Why is Gabon poor? This is a question that is, unfortunately, stereotypically asked about any African country. This is particularly the case with Gabon, due to the fact it is not historically one of Africa’s most developed nations.
What is even more unfortunate is that Gabon fits this stereotype very well, as it is one of the poorer countries in the world. According to the World Bank, the country’s poverty headcount was 32.7 percent as of 2005.
This is interesting because, on a larger international scale, Gabon’s economy is doing relatively well. According to the CIA World Factbook, Gabon’s GDP growth has been significant over the last few years, with 4.4 percent growth in 2014, 3.9 percent in 2015 and 2.3 percent in 2016. While there has been a decreasing trend in these figures, they are still substantial. Gabon’s GDP per capita is worth noting, too. Listed at $19,100 as of 2016, the country is ranked 88th in the world.
So, if Gabon’s economy is doing reasonably well on the international stage, why is Gabon poor? The answer, it turns out, is centered around income inequality.
While Gabon’s national income has greatly benefitted from oil exports, its workforce has not seen these returns. As recently as 2015, Gabon’s unemployment rate was 28 percent, one of the highest in the world.
This means that, simultaneously, Gabon’s national income has been rising quickly while almost a third of its workforce remains unemployed and therefore unable to reap those benefits. The result is rising inequality that has devastated the country. As of 2005, the lowest 10 percent of Gabon’s population held only 2.5 percent of household income, while the highest 10 percent held 15 times that amount at 32.7 percent of household income.
Gabon has thus been left in an awful situation. With a third of its population unemployed and a third of its national income going to the top 10 percent of its population, very little funds are left over to bring the country’s poor out of poverty and into the workforce. As these figures worsen, the hole Gabon has dug continues to get deeper.
If Gabon wants its economic growth to be sustainable, the country must improve its fiscal management. By allocating more of its national income to the poor and by prioritizing job growth to lower its unemployment rate, Gabon could see real gains that last beyond the short term and set the country up as one of the region’s major economies.
So, why is Gabon poor? Systematic inequality has ravaged the country, but there is opportunity for change. As the country industrializes and continues to see economic gains, the international community must continue to observe the country’s financial management.
– John Mirandette
Photo: Flickr
Accessible Housing for Migrants in India
This special aspect about migrants – their temporary status – has led them to be one of the most underserved groups in the urban population. Their inherently transient nature has allowed them to be taken advantage of in multiple markets – the housing market in particular, as housing options are limited due to their incapacity to purchase homes. Such limitations ensure that these migrants are especially susceptible to exploitation, as they are consistently and completely dependent upon rental options.
Consequently, the issue of housing for migrants in India is increasingly significant, especially considering that a full 27.6 percent of urban residents were living in rental homes in 2011. Much of these rental accommodations manifest themselves in the form of slums, due to the necessity to quickly address the population influxes. As a result, 68 million Indians lived in slums in 2011, due to the inability to properly and swiftly accommodate the massive population fluctuations and due to a lack of options. If slums are the only available housing, a migrant often has no real choice – they must choose between a slum and the street.
In an effort to address this housing shortage, Aarusha Homes entered the scene in 2007. Aarusha operates low-cost, high-quality hostels in four different cities in India. The hostels provide food, security, utilities and cleanliness, with some locations being single-gender and some being split. In the effort to be low-cost, Aarusha’s prices fluctuate depending on the property locations and the demographics of its renters. Income and “sharing level” (how many individuals live within an apartment) are both taken into account when determining price. Further, payments occur in advance of stay in order to sustain a pay-as-you-go model that is supportive to the transitory status of migrants. Individuals can pay for their specific housing and time needs rather than for a blanket number of months, ensuring that migrants do not have to worry about obtaining subleases or paying for unused housing, if and when their time within the given city is finished.
As of now, Aarusha maintains 21 of these facilities and are projected to impact over 87,000 lives within the next five years. If Aarusha has been able to drastically impact the issue of housing for migrants in India in their short 10-year existence – simply by diversifying the housing options available to migrants – there is surely much hope for what other improvements can be made in the future.
– Kailee Nardi
Photo: Flickr
Tibetan School for Blind, Braille Without Borders, May Close
Braille Without Borders is so named because its founders are determined to defy the odds. They hope to inspire blind and visually impaired children to overcome negative perceptions in society that prevent them from playing an active and inclusive role. To bring this to fruition, students are given a holistic education that encompasses academic and life skills.
The preparatory school that is in danger of closing teaches students how to read and write the Tibetan, Chinese and English Braille scripts. Students are also trained in different vocations such as animal husbandry, agriculture, market gardening, composting and working in the cheese industry. Through educating children holistically, the program ensures students can take control over their lives upon exiting.
Tenberken created Braille Without Borders out of frustration. She lost her sight at the age of 12 and decided at a young age, with support from her family, not to let society tell her what she is capable of. In a 2010 interview with Deutsche Welle, she stated that it angers her that impaired people are not taken seriously because others focus too much on the disability the person has.
Furthermore, prior to the program beginning, Tibetan blind children were social outcasts. People thought they were stupid or possessed by demons, and parents didn’t want to touch their own children. Tibetan citizens believed blindness was a curse from God because of an evil committed.
The success of the program has changed how the blind are perceived. Tenberken stated in the same interview that people stand up for the visually impaired now, as Braille Without Borders has been very successful in reducing the stigma against blind people and providing them with an education. No longer is it okay to call them blind fools. They are confident young people who contribute to society.
So far, the program has impacted the lives of 300 children ages six to 15. However, there is far more work to be accomplished. Statistics state 30,000 of the 2.5 million inhabitants of the Tibet Autonomous Region are blind or highly visually impaired. Compared to most areas in the world, this is above average. Climate and hygienic factors such as dust, wind, high ultra-violet light radiation, soot in houses caused by heating with coal and/or yak dung, and lack of vitamin A and D at an early age, contribute to the unusually high number of blind and visually impaired people in this region. A rehabilitation program for the blind and visually impaired is necessary to improve quality of life.
Braille Without Borders is in danger of closing if supporters do not act now. It has endured over the past 19 years due to donations and encouragement from people outside of Tibet. If the school is closed, Tenberken is gravely worried students will be sent to schools where they won’t receive training to become self-sufficient. Supporters can continue to aid the program’s efforts through donations. Learn more ways to help on the official website of Braille Without Borders.
– Jeanine Thomas
Photo: Flickr
Why Is Gabon Poor? The Results of Unchecked Inequality
What is even more unfortunate is that Gabon fits this stereotype very well, as it is one of the poorer countries in the world. According to the World Bank, the country’s poverty headcount was 32.7 percent as of 2005.
This is interesting because, on a larger international scale, Gabon’s economy is doing relatively well. According to the CIA World Factbook, Gabon’s GDP growth has been significant over the last few years, with 4.4 percent growth in 2014, 3.9 percent in 2015 and 2.3 percent in 2016. While there has been a decreasing trend in these figures, they are still substantial. Gabon’s GDP per capita is worth noting, too. Listed at $19,100 as of 2016, the country is ranked 88th in the world.
So, if Gabon’s economy is doing reasonably well on the international stage, why is Gabon poor? The answer, it turns out, is centered around income inequality.
While Gabon’s national income has greatly benefitted from oil exports, its workforce has not seen these returns. As recently as 2015, Gabon’s unemployment rate was 28 percent, one of the highest in the world.
This means that, simultaneously, Gabon’s national income has been rising quickly while almost a third of its workforce remains unemployed and therefore unable to reap those benefits. The result is rising inequality that has devastated the country. As of 2005, the lowest 10 percent of Gabon’s population held only 2.5 percent of household income, while the highest 10 percent held 15 times that amount at 32.7 percent of household income.
Gabon has thus been left in an awful situation. With a third of its population unemployed and a third of its national income going to the top 10 percent of its population, very little funds are left over to bring the country’s poor out of poverty and into the workforce. As these figures worsen, the hole Gabon has dug continues to get deeper.
If Gabon wants its economic growth to be sustainable, the country must improve its fiscal management. By allocating more of its national income to the poor and by prioritizing job growth to lower its unemployment rate, Gabon could see real gains that last beyond the short term and set the country up as one of the region’s major economies.
So, why is Gabon poor? Systematic inequality has ravaged the country, but there is opportunity for change. As the country industrializes and continues to see economic gains, the international community must continue to observe the country’s financial management.
– John Mirandette
Photo: Flickr
What Causes Poverty in San Marino?
San Marino, said to be the world’s oldest republic, is a small country landlocked by Italy. At only 23.6 square miles, it is the fifth smallest country in the world, only larger than Vatican City, Monaco, Nauru and Tuvalu. It is also one of the richest countries in the world, with an estimated 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of $54,982.45. Despite its wealthy status, the 2008 recession, from which the country is still recovering, has significantly increased poverty in San Marino.
The 2008 Recession
San Marino‘s main economic activities are tourism, banking and the manufacture and export of different goods such as clothing, ceramics, fabric, wine and spirits. As Italy surrounds it, most of San Marino’s economic sectors are highly supported by this nation; in fact, 90% of San Marino’s export market is supported by Italy. Italy also suffered from the 2008 recession, so its demand for imports from San Marino has lessened, which has, in turn, weakened San Marino’s economy.
After the recession, San Marino’s strong economy took a downward turn. Unemployment – which had been at its lowest in 2007 at 3% – jumped to 4.5% by 2009 and reached its peak of 7.9% in 2017. However, after significant efforts and initiatives, San Marino’s unemployment rate declined to approximately 5% in 2022. While poverty is not a major issue in San Marino compared to many other countries, the recession certainly caused a notable increase.
Unemployment
Although San Marino’s poverty rate is low enough that it is not necessarily significant enough to be recorded, such a rapid increase in unemployment likely led to hardship for a significant portion of San Marino’s population. Increases in unemployment cause greater stress for the individual and strain the government, as it puts more pressure on the government to support those who are unemployed. Additionally, it weakens the economy further, as those who are unemployed lose purchasing power.
Final Remark
Although the recession increased poverty, the government of San Marino has been working to curb its effects by eliminating its status as a tax haven. Notably, the country’s nonfinancial sector recovery, which started in 2014, has placed its economy in a strong position to face shocks.
Furthermore, as other countries have bounced back from the recession, demand for goods from San Marino has increased as well. Hopefully, as more countries start recovering, this will also help San Marino’s economy recover so that progress can be made regarding its poverty rate.
– Mary Kate Luft
Photo: Flickr
Updated: May 29, 2024
A Look at Human Rights in St. Kitts and Nevis
The national constitution prohibits torture and cruel and unusual punishment, but police in St. Kitts and Nevis can be aggressive. The police do not need a warrant to arrest someone. As a result, citizens will often not report crimes for fear of retribution. The lone prison in the country was built in 1840 and shows wear. It is overcrowded; a facility built for a capacity of 150 inmates currently holds around 270.
Despite this, conditions there are not necessarily inhumane. A U.S. State Departmentt report on human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis states that “prisoners and detainees had reasonable access to visitors, were permitted religious observances and had reasonable access to complaint mechanisms and the ability to request inquiry into conditions. The government investigated and monitored prison conditions, and the prison staff periodically received training in human rights.”
While arrest warrants are not necessary, the constitution does grant accused citizens the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair and public trial. There are no political prisoners in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The United Nations has identified rape and violence against women as an issue regarding human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis. Rape is a criminal offense, but spousal rape is not. Women can file rape claims, but may often be reluctant to do so. St. Kitts and Nevis passed the Domestic Violence Act of 2014 into law to address some of these issues.
Child abuse is a problem in St. Kitts and Nevis. Corporal punishment is legal here. Reports of sexual assault against children are not uncommon, despite such acts carrying a stiff criminal penalty.
The treatment of homosexuality is also a concern regarding human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis. Homosexual acts are still criminalized and carry a certain level of societal stigma. In its review of human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis, the United Nations called for the decriminalization of homosexuality on the islands.
The state of human rights in St. Kitts and Nevis is a mixed bag, but perhaps not an unoptimistic one, nor necessarily uncommon for developing democracies. Many of the human rights issues that do exist stem not from the law but from a failure to effectively implement and enforce it. The country has shown a desire to improve its ways, and time will tell whether or not it successfully follows the U.N.’s recommendations.
– Andrew Revord
Photo: Flickr
USAID Helping People in Qatar
Qatar is a nation of extreme economic stratification between rich and poor. An oil rich gulf state, Qatar’s economy is booming, with its GDP reaching a soaring $329.2 billion in 2016 – making Qatar the wealthiest Arab state. Despite this title, there are still unfortunately a large number of people living in poverty here. In this climate of extreme inequality, the question of how to help people in Qatar remains of vital importance.
This economic growth is coupled with a massive population spike, due to the influx of migrant workers needed to sustain the economic growth of the country. Migrant workers are estimated to comprise about 90 percent of the Qatari population, with nearly 60 percent living in what the Qatari monarchy officially calls “labour camps.”
This influx of migrant workers has been further exacerbated by the construction for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. Human rights groups have long condemned the working conditions of migrant workers in Qatar. Under the kafala labor sponsorship system, workers are dependent on their employers for their visas, living accommodation and even permission to enter or exit the country. Amnesty International has deemed labor conditions as “squalid and cramped,” while the International Labor Organization is launching investigations into the labor camps and systems surrounding the construction of World Cup infrastructure.
Qatar is an absolute monarchy, ruled by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. As an official ally of the U.S., diplomats from the U.S. have unique access to the small faction of the Qatari population that maintains control over the political and economic realities that the poor face. It is crucial that the U.S. uses its influence to advocate for the outrageous treatment of migrant workers, on whose backs the immense wealth and economic growth of Qatar is built.
USAID has already begun to answer the question of how to help people in Qatar, and are still working to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding Cooperation to Enhance Global Food Security, signed in 2011. Dr. Rajiv Shah, then the administrator of USAID, signed the MOU, saying, “Both the United States and Qatar see food security as a development issue that must be addressed comprehensively and creatively.”
It is critical to the health and well-being of the impoverished Qatari workers that these goals be pursued. Moreover, resources must continue to flow to organizations such as USAID, which work to pressure the Qatari monarchy to provide a social safety net and adequate human rights for its subjects.
– Jeffery Harrell
Photo: Flickr
Gavi’s Vaccine Programs to Save 20 Million by 2020
Vaccines continue to be the most cost-effective and efficient methods used in public health. Through the efforts of Gavi, a vaccine alliance, it is estimated that from 2001 to 2020 a staggering 20 million deaths will be prevented and about 500 million cases of illnesses, 70 million hospitalizations and 9 million long-term disabilities will be avoided as well. With a lower disease burden due to vaccines, lower income countries will save a projected $350 million in healthcare costs alone.
Vaccinations also lead to countless social and economic benefits in addition to the expected health benefits. For example, due to the prevention of illnesses, disabilities and death, there would be reduced productivity losses for caregivers and those who avoid disability and death from the vaccine. Those who live longer and healthier offer more value and are able to contribute to society at a higher level. Furthermore, they can also participate in the economy to a higher degree, as they no longer have to pay thousands of dollars for expensive treatment. Additionally, in many developing countries the burden of diseases on society, such as rotavirus and measles, can often be both economically and socially substantial. Countries are forced to invest more money into treatment and care for those affected by dangerous diseases than they would have spent on vaccines – money that could have been used to build infrastructure or expand the economy.
In fact, according to researchers, these additional benefits along with the avoided healthcare costs will translate to a total of $820 billion saved. These values are calculated from the various beneficial effects of 10 different vaccine programs in 73 low- and middle-income countries around the world. Vaccinations for measles, Hepatitis B and bacteria that causes pneumonia and meningitis proved to offer the largest economic return.
One of the most important advantages of large-scale vaccination programs is known as herd immunity. Also called the herd effect and community immunity, the term herd immunity describes a form of indirect protection where vaccinating a large percentage of a group shields the rest of the community from an illness because of the severely reduced opportunity for an outbreak. Those who are unvaccinated as well as those who are unable to be safely vaccinated receive protection, due to the higher likelihood of the chain of infection being disrupted before it reaches them. This phenomenon can be seen in developed countries with high rates of vaccinations, where infectious disease outbreaks seldom run rampant.
Although there has been noteworthy progress made in introducing vaccine programs to countries around the world, UNICEF and the World Health Organization estimate that 19.5 million children still do not have access to basic vaccines, putting them and those around them in danger. These children primarily live in poor households in extremely remote areas, which are hard to reach with humanitarian aid.
There needs to be a significant increase in the effort of governments and societies to not only offer vaccines but also to promote their use for adults and children. Every country in the world can undoubtedly benefit from the various economic and social benefits provided by a strong immunization program.
– Akhil Reddy
Photo: Flickr
Causes of Poverty in Kuwait Often Overlooked
Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the region, many of the citizens of Kuwait live in squalor and poverty, while their countrymen revel in the wealth of the nation. While Kuwaiti government officials deny the existence of extreme poverty in their country, and accurate data on the extent of its poverty is hard to come by, accounts coming from within the country help indicate what the causes of poverty in Kuwait are.
Kuwait has a GDP per capita of over $70,000, indicating that the roughly four million inhabitants should have plenty of wealth to support themselves, even in countries with costs of living much higher than Kuwait’s. Kuwait is also one of the most charitable countries in the Middle East and the world as a whole, according to the Charities Aid Foundation World Giving Index, with millions of dollars committed to charitable causes every year. Given these two factors, it would not be unreasonable to presume that the standard of living in Kuwait must be quite good.
However, most of this wealth appears to be consolidated in the top several percent of Kuwaiti citizens. Kuwait is a nation whose wealth is built on the back of its natural oil reserves, which comprises nearly the entirety of Kuwait’s industry. The large dips in oil prices over the past decade have begun to pressure the Kuwaiti economy, as 2015 marked its first budget deficit in decades.
There is undeniable wealth present in the country, which manifests itself in areas such as Kuwait’s excellent public infrastructure; nearly the entire country lives in an urban area and has easy access to clean water, sanitation and medicine. Yet the nation only employs just over 75 percent of its citizens, which leaves nearly one in four workers without an income to support their families. Though unemployment is just one of the causes of poverty in Kuwait, other causes are pointed to by Kuwaiti citizens themselves.
Writing in a column for the Kuwaiti Times, Thaar Al-Rasheedi talks about the divide between the wealthy and the poor, which he believes to include some 90 percent of Kuwaiti citizens. He points to the over a half million Kuwaiti who live in rented houses, and another 100,000 people who have applied for a house from the government but have yet to receive their housing. The reason for this, Al-Rasheedi points out, are the exorbitant prices on everything in Kuwait. “Salaries are high but, on the other hand, there is hardly a citizen who still has a single dinar by the 15th of each month,” Al-Rasheedi writes.
He goes on to note that many Kuwaiti are forced into “intentional poverty” for half of every month to be able to afford enough food to survive until their next paycheck. Meanwhile, the oil tycoons live comfortably off their millions and tell the rest of the world that there are no poor people in Kuwait.
Though the poor of Kuwait seem to be largely glossed over, at least by the Kuwaiti government, citizens of the nation feel it is a very real issue, and the causes of poverty in Kuwait stem largely from the extreme top-heaviness of wealth distribution in the nation.
– Erik Halberg
Photo: Flickr
How to Combat Poverty in Tanzania
About 12 million people, or 28.2 percent of the population, are living in basic needs poverty, 80 percent of which reside in rural areas. The workforce is concentrated in the agriculture industry, which employs 75 percent of Tanzanian workers. The land can only sustain a certain number of commercial farmers, leaving the majority to make ends meet via subsistence farming.
The internal production of agricultural goods is not being supported. Cereals and other grains are often imported from international markets instead of being purchased from domestic producers. Shifting production back to the country will not only employ many people, but will also stimulate the GDP.
The underlying reason for poverty in Tanzania can be attributed to a lack of education. Focusing on education for all will reduce family sizes and expand career options, especially for women. Women in Tanzania have approximately five children, according to the World Bank. 42 percent of children face malnutrition because their parents have to allot their resources according to larger family sizes. Without enough money to feed their kids, sending them school is not an option. Education programs and family planning services have both been helping to curb the population growth in Tanzania; they also give women the opportunity to provide a supplemental income with the extra time they have.
Concentrating on education from a young age is vital for alleviating poverty in Tanzania. Multiple doors of opportunity will open up for them, and they will not be trapped into subsistence farming. Training and education will make Tanzanians adept and allow them to be competitive in the international economy. When fewer people are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, farmers will have more available arable land and more opportunities to pursue commercial farming.
Unlike most African nations, Tanzania did not suffer through internal strife. This gives them a leg up and increases the expectations for improvement. Tackling education should be the top priority of the government in their domestic policy.
– Tanvi Wattal
Photo: Flickr
Two Major Causes of Poverty in Georgia
Georgia is a unique country in that it is at a crossroads where Europe and Asia meet. Though rich in history and culture, the country has an unemployment rate of 12 percent, a registered poverty rate of about 11 percent and a relative poverty rate of about 20 percent.
Georgia won its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but with that independence came social and economic challenges that continue today. A poverty analysis done by the Asian Development Bank outlines 17 trends in poverty, but there are two in particular that are clear causes of poverty in Georgia.
The first is agricultural stagnation. Georgia is a country with vast natural diversity and conditions that lead to agriculture employing almost 50 percent of the population, yet they only account for 10 percent of the GDP. This discrepancy can be attributed to fragmentation of land, poor connectivity to markets, weak support services and degraded rural infrastructure.
The economic growth that Georgia has recorded is largely unrelated to agricultural development; rather, it is due to foreign investment focus on real estate and banking, and as Rural Poverty Portal states, “…the downward trend in agrarian production has been accompanied by a growing incidence of rural poverty.”
The second cause stems from the first, which is limited access to and low quality of social services. The nearly 50 percent of the population that is employed by an unsuccessful agricultural industry and those unemployed altogether do not have access to quality social services. Education to gain skills for other developing industries in Georgia’s economy is incredibly basic and underfunded. In fact, the poverty analysis cites a high dropout rate. Healthcare is also rendered almost completely unaffordable, with nearly 65 percent of expenses being paid for out of pocket. These two social services alone can really limit socioeconomic mobility for the poor of the nation, thus ineffective social services are one of the causes of poverty in Georgia.
Poverty in Georgia
The two causes discussed are not isolated; rather, they are intertwined with other major causes. However, they are among the most discussed and relevant of the causes of poverty in an otherwise rich and diverse nation.
For the issue of agricultural stagnation, a shift in both domestic and foreign investment could make a critical impact. The Georgian National Investment Agency highlights different ways that groups can invest, like aquaculture, greenhouses and food processing.
As for limited social services, the government of the country has recently invested in and developed better healthcare opportunities through the new Primary Health Care Development Strategy 2016–2023, which was developed within the context of the 2014–2020 State Concept of Healthcare System of Georgia for Universal Health Care and Quality Control for the Protection of Patients’ Rights. These developments are happening because of raised awareness that brought the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization and others into the mix. Therefore, by raising awareness and starting discussions, the public services of Georgia can continue to improve and reduce these and other causes of poverty in Georgia further.
Photo: Flickr