, in 1961 a large share of the National budget was invested in constructing a safe and reliable road network. From 1961 to 2002, almost 1231 miles of surfaced road and 102 suspension bridges were built.
With help from the Government of India, Bhutan has so far constructed two national highways, 337 bridges and 409 trail suspension bridges thus creating access to different remote areas of the country. Bhutan Airlines and Druk Airlines connect internationally with India, Thailand and Nepal. In 2005, an agreement was signed between India and Bhutan which provided the opportunity for Bhutan to connect with north-east India. This development is a cornerstone of improving infrastructure in Bhutan.
Another key feature of Bhutan is the generation and export of hydroelectric power which is possible because of the fast-flowing rivers coming from the mountain range of the Himalayas. Under the U.N.’s Kyoto Protocol, a clean development mechanism, Bhutan is estimated to export almost 10,000 MW of electricity to India by 2020. Five major hydropower projects like Tala, Chukkha, Dagachu, Basochhu and Kurichu, which started in 2015, are currently operational in Bhutan.
Quality of water is a major issue for Bhutan especially during monsoons when water contamination diseases like diarrhea take a toll on human lives. In 2005, the Bhutanese government, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), addressed this issue by implementing the Bhutan Water Quality Partnership (WQP) Project. The objective of the project is to provide safe drinking water by giving training and education to the local community, government staff and policymakers. The project has so far been able to improve drinking water for almost 100,000 people.
Bhutan is already considered a heaven for tourists from all over the world who seek peace and tranquility in the tiny Himalayan country. The development of infrastructure in Bhutan will bring more tourists to the country, boosting its economy and increasing its GNI.
– Mahua Mitra
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Cote d’Ivoire
A predominant problem in the African country is gender inequality. Cote d’Ivoire’s functioning society is based on traditional gender roles. Women are treated more poorly than men in all aspects of life, and in many cases, men use violence in order to control the women in the household.
Gender inequality is even more glaring when it comes to education within the country. Whilst up to 53 percent of males have had an education and are literate, only 33 percent of females have had that same opportunity. This is the result of an ancient point of view that persists within Cote d’Ivoire’s society and that places more value on boys than girls. Parents are more likely to educate their sons instead of their daughters. Lack of education causes an increase in adolescent pregnancies and the spread of STD’s such as HIV-AIDS.
More worrisome is that female genital mutilation (FGM) is still a practiced tradition. The practice consists of the removal of the female external genitalia and is usually practiced for cultural reasons closely related to gender inequality. FGM has been historically performed as a way to suppress women’s enjoyment and freedom. It is a major issue, and it is, in fact, a violation of human rights. Cote d’Ivoire has one of the highest prevalence rates of FGM in West Africa.
UNICEF has taken steps towards eradicating the practice. By creating awareness through local radio and television stations, starting campaigns in order to raise money and creating women’s committees to eliminate FGM, UNICEF is taking big steps towards women’s empowerment in Cote d’Ivoire.
That same inequality is also reflected in the workplace and in the economy. Women’s employment positions in Cote d’Ivoire seem to be limited to the agricultural sector. Men dominate civil and business-related positions, whilst women are limited to collecting vegetables and selling them at local markets. Employers are biased towards men, due to the fact that they consider women to be weak and want to avoid pregnancies in the workplace. In addition, women’s lack of education compared to men reduces their employment opportunities. In order for this to change increased awareness of women’s empowerment in Cote d’Ivoire is needed.
Women’s empowerment in Cote d’Ivoire is taking a step forward by creating job opportunities for women. Such opportunities include working for the government, within business-related workplaces and in administrative positions.
The U.N. office in Cote d’Ivoire has helped launch the National Council for Women. This council will help the government in making decisions on women related issues. Women’s empowerment in Cote d’Ivoire is a work in progress, but such initiatives have already changed the lives of many women and will continue to do so in the future.
– Paula Gibson
Photo: Flickr
NGOs Encouraging Women’s Empowerment in Bolivia
Such a variety of cultures and ethnicities leads to different religions, sociopolitical points of view and traditions. But among these differences, there is something tragic that remains a part of modern Bolivian society: abuse of women and children.
The main problem that women face in Bolivia is trafficking and forced prostitution. Sexual exploitation in the Latin American country is a serious situation that requires immediate action from the government. Young girls and women are taken away from their households in rural areas and are sent overseas to urban areas to be sex workers. Spain, Russia, Brazil and Peru are the countries that most women end up in.
On a smaller scale, women suffer abuse in their own households from their own husbands. The United Nations is working hand in hand with the Bolivian government to improve the situation and encourage women’s empowerment in Bolivia.
Men are more empowered than women in Bolivia. Habitat Bolivia is one of the organizations that is fighting this inequality and is working to empower women within their homes and families. The abuse of women and children in Bolivia is the second highest priority after poverty.
More than 300 women and men have completed a program run by Habitat Bolivia. The program covers gender equality, how to tackle leadership roles, human rights and housing. The next step for the graduates is to apply this new knowledge in their communities and lives.
Women’s empowerment in Bolivia is also important in the workplace. Women participating in community associations or taking on leadership roles is almost unthinkable in Bolivian society. This lack of support makes women less empowered in the workplace and gives them fewer opportunities for advancement.
Seeds is an initiative promoted by the United Nations’ office in Bolivia. The program is based on the idea of creating employment opportunities in good conditions for Bolivian women. Seeds helps women by lending them money to start businesses and create awareness about the issue. Seeds has helped over 1,000 Bolivian women get loans, build financial assets and exercise their rights.
Yes, Bolivia still has gender inequality throughout its society, but everyday help from different NGOs as well as the Bolivian government itself is changing women’s empowerment in Bolivia for the better.
– Paula Gibson
Photo: Flickr
Assessing Credit Access in Morocco
According to the Moroccan government’s own estimates, extreme poverty has been eradicated in recent years. The percentage of the population living below the national poverty line was around 4.8 percent in 2014.
One signal of a healthy economy is access to credit. Below are some of the current strategies for improving credit access in Morocco.
Agricultural Credit Access in Morocco: The “Meso-Credit”
As is the case in many countries, rural areas in Morocco have a tougher time gaining access to credit — oftentimes, their residents don’t even bother trying. Innovations for Poverty Action reports that 50 percent of the rural households surveyed indicated that they needed credit in the previous year but never actually requested it.
To meet the needs of the 40 percent of Moroccan farms that are midsized, the Group Crédit Agricole du Maroc offers an innovative “meso-credit” portfolio. Midsized farms are considered too small to take a traditional banking approach but too large for a microfinance approach. Meso-credits are generally loans given to agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) consisting of less than €9,300, with good success and repayment rates.
When the midsized farms can access credit, they can survive, thrive, expand and hire, which ultimately will reduce rural poverty in the area.
The World Bank’s Contribution
In May 2017, the World Bank announced a $350 million program to fund financial intermediation reforms in Morocco.
The program has four main goals:
Low-income households are expected to benefit from these reforms, as are female entrepreneurs. The reforms allow women to gain access to more sources of financing and electronic payment systems, which remove social and economic barriers that previously stood in the way of women.
The Takeaway
Many projects are underway to help improve Moroccan investors’ access to credit in a responsible and growth-oriented way.
Hopefully, these efforts—and others like them—will improve credit access in Morocco, get development projects off the ground and lift even more Moroccans out of poverty.
– Chuck Hasenauer
Photo: Flickr