The state of any country’s economic growth and development generally heavily relies on the strength of its infrastructure, whether that is in its energy, telecommunications, water and sanitation, transport or education sector.
After the 1947 partition of British India, the development of infrastructure in Pakistan grew and has made steady progress in the last five decades. According to the World Bank Group, however, this rate of improvement has also been “among the slowest for the majority of public infrastructure sectors.” Further, this rate of improvement has failed to ameliorate infrastructure conditions for Pakistani citizens and disproportionately hurt the poor in the country.
In the mid-1950s, investments in infrastructure and heavy industry were accompanied by an agricultural revolution in a fertile Pakistan that even a richer India could not surpass. Despite being a nascent state, Pakistan successfully created its state institutions and industries from scratch. This was done against the specter of a well-off India with a greater share of urban population and established infrastructure. For a variety of social reasons combined with political turmoil, the economic tides soon took a turn for the worse as income contracted, inequality rose and inflation swallowed the most vulnerable – the poor – in Pakistan.
Today, Pakistan is a low-middle-income country with about 188 million people that not only places abysmally in the human development index (ranking 147th out of 188 in one U.N. report) but also faces both rural and urban disparities in poverty, income and development infrastructure.
Moreover, the government of Pakistan has faced international criticism for a surplus of development projects when existing infrastructure in Pakistan is fully capable of meeting the transportation demands of the country, leading to the envisioning or establishment of so-called white elephant projects costing billions of dollars that have been accused of largely benefiting the rich minority able to afford cars. One of these was the toll-spotted M2 Motorway connecting the capital city of Islamabad to Lahore, dubbed a “motorway for the privileged.”
By 2030, more than half of Pakistan’s projected 250 million citizens are expected to live in cities, making it crucial for the country’s economic and infrastructure growth to keep pace with its urban development. The pressure for urbanization, spawned largely by high birth rates and increasing rural migration, has caused Pakistan’s fast-growing cities to struggle in delivering basic public services and provide jobs for residents. The situation is so dire that, according to the World Bank, one in eight urban dwellers live below the national poverty line. When impoverished people from the country’s rural areas migrated to cities in hopes of a better life or were forced out due to climate change, this is not something they imagined facing.
The $56 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has spurred Chinese investments in Pakistan’s energy and transport infrastructure. Observers in Pakistan have urged the government to observe caution and not saddle itself with debt that may trigger a financial crisis in the future. An infrastructure boom accompanied by lucrative megaprojects increase both public and foreign debt and may not necessarily be offset by the anticipated revenues of CPEC upon completion.
The CPEC partnership is not only paving the way for Pakistan to establish itself as Beijing’s closest strategic partner against India but also to link China directly to the Arabian Sea in order to protect China’s economic interests.
Pakistan’s own economic development, however, is still predicted to be just as fragile due to increasing debt, falling exports and dwindling remittance flow from overseas Pakistanis. Due to stagnant growth at home, which translates to not enough jobs for young Pakistanis, an entire generation faces an uncertain and perhaps unstable future, despite the entrepreneurial spirit pervading big cities like Lahore and Karachi and even some expanding provincial towns.
The government of Pakistan has gradually stressed the importance of public-private partnerships (PPP) over purely debt-based financial projects in order to fill the investment gap for infrastructure development. PPP arrangements have the added benefit of spurring the country’s economic growth by producing more jobs and minimizing the burden of government subsidies. To make life better for Pakistani citizens, the private sector in Pakistan will need further empowerment and involvement in sustaining the country’s infrastructure and helping Pakistanis take control over their country’s internal development.
Integrated water resource management, a transition from the present fossil fuel-based energy system to more cleaner and permanent options such as solar-hydrogen energy systems, the provision of quality education to all children of any gender within the framework of a nuanced policy in the education sector, and improving utilization of basic public healthcare facilities for both rural and urban populations (including immunizations) are all ways Pakistan can resurrect the gains it steadily made after its creation 70 years ago.
With the pressures of a rising population, stability and sustainability in Pakistan remain an integral part of the country’s overall development. Pakistanis have withstood the many tests, trials and crises in their country with resilience and hope. Solving the many problems in Pakistan and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure requires a robust marriage of democratically-aligned civil society organizations with the private sector in ensuring equitable access to markets and jobs for all Pakistanis.
– Mohammed Khalid
Photo: Flickr
Many Organizations Fighting for Women’s Empowerment in Georgia
The country, though rich in ancient culture and heritage, faces gender inequality and discrimination against women. Due to its deep-rooted tradition and strong patriarchal society, women are mostly engaged in household activities with little opportunity for higher education and employment.
The rate of violence and abuse against women is also a concern. According to research funded by the U.N., one in 11 married women is the victim of violence at the hands of her husband or partner. Domestic abuse is still considered a private matter and women are hesitant to speak out. Thus, women’s empowerment in Georgia faces a major challenge.
The good news is that organizations like the United Nations, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other European associations are helping to fight the injustices that women in Georgia encounter in their everyday lives.
Contributions of the U.N. to Women’s Empowerment in Georgia
Since 2001, U.N. Women, along with Norway and the European Commission, has been working to address this issue. Their target is to reduce violence against women, provide them with peace and security, help them achieve financial independence and include them in national planning, budgeting and policymaking.
So far, U.N. Women has helped the Georgian government establish women’s shelters, launch a domestic violence helpline and promote awareness related to the rights of women, and has also provided assistance in introducing gender-inclusive policies to Parliament.
Another important focus is the support for internally displaced persons, people who were forced to flee their homes but remain within the country. With funding provided by the European Union, U.N. Women provides free legal aid, social services like daycare and economic opportunities to protect them from vulnerable conditions.
Contributions of USAID to Women’s Empowerment in Georgia
USAID has completed a three-year advocacy program to economically empower women in Georgia. The aim of the program was to mobilize women to fight for equality in the workplace. The program also provided incentives to employers to follow the existing non-discriminatory law in Georgia. They also helped to protect women’s rights in the legislature.
USAID’s other program, begun in September 2015, is the reduction of violence against women. The program, along with Georgia’s government, addresses domestic violence by establishing a national referral mechanism and promoting anti-violence education in schools, as well as using media and civic dialogue.
Although women are coming forward to fight for their rights, we still hear disturbing news of violence against women in Georgia. Hopefully, the joint effort of these organizations and their government will help them retain their self-respect and human rights.
– Mahua Mitra
Photo: Flickr
Solving the Challenges of Infrastructure in Pakistan
After the 1947 partition of British India, the development of infrastructure in Pakistan grew and has made steady progress in the last five decades. According to the World Bank Group, however, this rate of improvement has also been “among the slowest for the majority of public infrastructure sectors.” Further, this rate of improvement has failed to ameliorate infrastructure conditions for Pakistani citizens and disproportionately hurt the poor in the country.
In the mid-1950s, investments in infrastructure and heavy industry were accompanied by an agricultural revolution in a fertile Pakistan that even a richer India could not surpass. Despite being a nascent state, Pakistan successfully created its state institutions and industries from scratch. This was done against the specter of a well-off India with a greater share of urban population and established infrastructure. For a variety of social reasons combined with political turmoil, the economic tides soon took a turn for the worse as income contracted, inequality rose and inflation swallowed the most vulnerable – the poor – in Pakistan.
Today, Pakistan is a low-middle-income country with about 188 million people that not only places abysmally in the human development index (ranking 147th out of 188 in one U.N. report) but also faces both rural and urban disparities in poverty, income and development infrastructure.
Moreover, the government of Pakistan has faced international criticism for a surplus of development projects when existing infrastructure in Pakistan is fully capable of meeting the transportation demands of the country, leading to the envisioning or establishment of so-called white elephant projects costing billions of dollars that have been accused of largely benefiting the rich minority able to afford cars. One of these was the toll-spotted M2 Motorway connecting the capital city of Islamabad to Lahore, dubbed a “motorway for the privileged.”
By 2030, more than half of Pakistan’s projected 250 million citizens are expected to live in cities, making it crucial for the country’s economic and infrastructure growth to keep pace with its urban development. The pressure for urbanization, spawned largely by high birth rates and increasing rural migration, has caused Pakistan’s fast-growing cities to struggle in delivering basic public services and provide jobs for residents. The situation is so dire that, according to the World Bank, one in eight urban dwellers live below the national poverty line. When impoverished people from the country’s rural areas migrated to cities in hopes of a better life or were forced out due to climate change, this is not something they imagined facing.
The $56 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has spurred Chinese investments in Pakistan’s energy and transport infrastructure. Observers in Pakistan have urged the government to observe caution and not saddle itself with debt that may trigger a financial crisis in the future. An infrastructure boom accompanied by lucrative megaprojects increase both public and foreign debt and may not necessarily be offset by the anticipated revenues of CPEC upon completion.
The CPEC partnership is not only paving the way for Pakistan to establish itself as Beijing’s closest strategic partner against India but also to link China directly to the Arabian Sea in order to protect China’s economic interests.
Pakistan’s own economic development, however, is still predicted to be just as fragile due to increasing debt, falling exports and dwindling remittance flow from overseas Pakistanis. Due to stagnant growth at home, which translates to not enough jobs for young Pakistanis, an entire generation faces an uncertain and perhaps unstable future, despite the entrepreneurial spirit pervading big cities like Lahore and Karachi and even some expanding provincial towns.
The government of Pakistan has gradually stressed the importance of public-private partnerships (PPP) over purely debt-based financial projects in order to fill the investment gap for infrastructure development. PPP arrangements have the added benefit of spurring the country’s economic growth by producing more jobs and minimizing the burden of government subsidies. To make life better for Pakistani citizens, the private sector in Pakistan will need further empowerment and involvement in sustaining the country’s infrastructure and helping Pakistanis take control over their country’s internal development.
Integrated water resource management, a transition from the present fossil fuel-based energy system to more cleaner and permanent options such as solar-hydrogen energy systems, the provision of quality education to all children of any gender within the framework of a nuanced policy in the education sector, and improving utilization of basic public healthcare facilities for both rural and urban populations (including immunizations) are all ways Pakistan can resurrect the gains it steadily made after its creation 70 years ago.
With the pressures of a rising population, stability and sustainability in Pakistan remain an integral part of the country’s overall development. Pakistanis have withstood the many tests, trials and crises in their country with resilience and hope. Solving the many problems in Pakistan and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure requires a robust marriage of democratically-aligned civil society organizations with the private sector in ensuring equitable access to markets and jobs for all Pakistanis.
– Mohammed Khalid
Photo: Flickr
Humanitarian Aid to Dominica Following Hurricane Maria
On September 18, Hurricane Maria devastated the Caribbean Island of Dominica, inflicting what the country’s Prime Minister called “mind-boggling damage”. Homes were destroyed, entire industries were brought to their knees and 27 lives were lost.
Months later, it is clear that the recovery will be a long and expensive process. Many governments and organizations are chipping in to help the beautiful island of Dominica reclaim its natural beauty and rebuild the infrastructure that its citizens need.
In order to aid in recovery and relief efforts, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contributed an additional $3.25 million in humanitarian aid to Dominica. These resources will go toward providing shelter, water, hygiene items, and livelihoods to those effected by the hurricane.
The European Union pledged €750,000 to provide survival kits, food, water, and immediate shelter and household materials to those affected by Hurricane Maria. The funds will also go toward providing training and technical support to those who need to rebuild their homes.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been working on the ground in Dominica to help reopen schools. As of November 9, 48 primary and secondary schools had been reopened. UNICEF is also working with other organizations to provide water and sanitation services to some of these schools.
Another organization providing humanitarian aid to Dominica is the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The WFP made a commitment to provide food assistance to 25,000 citizens of Dominica for three months following Hurricane Maria. They have also been providing critical telecommunications services to those involved in the relief response.
There are many groups that are contributing humanitarian aid to Dominica in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. Progress is being made: schools are reopening, shelters are being built or rebuilt and food and water is being delivered to those who need it most. With sustained investment in the relief effort, Dominica will continue its recovery and become a growing economy and booming tourist destination once again.
– Aaron Childree
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts about the Boko Haram Insurgency
The Boko Haram Insurgency, a jihadist rebel group, is internationally recognized and condemned as a terrorist organization. Its ideology stems from the concept of Haram, or a rejection of western education, social and political systems.
Consequently, the following facts encompass some of the most crucial details of the Boko Haram Insurgency.
Overall, the activities of the Boko Haram Insurgency seem to be at its final stages as governments and other stakeholder groups come together to mitigate the negative effects caused by the terrorist group and finally restore peace and order after many years of turbulence.
– Shivani Ekkanath
Photo: Flickr
E-Learning Sudan Offers Education in Conflict
E-Learning Sudan is an interactive learning game that is accessed through the child’s tablet and provides the stability and structure that a school in Sudan cannot. The most important aspect is that it focuses on the child’s creativity through an entertainment platform. As it is a game, it prompts the child’s competitive side, while still educating them through a program that is flexible and simple and allows their skill level to progress.
To give even more acclaim to the program, during the Dutch Game Awards on September 30, 2015, War Child Holland won the Best Co-Production award in collaboration with Ahfad University in Khartoum, Dutch Research Institute TNO and Flavor (game developer).
War Child Holland is an independent and progressive global nongovernmental organization (NGO), devoting its funds towards a harmonious future for those children and youth affected by armed conflict. According to the Huffington Post, there was a large-scale trial run in operation until March 2015, which involved 600 children in 19 villages. It aimed to generate a body of research that would clarify the impact of the project and scale it up.
According to War Child Holland director Bernard Uyttendaele, the program began with three years of the mathematics curriculum and will be expanded to other subjects. “Designed for scale, the long-term aim of the project is to enable children to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to acquire a Certificate of Primary Education. Education provides children with the opportunity to shape their own future. Communities affected by conflict prioritize education. This promising project responds to this, providing quality education opportunities directly where they are needed,” he said.
There was a research study conducted in 2016 by Hester Stubbé and his team on the effectiveness that E-Learning Sudan has had on the children. Two pilot programs revealed that E-Learning Sudan increased mathematic ability significantly and maintained the children’s motivation to continue to learn. Overall, it proves how extensively beneficial such a program is for children in at-risk countries. According to the study, the game is designed so that “the students are helped to master each learning unit before proceeding to a more advanced learning task.”
The designers also asked children to submit drawings of their environment: clothes, food, animals, plants and family. From there, the game design was created with the cultural background in mind. This makes it easier and more familiar for the children to focus their energy on learning the mathematical concepts. E-Learning Sudan has the potential of transforming the way that education during disasters is delivered. UNICEF chose this project back in 2015 as one of the only five which would be showcased globally as an educational innovation project. Its partners are now all collaborating in the development of conduits to accomplish the promise that such an initiative has of supplying children with education in affected countries.
– Nicole Suárez
Photo: Flickr
Good News About Quality Education in Kenya
Over the years, more and more students have had increased access to education in Kenya. As a result, the adult literacy rate is almost 80 percent whereas the regional average is 61 percent. There are still some hurdles to cross, however, as many students who attend school do not have basic reading skills upon completion. A large amount of data indicates that teacher quality contributes significantly to the learning of students, according to a report by the World Bank. It is for this reason that having trained teachers is just as important as access to education.
Around 30 percent of teachers in Kenya are untrained. The number continues to rise as the number of students attending schools increases. Fortunately, efforts are being made to ensure that teachers are well-qualified to suit the needs of their students. USAID has partnered with Kenya’s Ministry of Education (MOE) to improve education in the country. USAID and MOE are working to enhance the capabilities of the teachers and improve the reading skills of the students.
GPE and the World Bank are allocating funds to Kenya so that they are better able to train teachers and provide students with school supplies. The two organizations are granting roughly $85.5 million for the training of 90,000 teachers and $9.7 million of the grant is to be used for the distribution of math books to students. The distribution of math books helps to make school more engaging for the students. The books are colorful and attractive in nature, making them appealing to young students.
Anne Irungu, a teacher in Kenya, marvels at how much just having a textbook has changed her classroom, “…sometimes one book was shared between two or more pupils. Since they could not all move at the same pace, you would find them fighting over the book, and the books would get worn out,” she said. “Now that each pupil has his or her own book, they sit comfortably, they work comfortably, and there is no conflict.”
Having well-trained teachers is beneficial to everyone. Teachers would have access to more earnings because of their training and children would receive a quality education which would, in turn, increase their own earnings later in life and reduce economic inequality.
These factors have the potential to reduce poverty in Kenya. With grants and training, the necessary improvements for education in Kenya can be made which may potentially lead to long-lasting changes for the future.
– Dezanii Lewis
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Ecuador Following Disaster
According to Becker, equality wasn’t a reality for these women since a patriarchal society still governed them. In addition, Spanish colonization during the 16th century had brought with it Catholic faith and spread the concept of marianismo, pure and virginal women. According to Evelyn Stevens and Tracy Ehlers, women were expected to accept the fate that was handed to them, that of being solely mothers and wives. This mentality still prevails today and entails the sacrifice of the women’s wants, desires and dreams for those of their family, predominately the men’s.
On April 16, 2016, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Ecuador, affecting 720,000 people. The earthquake left the country in ruins but that wasn’t all it did: it created a call for action, especially for women. Many Ecuadorean women felt that it was their duty to assist in rebuilding after the earthquake. A 35-year old woman named Veronica Lucas Melo stepped up, accompanied by three other women in her community. These women were determined to show their families and the community itself that women are capable of reconstructing their country.
She recalls the reaction her family had: “They said that I was going to do nothing useful there, just bother everyone. They asked me, ‘what are you supposed to do in a place that’s for men?’” As a mother of three children and a housewife who had never worked outside of her home, her main motivation was to set an example for her children. Another predominant purpose was the fact that the earthquake had damaged the farming ground on which her family relied so heavily. By going out to aid in the reconstruction of her country, she was advocating and bringing much-needed awareness to women’s empowerment in Ecuador.
A joint U.N. program called “Cash for Work” was seeking to reactivate the local economy, and had already trained and certified 48 people from earthquake-affected communities by that time. When the program was completed, participants were registered in an employment database of local people available for rebuilding. Melo heard about this opportunity and felt that it was exactly what she needed to learn new life skills and generate income to provide for her children.
Training in stone and construction work was conducted in Las Giles and Manta with support from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Justice. One the first day Melo showed the women involved in this program that women’s empowerment in Ecuador doesn’t have to be scary. She did this by picking up her tool to strike down a broken wall and the other women cheered her on and joined in. The actions that Melo took were huge and it became a movement for the mutual collaboration between men and women to rebuild Ecuador. “Men began to take us seriously. They didn’t see us as weak anymore and worked with us as a team,” she said.
According to U.N. Women Ecuador representative Moni Pizani, the post-earthquake recovery time presented “a unique opportunity to lay the foundations” for autonomy and women’s empowerment in Ecuador. “It’s a chance to dismantle gender stereotypes and build more equal societies,” she said.
In May 2016, U.N. Women in Ecuador organized a training workshop called, “Tools For My Personal and Business Development,” in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. It provided entrepreneurship skills to 80 women from the nearby Calceta and Rocafuerte communities.
In these training sessions, the women were taught a range of topics for setting up and operating their own businesses. According to the Huffington Post, after three days of training, many women “already had a vision of the businesses they would establish.” U.N. Women has also come out in support of women’s participation in shelters, police and security training as a way to prevent and address gender-based violence. Women’s empowerment in Ecuador can prevent violence and ensure a better future for the country as a whole.
– Nicole Suárez
Photo: Flickr
Credit Access in North Korea Remains Unregulated
After a recent series of verbal threats and missile tests from Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, President Donald Trump put North Korea back on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation it shares with only three other countries.
Normally, it is in the U.S.’s interest to see credit access increase responsibly around the world because more credit access generally means more investment, growth and opportunities for trade. However, when it comes to countries from the state-sponsored terrorism list, increased growth can give a boost to dangerous regimes—and their (nuclear) weapons programs.
So, while U.S. and global support for improved credit access in North Korea may be complicated, it is still worth looking closer at how credit access is improving the lives of ordinary North Koreans.
North Korea’s Banking System
According to The Wall Street Journal, there are no commercial banks in North Korea. All banking institutions are either state- or party-run, or state- or party-associated, which leaves North Korea with a highly centralized, unwieldy system.
That system is the legacy of a communist system, set up in the 1950s, that provided financial security for North Koreans. But, a major famine in the 1990s led to an economic collapse that crippled that system—and the North Korean government has done little to change it since.
Credit Access in North Korea: Unauthorized and Unregulated
As The Wall Street Journal notes, a semi-market economy emerged in the wake of that economic collapse that helps provide a living for up to three-fourths of the nation and is largely supported by unauthorized private commerce.
As a result, an unregulated system of lending and currency exchange has risen, making it possible to get loans and financing. North Korean defectors have described a system in which private savings are being channeled into lending to make a profit.
Scams were common at first, due to the lack of legal infrastructure and investment guarantees, but over time, it seems that trust and credit have grown. Lenders are investing in everything from crop seeds and fertilizer to merchants who import foreign goods, like smartphones.
Investment Opportunities in North Korea
Reuters reports that, in theory, plenty of investment opportunities exist in North Korea along China’s border. Most of these are related to tourism or manufacturing and had funding from China and other international investors.
However, U.N. sanctions against North Korea have led the Chinese government to ban new or expanded Chinese investment in North Korea and transactions with North Korean banks.
Ultimately, the growth of North Korean credit access and investment depends on the Kim administration dramatically altering course. It would need to show a willingness to cooperate internationally and develop a legitimate market-based economy. Neither seems likely to happen anytime soon.
– Chuck Hasenauer
Photo: Flickr
Rebuilding Infrastructure in Zimbabwe
Concerning the infrastructure of Zimbabwe, there are corroded pipes, water leaks, sewage bursts and water shortages taking place in the capital, Harare. In reference to the mobile phone network, there is instability, with the government taking over Telecel, one of the three phone companies in Zimbabwe. To add, the socio-political infrastructure is unstable, as citizen engagement with the government is at its lowest level in over a decade.
Zimbabwe has tried to change things for the better but the country is still in a crisis. The economy is struggling and the politics pertaining to the future of the country are uncertain.
The infrastructure in the Harare showcases the instability in the infrastructure of Zimbabwe. The main issue is problems with the country’s water. The lack of maintenance of the water and sewage infrastructure is a major challenge the country is facing. As of 2010, only 50 percent of the people in Harare had water service all day, every day, while 55 percent of the residents had water that was poor quality. Zimbabwe made plans to redo water piping and began the process in 2009; by 2013, only 150 kilometers of the 6,000 had been replaced. By March 2016, only 40 percent of the work had been completed.
Even though infrastructure in Zimbabwe is struggling and facing issues, there is a plan to improve it. The main goals of the country are to rehabilitate and upgrade the bulk of the basic infrastructure assets and reinforce the existing integration of Zimbabwe’s network with other countries in the southern region of Africa.
The plan is to rehabilitate the national power grid, rehabilitate the national road network, the railway network, upgrade the status of air traffic communications, invest in storage to transport water resources, rehabilitate the existing water supply, develop national communications on a fiber-optic network and bring in a program of institutional reform and strengthening that measures to streamline the regulation of basic infrastructure services.
The process of rehabilitating and rebuilding the infrastructure of Zimbabwe will not be an easy feat nor will it be a cheap venture. Zimbabwe has had issues for many years, but with a plan developed and the desire to improve the country, infrastructure in Zimbabwe has the potential to be much better.
– Chavez Spicer
Photo: Flickr
Exploring Women’s Empowerment in Mauritania
However, in the northern city of Nouadhibou, women face a lack of access to capital and land, thus being driven to work in the fishing industry out of economic necessity. Despite their contributions to the economy, women in Mauritania work in poor conditions. They often have no choice other than to sell their goods outside of the fisheries market, isolated from the saturated Nouadhibou market. As a result of selling their products in smaller markets, women are forced to sell their products at lower prices and will attract only a few buyers.
To avoid a drop in women working in the fishing industry, the Nouadhibou Eco-Seafood Cluster Project was created in March 2016 by the World Bank and the CIIP. The project will strengthen Nouadhibou’s port infrastructure while expanding its onshore fish processing activities, in order to develop a seafood cluster within the region. Targeted training will also be part of the project, reinforcing women’s skills in fishing and helping them grow their businesses and to generate value.
The innovative Personal Initiative (PI) Training is one such project, with the goal of building entrepreneurial success within the community by introducing women entrepreneurs to new products and services.
All these initiatives offer hope for women’s empowerment in Mauritania as they help women develop the entrepreneurship skills they need to become financially and economically stable. In addition to supporting women’s empowerment in Mauritania, these projects have also significantly addressed two urgent development challenges, poverty and unemployment.
– Sarah Soutoul
Photo: Flickr