As a country that experienced war until 2002, women’s empowerment in Angola was a neglected subject until recently. In 2009, the Angolan Executive began to implement the goals of the Beijing Platform for Action, which promotes gender equality and basic human rights.
Laws and Programs
In response to the Beijing Platform for Action and a desire to bridge the gender gap, Angola enforced several new laws. The Labour Code, the Family Code, the HIV/AIDS laws and the Nationality Law were all designed specifically to end the disparities in employment, land ownership, health and basic human rights between genders.
Following the laws, the National Development Plan for 2013-2017 was implemented in Angola to ensure equal opportunities were extended to men and women economically, socially, culturally and politically.
The government of Angola designed the Programme of Support to Gender and Women Promotion, Support to Victims of Violence, Valorization of the Family and Community Development and Rural Women Promotion. All programs are meant to target specific areas that act as barriers to women’s empowerment in Angola.
Literacy
Furthermore, beginning in 2013, USAID aided Angola through a project called Basic Education – Triumphant Women and Youth Project, which teaches literacy and strives to eliminate all illiteracy in Angola by 2025. USAID designated $1.2 million to the project, promoting Angolan’s access to the project’s classes.
In 2015 alone, around 500 Angolan women earned their two-year literacy diplomas. The Women and Youth Project has provided 5,600 women with adult courses, while also increasing the enrollment rates of students in primary schools. The project also supplies students with textbooks and other school materials.
Through literacy and education, women become much closer to ending gendered discrimination.
Ensuring Jobs
Since 2015, Africa has sought to include more females in the workplace. Through a project called Power Africa, female participation in the power and energy sectors has increased.
Women gain skills in business, electrical engineering, communication or salesman services. Power Africa is providing women with networking opportunities and a chance to rise to higher positions. Ending gender discrimination in the workplace throughout all of Africa is key to Angolan economic success.
Combining the equality efforts of the government, organizations like USAID and Africa’s overall influence, there has been a kickstart to the country’s goals of achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in Angola.
– Brianna White
Photo: Flickr
Green Belt Movement: Empowering Women
The Green Belt Movement was started by the late professor, Doctor Wangari Maathai, who founded the organization in 1977 in Kenya. Dr. Maathai is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, the first African woman to receive such an honor. She is also the first woman to receive a doctorate degree in East and Central Africa. Dr. Maathai witnessed the struggles of rural Kenyan women with finding drinking water, food and firewood, saw the connection between deforestation, scarcity of rainfall and food insecurity and wanted to address the problem as a whole. She encouraged men and women to practice reforestation, binding soil to prevent soil erosion, food processing, beekeeping and many more sustainable values.
The Green Belt Movement has also dealt with larger issues in the daily lives of Kenyans. It has protected public lands from private landowners, known as “land grabbing.” It has trained farmers with simple techniques to grow indigenous vegetables and fruits that are sustainable in harsh environments. It also uses a water-shed based approach to harvesting. Furthermore, the Green Belt Movement launched the Community Empowerment and Education program, which helped to educate common people on the environment, natural resources and civics.
Since its foundation in 1977, over 51 million trees have been planted across Kenya. The movement also invented a method of spreading ideas among the community through “trainers of trainers.” In 2015 alone, over 200 women who participated in training from the Green Belt Movement have gone on to train over 20,000 members of their communities, thus assisting in the spreading of the Movement’s ideas. The Green Belt Movement has addressed important issues such as deforestation, climate change and women’s empowerment, gaining international status in the process.
– Mahua Mitra
Photo: Flickr
Five Facts About Active Development Projects in Serbia
The aim of this project is to make the nation less vulnerable to damaging floods, and to improve the response strategies of people living in areas which are at a high risk of flooding. This project will aid farmers in taking precautionary measures in case of a flood so that such an event would not cause a devastating effect on the food supply and economy.
Corridor X refers to the road network which leads from Austria to Greece, connecting the nations of the Balkan Peninsula. This is a critical route for trade, commerce and travel, and there has been a great deal of construction on the highway to try and connect the road networks leading through Serbia. Development projects in Serbia like this one will move the nation closer to becoming fully developed, and will bring increased economic prosperity.
This project has a similar goal to the Corridor X Highway Project in that it aims to bring increased connectivity between the different regions of Serbia. By improving infrastructure like roads, water systems and hospitals, this project will help to grow Serbia’s economy and increase ease of travel for Serbian citizens.
The Real Estate Management Project addresses an issue which is currently holding Serbia back on the path to development. This project will essentially make the real estate system in Serbia more reliable, accountable and transparent. It will create a dependable system of determining property value, thus ensuring that people pay the right amount of tax on their property. Serbia is adopting an internationally accepted standard of property valuation to achieve this goal.
The Deposit Insurance Agency is essentially Russia and Eastern Europe’s version of the American Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and will serve as a financial safety net or backbone behind the banking industry in Serbia. Strengthening the Deposit Insurance Agency will make banking in Serbia more reliable, and will spark economic growth in the nation.
These projects only begin to scratch the surface of all the work that has been done, and has yet to be done, in bringing Serbia into the developed world. While there is an immense list of things that need to be addressed and improved before Serbia can be considered fully developed, development projects in Serbia such as these are leading the way into the future.
– Tyler Troped
Photo: Flickr
Damage to Infrastructure in Syria During Seventh Year of War
The prolonged crisis, which has resulted in massive displacement of refugees both within the country and internationally, has resulted in the destruction of infrastructure systems including the provision of water, electricity and sanitation. Additionally, social infrastructure such as schools and healthcare centers have been severely damaged or destroyed altogether. Without these systems, civilians have experienced increasingly vulnerable living conditions in affected communities.
A World Bank report issued in July 2017 estimated that, as of early 2017, the Syrian civil war has damaged or destroyed about a third of the housing stock and about half of medical and education facilities, and led to significant economic loss. The destruction of physical infrastructure, though, does not attest to the full toll of the war. World Bank called the visible impacts only “the tip of the iceberg.”
To calculate the extent of the damage, the report used satellite imagery in conjunction with traditional and social media postings for information on the state of the country. The specific targeting of health and education infrastructure in Syria has resulted in significant disruptions with communicable diseases reemerging. The warring factions often use schools as military installations as well.
Often overlooked, solid waste management systems continue to be one of the most affected services reliant on infrastructure in Syria. The equipment and heavy machinery used for waste removal has been looted, destroyed or not functioning due to lack of maintenance and parts. As a result, waste piles in the streets serve as breeding grounds for rodents and insects, polluting the environment and increasing the risk of disease.
The World Bank estimates that by comparing current circumstances with a projection of how Syria would have developed in the absence of conflict, the war has caused a loss of $226 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This total comes to around four times the entire Syrian GDP in 2010.
The United Nations Development Programme aims to stabilize local communities and promote the return of internally displaced individuals by restoring and repairing basic social infrastructure and services in severely affected areas. However, the U.N.’s ability to distribute aid has been severely limited by the Syrian government, armed groups, continued insecurity and fighting. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ursula Meuller, told the U.N. Security Council, “despite reductions in violence, we have not been able to noticeably increase our reach.”
With more than 13 million Syrians in need of aid, more needs to be done to restore infrastructure in Syria and provide access to food, health care and other basic needs.
– Richa Bijlani
Photo: Flickr
Five Facts About Development Projects in South Sudan
The South Sudanese government originally planned to use its oil-rich regions to stabilize and grow the country’s economy, but due to disagreements with Sudan, oil production was shut down in 2012. Since then, civil war and rogue militias have ravaged the people of South Sudan, causing a humanitarian crisis. However, this has not slowed the success of aid in the nation. Here are five facts about development projects in South Sudan.
Development projects in South Sudan see long-term international aid. In 2014, the British government allocated 442 million pounds for the development of South Sudan. Instead of directly involving itself in the process, the government has allowed various international aid organizations to use the money to carry out their missions on its behalf. These organizations include the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Danish Refugee Council and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Over 60 percent of spending was allocated to providing food, medical supplies and material aid. The project is on track to end in 2020.
The South Sudanese health services are overwhelmed and underfunded. According to the World Bank, the South Sudanese Ministry of Health is underfunded. As a result, the World Bank began a project in 2016 to help the South Sudanese government cope with its rising need to provide healthcare to its citizens, called the South Sudan Health Rapid Results Project. Funding has been set at $40 million. The project has succeeded in providing healthcare to South Sudanese citizens in the Upper Nile conflict area, an area that only a few development projects in South Sudan continue to work.
Food security is in jeopardy. Food is in short supply in South Sudan, and the World Bank has attempted to alleviate the crisis with a food and agriculture project in 2016. The project is called Southern Sudan Emergency Food Crisis Response Project. Overall, this project has had mixed results when measured against its target goals. It has reached its target for farmers adopting new technologies to increase output and surpassed its goal of constructing new food storage facilities. However, less than half of the targeted families have been helped by their funding. Unfortunately, this project did not receive funding again in 2017, but the infrastructure it created and the new technologies introduced will help drive development in South Sudan for years to come.
May 4, 2017, saw the approval of the South Sudan Emergency Food and Nutrition Project. The project was granted $50 million and is set to run until July 2019. Its goals are similar but more comprehensive than the previous food aid project. This time, more focus is being given to the re-engagement of farmers, which is exceedingly important for the stability of the country’s food supply. Using the infrastructure and technologies of the last project will help provide the basics for the beginning of this new development project in South Sudan. To compensate for the shortcomings of the last project, more funding has been given to focus on supplying food while the farmers begin to produce their new crops.
South Sudan’s development has improved at the community level. USAID is providing support to South Sudan at the community level, focusing on the availability of safe and sanitary drinking water and the health and education of children. Manual water drills and pumps are being provided to villages around the country along with education on waterborne illnesses. To protect and educate children, USAID has implemented three programs. The first aims to protect the rights of children against child-labor and provide equal access to education for boys and girls. Encouraging nonviolent play is another implemented program that focuses on keeping children away from violence. Safe spaces for children are often hard to come by in war-ridden nations. With the third program, USAID seeks to provide more of these spaces for children to receive medical treatment away from conflict.
Conflict has displaced 2.2 million South Sudanese citizens. Fortunately, the world has not forgotten about its newest country. International aid will continue to help fund development projects in South Sudan, hopefully leading the nation and its people to a brighter better future.
– Nick DeMarco
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Namibia
To achieve women’s empowerment in Namibia, the Co-operatives Act was adopted which requires a substantial number of women to form cooperatives. The Employment Act, Communal Land Reforms Act and the Labour Act all favor women’s participation in the economic sphere. In addition, the government introduced the Build Together Programme to help single mothers. However, reforms in the area of reproductive rights for women have been slow and abortion is still illegal.
Notable gains have been made in increasing women’s representation in the national assembly up to 46 percent thanks to the South West Africa People’s Organization’s (SWAPO) “zebra list” system. The system indicates that if a minister is a woman then the deputy minister must be a man and vice versa. Another ambitious part of this system, for women’s empowerment in Namibia, is that the roles be switched in successive elections so that if a man is appointed president in one term then a woman should be appointed for the following.
In addition, Namibia is a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), the CEDAW optional protocol (2000) and the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development (2005).
Yet, high levels of inequalities exist that can be seen in women’s economic dependency, in the high levels of violence against women and children and in the feminization of HIV and AIDS. The path to women’s empowerment in Namibia is still a long way off. Legal Equality has not transformed into structural equality. Women remain at the lowest level of employment and struggle with practical impediments that limit their economic independence and self-sufficiency.
Women’s access to land is also limited, in spite of the absence of legal barriers, due to continuing discriminatory practices and limited implementation and awareness of existing laws and rights.
For women’s empowerment in Namibia to become a reality, serious changes have to be made in society. UNICEF has recommended the following:
– Tripti Sinha
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Honduras
Honduras is a country steeped in machismo culture which helps fuel gang violence and violence against women. Every 16 hours a woman is murdered in Honduras making the country’s femicide rate one of the highest in the world. Violence against women is an increasing problem in Honduras and many women are either afraid of going to the police or feel that it does not help their situation. Women are afraid of going to the police because they fear that it will only make matters worse for them or because, in some cases, their abusers are gang members and going to the police would mean retaliation from the gang.
Around 95 percent of crimes against women go unpunished in Honduras. This includes domestic violence, murder and rape. Despite this, there are women who gather enough courage to leave their abusive relationships which is an important step towards women’s empowerment in Honduras. Trócaire discusses Calidad de Vida (Quality of Life) in a December 2014 article. Calidad de Vida is a women’s refuge located in the capital of Honduras which supports women who have experienced sexual and physical violence or emotional abuse. They encourage them to leave abusive relationships and to learn to be independent.
Calidad de Vida is making strides towards women’s empowerment in Honduras. Women have access to legal help, psychological support from women who have had similar experiences and participate in occupational therapy. There is space for up to 30 women and children who have nowhere else to turn to when leaving an abusive relationship.
A number of women who have benefited from this refuge have, in turn, helped other women who are victims of violence to seek help. They participate in the DENMAH project (for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Women, Children and Adolescents) which Calidad de Vida is a part of. This project promotes women’s rights and violence prevention. It works with women in rural and urban areas to promote women’s empowerment in Honduras.
– Fernando Vazquez
Photo: Flickr
The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Uganda
Women and Children
Around 86 percent of the 900,000 South Sudanese refugees in Uganda are women and children. The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has provided different projects helping these groups. In 2016, 264,300 South Sudanese women received core-relief items, shelter kits and sanitary kits.
In addition, the international organization imparted help with Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) issues. The UNHCR aided 767 South Sudanese SGBV survivors to access psychosocial counseling.
Increasing Access to Education
Classes are difficult to hold in refugee camps, as most of the time there are not enough facilities and teachers. In Bidi Bidi, there are 5,000 students and only 38 teachers. Despite that, 130,600 school-age refugee children were enrolled in primary education. By the end of 2017, it is expected that 176,171 children will be registered.
Other educational efforts are being in Uganda’s Coburwas Primary School. One program ensures that refugee students receive food. Outside of the classroom, students learn how to farm, an activity that brings money to the school.
Health and Humanitarian Aid to Uganda
Humanitarian aid to Uganda has had large success in addressing health issues. It is expected that 100 percent of the people of concern, specifically refugees, will have access to national primary healthcare services in 2017. In addition, health organizations such as the Real Medicine Foundation (RMF), are developing projects in refugee camps. The RMF currently operates 30 health centers in Bidi Bidi.
Economic Improvements
Finally, the UNHCR implemented a project to improve refugees’ economic situation. The organization trained 9,300 refugee business owners in entrepreneurship and all of them received access to credit and financial services.
Humanitarian aid to Uganda is increasing as the refugee population grows. Uganda has one of the most progressive refugee policies in the world, but in order to ensure improved living standards for refugees, there is a need for continued contributions of humanitarian aid.
– Dario Ledesma
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Chad
A tradition that resides in many countries in Africa, in different tribes and families, is female genital mutilation(FGM), an act that young girls must go through as a rite of passage into womanhood. One type of practice is confined to the eastern parts of the country nearing Sudan, but FGM crosses ethnic and religious lines and is performed by Christians and Muslims all over Chad.
There is an estimate that 60 percent of the women in Chad have undergone the procedure and that it is even more prevalent in rural parts of the country. There is no law that makes these practices a crime, but the act is prosecutable as an involuntary physical assault against a minor. A new law, drafted in 2001, would specifically criminalize the practice of FGM.
Child marriage is extremely common in Chad and is the main reason why young girls have to leave school early. Over two-thirds of young girls will have been married before the age of 18. To add, it is a norm in the country for many of the men to have more than one wife and large extended families of wives and children. There are organizations that are trying to raise awareness about the higher health risks for young girls when they become pregnant and are also trying to encourage them to stay in school.
In Chad, there is inequality between the genders in three different dimensions. The different dimensions being reproductive health, empowerment and labor market participation. Reproductive health refers to maternal ration and adolescent birthright. Empowerment refers to the share of parliamentary seats held by women and the share of the population, who are women, with at least some secondary education.
With inequality of genders comes violence. Around 18 percent of women in Chad who have been in a relationship, ranging from ages 15 to 49, have had a partner commit some type of physical or sexual violence act against them at least once in their lifetime. Women in Chad are citizens who have full voting rights but lack the knowledge about certain rights including their right to protection from gender-based violence. Many women are unaware that rape is a crime and see it as just an indecency. Without more knowledge on rights, women’s empowerment in Chad is stifled.
To bring back women’s empowerment in Chad, organizations like UNICEF are uplifting women by informing them about their rights. They are confronting violence and consolidating peace in Chad. The women of Chad are protesting against the violence against them but they still need support while they continue to deal with the gender-based violence and abuse in their country.
– Chavez Spicer
Photo: Flickr
Road Infrastructure in the Dominican Republic
With five highways connecting to all major cities of the country, there has been an emphasis on keeping the roads in good condition. These roads stay well-paved and maintained in order to keep driving conditions safer and to promote tourism. The well-paved roads are accessed through tolls. These toll payments range from RD$35 to RD$412, depending on which highway is taken. This amount is equivalent to USD$0.73 and $8.57 respectively.
Once off toll roads, though, road conditions are not maintained to the same standard. The roads may or may not be paved, but both present problems for drivers. On paved roads, poor lane markers, missing manhole covers, potholes or unmarked speed bumps are just some of the issues that drivers may face while they are driving during the day or at night. On unpaved roads, loose gravel and potholes test a car’s ability to stay on the road. It is recommended to drive with four-wheel drive on these roads because of their unpredictable conditions.
There is much room for investment for road infrastructure in the Dominican Republic. The construction of toll roads has improved driving conditions because of the ability to drive on well-kept roads, but there are still concerns about highways and rural roads that are not getting as much attention.
The Dominican Liberation Party has been a major investor in projects that aim to improve road infrastructure in the Dominican Republic. Towns such as Las Terrenas, which are not considered typical tourist towns, have seen some improvements to its roads in order to attract more tourists. The roads have become driveable and allow for easier travel for tourists.
Other improvements come in the form of public transit. Increasing public transportation methods takes more cars off the road and offers a safer way to get to and from destinations. Taxis, buses and metro stations are among the most common and easiest ways to get around the Dominican Republic. Until the poorly maintained rural roads receive better attention from the DR government, using public transit is a potential option for residents and tourists.
As the economy continues to improve, it is hopeful that road infrastructure in the Dominican Republic follows suit.
– Brianna Summ
Photo: Flickr
Government Calls for Women’s Empowerment in Angola
Laws and Programs
In response to the Beijing Platform for Action and a desire to bridge the gender gap, Angola enforced several new laws. The Labour Code, the Family Code, the HIV/AIDS laws and the Nationality Law were all designed specifically to end the disparities in employment, land ownership, health and basic human rights between genders.
Following the laws, the National Development Plan for 2013-2017 was implemented in Angola to ensure equal opportunities were extended to men and women economically, socially, culturally and politically.
The government of Angola designed the Programme of Support to Gender and Women Promotion, Support to Victims of Violence, Valorization of the Family and Community Development and Rural Women Promotion. All programs are meant to target specific areas that act as barriers to women’s empowerment in Angola.
Literacy
Furthermore, beginning in 2013, USAID aided Angola through a project called Basic Education – Triumphant Women and Youth Project, which teaches literacy and strives to eliminate all illiteracy in Angola by 2025. USAID designated $1.2 million to the project, promoting Angolan’s access to the project’s classes.
In 2015 alone, around 500 Angolan women earned their two-year literacy diplomas. The Women and Youth Project has provided 5,600 women with adult courses, while also increasing the enrollment rates of students in primary schools. The project also supplies students with textbooks and other school materials.
Through literacy and education, women become much closer to ending gendered discrimination.
Ensuring Jobs
Since 2015, Africa has sought to include more females in the workplace. Through a project called Power Africa, female participation in the power and energy sectors has increased.
Women gain skills in business, electrical engineering, communication or salesman services. Power Africa is providing women with networking opportunities and a chance to rise to higher positions. Ending gender discrimination in the workplace throughout all of Africa is key to Angolan economic success.
Combining the equality efforts of the government, organizations like USAID and Africa’s overall influence, there has been a kickstart to the country’s goals of achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in Angola.
– Brianna White
Photo: Flickr