Bolivia faces major economic and rural development challenges. After the pandemic, the country experienced economic recovery and poverty reduction. However, it still faces high public debt, declining natural gas production, lower international reserves and strong exposure to droughts, floods and wildfires.
Innovations in poverty eradication in Bolivia focus on practical solutions that connect rural communities with markets, energy, water, training and more resilient agriculture.
Agricultural Innovation and Market Access
One major initiative is the Innovation for Resilient Food Systems (Rural Alliances – PAR III) project. In 2022, the World Bank approved $300 million in financing to benefit nearly 130,000 rural families in Bolivia. The project aims to increase food security, improve market access and expand the use of climate-smart agricultural practices.
It also supports at least 1,000 rural community associations and 1,270 rural producer organizations through productive alliances, technology, training and technical assistance. This model matters because it does not treat small producers as passive beneficiaries. It connects farmers with buyers, associations and institutions through business plans designed to improve efficiency, profitability and market access.
Since 2006, the Rural Alliances Project has helped small producers access financing, technology and training, three key tools for improving productivity and quality of life.
Rural Solutions With Real Impact
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights Apiguardia, a beekeeping alliance in San Ramón made up of 18 men and 10 women. With technical support, the group improved hive management, adopted migratory beekeeping practices, increased honey quality and entered more formal and stable markets. This example shows that innovation does not always mean complex technology.
It can also mean specialized training, community organization and better production tools. The results of the Rural Alliances Project highlight the importance of this approach. According to FAO, the first phase benefited more than 28,000 rural households and established 768 alliances.
The second phase reached more than 23,000 families in 120 municipalities. In addition, the market value of certain products increased by 35%, while moderate poverty fell by 11.7% and extreme poverty fell by 10.1% among lower-income beneficiaries.
Sustainable Energy for Rural Communities
Another key aspect of innovation in poverty eradication in Bolivia is access to sustainable electricity. In 2023, the World Bank approved $125 million to expand and improve electricity service in rural communities. More than 141,000 people will receive new or improved access to electricity through grid extensions, mini-grids and individual solar systems.
These solutions will benefit households, schools, health centers and small agricultural, commercial and industrial production units. Electricity can reduce poverty by improving living conditions and boosting productivity. In rural areas, it can support food preservation, tool use, nighttime study, health center operations and the creation of small businesses.
The project also includes solar systems, renewable mini-grids and training in efficient energy use, helping support a cleaner transition that depends less on polluting fuels.
Water, Irrigation and Climate Resilience
Access to water is also essential for reducing rural poverty. In 2024, the World Bank approved $150 million to improve water resource management, irrigation and climate resilience in 15 basins and 256 municipalities. The project will benefit about 30,000 rural families, especially subsistence farmers in upper-basin areas affected by drought, deforestation and soil erosion.
The project focuses on three main areas: protecting water sources through reforestation and native grassland recovery, optimizing household and community irrigation systems and building flood- and erosion-resistant infrastructure. It also includes automated irrigation to improve crop productivity, diversify production and improve household income.
These investments can help rural families adapt to climate instability while strengthening agriculture.
A Practical Strategy Against Poverty
These initiatives demonstrate that Bolivia is combining agricultural innovation, basic infrastructure and climate adaptation to address rural poverty. These are not immediate or perfect poverty eradication solutions, but they target concrete problems in Bolivia: low productivity, limited market access, water insecurity, power shortages and vulnerability to climate change.
The strongest part of these strategies is that they strengthen rural communities as producers, entrepreneurs and participants in value chains. When a rural family gains access to irrigation, electricity, training and stable buyers, it has more opportunities to increase income, diversify production and withstand climate crises. Bolivia still faces major economic and social challenges.
However, these projects show that innovation can be a real tool against poverty when it responds to concrete needs. The Bolivian experience shows that reducing poverty depends not only on large national plans but also on practical solutions that reach rural communities and improve their ability to produce, sell and live with greater stability.
– Adriana Carolina Herrera
Adriana is based in Painesville, OH, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Wikimedia
Updates on SDG 9 in Brazil
Solar Energy in Rural Communities
In remote parts of the Brazilian Amazon, many communities still rely on expensive diesel generators and unreliable electricity systems. According to the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, nearly 1 million Brazilians live without electricity, with more than 95% located in the Amazon. An additional 2 million people rely on polluting and unreliable diesel fuel for energy access. Limited electricity access may also restrict economic opportunities, food preservation and access to education, contributing to long-term poverty in isolated communities. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the highest proportions of people living below the poverty line in 2023 were concentrated in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, where access to infrastructure and public services is often more limited.
Recent updates on SDG 9 in Brazil include renewable energy initiatives aimed at expanding electricity access in underserved regions. In 2026, the Global Energy Alliance reported that students in Nossa Senhora do Livramento, also known as Uixi, received solar panels that replaced unstable diesel-generated electricity. The project improved electricity access for the local school while reducing dependence on diesel fuel.
Renewable energy infrastructure can also support poverty reduction by strengthening local economic activity. Families in Uixi rely on fishing, açaí harvesting and Brazil nut production for income. The Global Energy Alliance is working with Brazil’s government in a five-year partnership to bring renewable energy, green jobs and economic opportunity to remote Amazon communities.
Wind Energy and Economic Development
Wind energy projects have also supported development in northeastern Brazil. The region concentrates almost 90% of the country’s wind capacity, according to Brazil’s Energy Research Office. Renewable energy expansion has made northeastern Brazil an important area for infrastructure investment and economic development.
In 2023, Brazil’s minister of mines and energy said transmission investments could unlock between R$180 billion and R$200 billion in wind and solar energy projects in northeastern Brazil. The transmission auction aimed to expand infrastructure needed to move renewable electricity from the Northeast to other parts of the country. Northeastern Brazil has historically faced higher poverty rates than other regions of the country, making renewable energy investment particularly significant for local economic development.
Recent updates on SDG 9 in Brazil also include the expansion of large wind energy projects across northeastern states. In Bahia, the Serra do Assuruá wind complex reached full commercial operation in 2025. The project includes 24 wind farms, 188 turbines and 846 MW of installed capacity, according to ENGIE Brasil. During construction, the project generated approximately 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Renewable Infrastructure and Future Progress
Despite recent progress, many rural communities in Brazil still face limited access to reliable electricity and infrastructure. Expanding renewable energy systems in isolated regions remains challenging due to geographic barriers and limited transmission networks. However, recent investments in solar and wind energy have already improved electricity access in underserved communities.
Recent updates on SDG 9 in Brazil demonstrate how renewable energy projects can support infrastructure development and poverty reduction. Improved electricity access can strengthen schools, health services and local businesses while creating new economic opportunities in vulnerable regions. Continued investment in renewable infrastructure can help Brazil expand sustainable development while improving living conditions for rural communities.
– Natalia Fleith Gelasko
Photo: Unsplash
Everything To Know About Hunger in Jordan
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), nearly 3 million people in Jordan have required humanitarian assistance since 2024. The country also hosts the second-largest number of refugees per capita worldwide. According to the WFP, around 77% of these refugees face food insecurity in Jordan. Refugees from Syria, Iraq and Palestine continue to increase pressure on food systems and public services. Rising food prices have also made basic necessities harder to afford for Jordanian families living below the poverty line.
Why Hunger in Jordan Continues
Several economic and environmental factors contribute to rising hunger in Jordan. Jordan ranks among the world’s most water-scarce countries in the world which limits agricultural production and increases dependence on imported food. The World Bank reported that food inflation and unemployment have especially affected young people and low-income households in recent years.
The Syrian refugee population in Jordan especially faces severe food insecurity. Jordan hosts more than 427,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Many refugee families struggle to secure stable employment and thus rely on food aid to survive.
Organizations Fighting Hunger on The Ground
Several organizations continue to address hunger in Jordan through food assistance and development programs. The WFP launched one of the country’s largest food assistance programs providing monthly cash-based food support to vulnerable Jordanians and refugees. In 2023 alone the organization assisted more than 1.7 million people in Jordan.
The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization also works with local and international partners to distribute food parcels and emergency aid across the country. During Ramadan campaigns and emergency response efforts, the organization reaches thousands of families facing food insecurity.
Tikeyet Um Ali has become one of Jordan’s leading anti-hunger nonprofit organizations. Since its founding in 2003, the organization has provided sustainable monthly food support to thousands of families living in extreme poverty. Tikeyet Um Ali also runs awareness campaigns and community programs aimed at reducing hunger nationwide. Everything to know about hunger in Jordan especially includes recognizing the role local nonprofits play in creating long-term support systems for vulnerable families.
Looking Ahead
Although hunger in Jordan remains a major issue humanitarian organizations and local initiatives continue to provide critical support for vulnerable communities. These organizations continue expanding programs that provide emergency meals, nutritional support and financial assistance to vulnerable individuals and unemployed households across Jordan. Increased international aid, stronger economic opportunities and sustainable food programs could help reduce food insecurity in the years ahead. Everything to know about hunger in Jordan points toward one reality: long-term investment and community-based solutions remain essential in the fight against hunger.
– Masa Qasim
Photo: Flickr
Partnerships Rebuilding Education in South Sudan
Organizations such as the Global Partnership for Education and UNICEF are working alongside the government of South Sudan, local communities and humanitarian partners to improve educational opportunities for children affected by the crisis. Through coordinated support, these partnerships are helping create a more resilient and inclusive education system in one of the world’s most fragile contexts.
Expanding Access to Education
Access to education remains a major challenge across South Sudan, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas. Flooding, displacement and insecurity have forced many schools to close temporarily, while some communities lack functioning classrooms altogether, resulting in 2.8 million children unable to access education as of 2021. According to Global Partnerships for Education, many girls often experience greater barriers to education, including child marriage, which can prevent them from continuing their studies.
To address these barriers, international education partnerships, such as Education Cannot Wait, are supporting the construction and rehabilitation of schools, temporary learning spaces and sanitation facilities. These efforts are helping children return to safe learning environments even during periods of instability. Programs funded through global education partnerships are also helping provide learning materials and expand enrolment opportunities for displaced children and vulnerable families.
By collaborating directly with local communities, aid organizations such as UNICEF ensure that education support reflects local needs and priorities. Community involvement has become essential to maintaining schools and encouraging attendance in areas heavily impacted by conflict and climate emergencies.
Improving Teaching Quality
Alongside expanding access, improving the quality of education has become a key priority. South Sudan continues to face a severe shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in remote regions. Many educators have limited formal training and often work in difficult conditions with few resources.
In response, several international partnerships are helping strengthen teaching quality by supporting teacher training initiatives, professional development programs and curriculum improvement efforts. Training programs focus on child-centered teaching methods, classroom management and inclusive education practices that better support vulnerable students. These initiatives are also helping teachers respond to the emotional and psychological needs of children affected by violence and displacement.
In fragile settings, schools often provide more than just education; they can offer stability, protection and a sense of normalcy to children living through crisis. Strengthening the teaching workforce is critical to improving long-term learning outcomes. By investing in teachers, development partners are helping to build a stronger national education system that can better withstand future challenges.
Supporting Inclusive and Resilient Learning
Partnership-driven education programs are increasingly emphasizing inclusion. Girls, children with disabilities and displaced learners often face the greatest obstacles to education in South Sudan. Social barriers, economic hardship and safety concerns continue to prevent many children from attending school consistently.
Collaborative initiatives are working to create safer and more inclusive learning environments through gender-sensitive policies, school feeding programs and improved water and sanitation facilities. In many communities, these measures help reduce dropout rates and encourage families to keep children in school. Importantly, these partnerships are also aligning humanitarian response efforts with long-term development goals.
Rather than focusing solely on emergency education support, organizations are investing in sustainable systems that strengthen government capacity and local leadership.
Final Remarks
By working across sectors and alongside community organizations, international partners like UNICEF and Education Cannot Wait are helping South Sudan move beyond short-term crisis response toward lasting education recovery. While significant challenges remain, coordinated support is giving more children the opportunity to learn and helping lay the foundation for a more stable future.
As South Sudan continues to navigate conflict, displacement and climate-related pressures, sustained investment in education will remain essential. Through strong partnerships and locally driven solutions, rebuilding education is becoming an important step toward long-term resilience and development for future generations.
– Annie Hodgkinson
Photo: Flickr
8 Facts About The World Bank’s New Water Forward Program
Background
The Water Forward initiative aims to improve water access for 1 billion people worldwide. The World Bank has predicted their independent investment in Water Forward should improve water access for over 400 million people by 2030. To supplement this, other multilateral developmental banks have also pledged their resources to access an additional 600 million people. An impact this size would provide an incredible amount of improvement for the world’s water-scarce populations.
Water Forward looks to expand and protect 1.7 billion water-related jobs. The increased investment in national large-scale water projects will not only create new local jobs in water-related sectors, but also improve the conditions of existing professions. Within affected nations, job growth is expected in sectors like agriculture, water system manufacturing, energy and maintenance.
Investment
Many different developmental banks are helping with funding the Water Forward program. The new initiative displays great examples of international collaboration, with a total of 10 multilateral developmental banks involved. Some of these banks include the Asian Development Bank, the Council of Europe Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development, among others.
The initiative aims to double worldwide private investment in water. Public investment dominates capital expenditure in water, with a whopping 90% of capital investment coming from governments. However, the World Bank claims that it believes private investment can be increased to 20% within the next 10 years. They claim this is partly due to tightening government budgets and a rising need for water pricing to reflect its essentiality to life. To attract private investment, the World Bank will seek to create safer water projects with the potential for higher returns.
Water Compacts
Fourteen countries have already announced their water compacts under the initiative. Water compacts exist as commitments from nations to the Water Forward plan, with outlines for how they can best help improve water availability within their respective nations. The 14 nations are Albania, Angola, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. These commitments symbolize the willingness of these nations to follow the World Bank’s guidelines and improve water availability in their nations.
Examples
Kenya started their expanded water access program 13 years ago and looks to expand it with the help of the World Bank. Kenya has been implementing the World Bank-financed “Water Security and Climate Resilience Project” since 2013. This program has increased access to irrigation water and enhanced institutional frameworks for water security. As of 2025, thousands of farmers have gained access to improved irrigation systems as a result of the program.
Uzbekistan’s Water Forward compact aims to provide water security for 3.8 million people and improve irrigation access for 2.2 million people. Uzbekistan, one of the most recent issuers of a water compact, has pledged to install water-saving technology within 1.1 million hectares of land, which should reduce irrigation losses by 25%. Furthermore, it hopes to modernize almost 11,000 km of the main canal, digitalize farm water intake points, and achieve 100% coverage of clean drinking water and modern sanitation by 2030.
– Luca Napolitano
Photo: Flickr
Innovations in Poverty Eradication in Bolivia
Innovations in poverty eradication in Bolivia focus on practical solutions that connect rural communities with markets, energy, water, training and more resilient agriculture.
Agricultural Innovation and Market Access
One major initiative is the Innovation for Resilient Food Systems (Rural Alliances – PAR III) project. In 2022, the World Bank approved $300 million in financing to benefit nearly 130,000 rural families in Bolivia. The project aims to increase food security, improve market access and expand the use of climate-smart agricultural practices.
It also supports at least 1,000 rural community associations and 1,270 rural producer organizations through productive alliances, technology, training and technical assistance. This model matters because it does not treat small producers as passive beneficiaries. It connects farmers with buyers, associations and institutions through business plans designed to improve efficiency, profitability and market access.
Since 2006, the Rural Alliances Project has helped small producers access financing, technology and training, three key tools for improving productivity and quality of life.
Rural Solutions With Real Impact
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights Apiguardia, a beekeeping alliance in San Ramón made up of 18 men and 10 women. With technical support, the group improved hive management, adopted migratory beekeeping practices, increased honey quality and entered more formal and stable markets. This example shows that innovation does not always mean complex technology.
It can also mean specialized training, community organization and better production tools. The results of the Rural Alliances Project highlight the importance of this approach. According to FAO, the first phase benefited more than 28,000 rural households and established 768 alliances.
The second phase reached more than 23,000 families in 120 municipalities. In addition, the market value of certain products increased by 35%, while moderate poverty fell by 11.7% and extreme poverty fell by 10.1% among lower-income beneficiaries.
Sustainable Energy for Rural Communities
Another key aspect of innovation in poverty eradication in Bolivia is access to sustainable electricity. In 2023, the World Bank approved $125 million to expand and improve electricity service in rural communities. More than 141,000 people will receive new or improved access to electricity through grid extensions, mini-grids and individual solar systems.
These solutions will benefit households, schools, health centers and small agricultural, commercial and industrial production units. Electricity can reduce poverty by improving living conditions and boosting productivity. In rural areas, it can support food preservation, tool use, nighttime study, health center operations and the creation of small businesses.
The project also includes solar systems, renewable mini-grids and training in efficient energy use, helping support a cleaner transition that depends less on polluting fuels.
Water, Irrigation and Climate Resilience
Access to water is also essential for reducing rural poverty. In 2024, the World Bank approved $150 million to improve water resource management, irrigation and climate resilience in 15 basins and 256 municipalities. The project will benefit about 30,000 rural families, especially subsistence farmers in upper-basin areas affected by drought, deforestation and soil erosion.
The project focuses on three main areas: protecting water sources through reforestation and native grassland recovery, optimizing household and community irrigation systems and building flood- and erosion-resistant infrastructure. It also includes automated irrigation to improve crop productivity, diversify production and improve household income.
These investments can help rural families adapt to climate instability while strengthening agriculture.
A Practical Strategy Against Poverty
These initiatives demonstrate that Bolivia is combining agricultural innovation, basic infrastructure and climate adaptation to address rural poverty. These are not immediate or perfect poverty eradication solutions, but they target concrete problems in Bolivia: low productivity, limited market access, water insecurity, power shortages and vulnerability to climate change.
The strongest part of these strategies is that they strengthen rural communities as producers, entrepreneurs and participants in value chains. When a rural family gains access to irrigation, electricity, training and stable buyers, it has more opportunities to increase income, diversify production and withstand climate crises. Bolivia still faces major economic and social challenges.
However, these projects show that innovation can be a real tool against poverty when it responds to concrete needs. The Bolivian experience shows that reducing poverty depends not only on large national plans but also on practical solutions that reach rural communities and improve their ability to produce, sell and live with greater stability.
– Adriana Carolina Herrera
Photo: Wikimedia
AI, Data Annotation and Global Poverty
Data Annotation and Global Poverty
The development and accuracy of AI are heavily dependent on its training data. However, before this data is fed to AI for training, it needs to be labeled or annotated with the necessary context. This process has led to a new occupation known as data annotation or data labeling, in which individuals review raw data and label it with the context needed by the specific AI model.
These annotations include outlining specific objects in pictures so that AIs know to pay special attention to that item or explaining the semantics of a word or phrase that could only be understood colloquially. The overall range of annotations depends on the model’s use. However, these examples showcase the wide range of responsibilities and the need for data annotators.
Furthermore, human annotators provide nuance in their work that computers lack, which helps make AI models more accurate. This job is traditionally outsourced to countries in Africa and Asia, where populations live in impoverished communities. These data annotators work in poor conditions, with their workplaces even being referred to as “digital sweatshops.”
However, the tides might turn in favor of these communities with the right business practices and national policies. This is because AI companies want more qualified individuals to step into this role and annotate academic content. This shift in demand indicates the potential for AI to address economic poverty in areas with large populations of data annotators.
Impacts
Many large technology firms routinely outsource jobs to countries with highly skilled but undervalued workforces. Data annotation represents just one segment of the broader outsourcing trend within the Western AI industry. This fosters economic prosperity, benefiting the countries receiving foreign investment.
On that note, data annotation is a new sector these countries can capitalize on for proper foreign investment. Many countries have skilled and knowledgeable human capital working in “lower-level” jobs, such as data annotation, due to a lack of opportunities in their countries. However, with the aforementioned shift in data annotation, these same individuals could easily qualify for “higher-level” positions, demand higher wages and advance professionally.
Sama’s Role in Africa’s AI Labor Economy
Sama is a subcontracting company hired by major technology firms to source and manage data annotation work in Africa. Through this model, the company has become a key part of the AI supply chain, connecting global tech companies with large workforces that label and process the data used to train artificial intelligence systems. Sama has helped lift more than 59,000 people out of poverty since 2008.
Its client and partner network includes companies such as Microsoft, Walmart, Getty Images and other AI-focused firms seeking large-scale human annotation services.
Final Thoughts
Due to the rigorous nature of data annotation, the labor market is expansive. By leveraging current business practices, outsourced workers can capitalize on the shift to make this job more lucrative and even on par with other, more traditionally skilled occupations. This would lead to a holistic alleviation of poverty in local communities, as companies provide new opportunities to impoverished populations without losing the benefits of paying less for the same skill set.
Additionally, if national governments enact policies that both attract foreign investment and protect business practice standards, data annotation could become a powerful force in lowering global poverty and empowering international trade.
– Saanvi Mudpa
Photo: Unsplash
The Higher Education System in Equatorial Guinea
Historical Development of Higher Education
The higher education system in Equatorial Guinea has undergone significant changes since the country gained independence in 1968. Portugal first colonized the territory between 1472 and 1778 before transferring control to Spain, which ruled the country until independence.
After its independence, the education system suffered under the rule of Francisco Macías Nguema. Teachers and academics were arrested and some were executed. In comparison, neighboring country Cameroon established the University of Yaoundé shortly after its independence in 1962 and expanded its higher education system throughout the 1970s. Equatorial Guinea, however, did not establish a national university until 1995.
The government passed the General Education Law in 1995 to promote equal access to education. During the same period, the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE) was established and introduced courses in engineering, medicine, social sciences and humanities. Despite these reforms, higher education enrollment remains low. According to the World Bank, in 2024, only 8,151 students were enrolled in higher education institutions.
Improvements and Current Reforms
Continuing Challenges in Higher Education
In Equatorial Guinea there is currently one university, UNGE, with campuses in Bata and Malabo. Additionally, there are currently five specialized vocational training institutions. In comparison, neighboring country Cameroon has 11 universities. Although Cameroon’s tertiary enrollment rate remains relatively low at 17%, it still exceeds Equatorial Guinea’s rate of 12.8%.
Therefore, despite recent reforms, the higher education system in Equatorial Guinea still faces major challenges such as accessibility, funding and vocational preparation. According to a World Bank report, weaknesses in the sector continue to create employment barriers due to a lack of relevant vocational skills. The country has a very young population, 56% of which is under 25, making investment in higher education crucial for the country’s development.
Conclusion
The higher education system in Equatorial Guinea has faced many historical and structural challenges. However, recent reforms show progress in digital infrastructure and workforce preparation. Continued investment in higher education could expand employment opportunities, strengthen workforce development and encourage future generations to pursue higher education.
– Emma Wheeler
Photo: Unsplash
Disability and Poverty in Turkmenistan: Breaking the Cycle
Barriers for People with Disabilities in Turkmenistan
Starting with education, because that is where everything else begins. For decades, children with disabilities in Turkmenistan were placed in residential facilities or excluded from school altogether. According to a 2024 UNICEF report that The BEARR Trust highlighted, approximately 7% of children with disabilities in Turkmenistan have never attended school, while nearly 60% of children with severe disabilities do not receive disability cash benefits.
Employment presents another significant challenge for people with disabilities in Turkmenistan. Workplaces are not built for accessibility. Hiring practices do not account for inclusion and sitting underneath all of it is stigma, the kind that not only makes it harder to find work but also harder to access health care and to be seen as a full participant in community life. These barriers reinforce long-term economic instability for people with disabilities.
International organizations and regional advocacy groups have pushed for stronger disability inclusion policies in employment. UNICEF and the World Bank have both supported broader disability inclusion initiatives across Central Asia, including efforts focused on accessibility, social protection and workforce participation. While Turkmenistan still faces major barriers in employment access for people with disabilities, these programs aim to strengthen long-term inclusion efforts.
The Link Between Disability and Poverty
Poverty in Turkmenistan remains difficult to measure accurately because publicly available government data is limited. However, international economic reporting shows that many households continue to face financial instability, particularly in rural areas. People with disabilities often experience even higher economic vulnerability due to limited employment opportunities and inconsistent access to benefits and support services.
Disability and poverty in Turkmenistan do not just coexist. They create each other. Poverty means inadequate health care, poor living conditions, and no early intervention for children who need it. Those conditions increase disability rates. Disability, in turn, limits access to education and employment, which keeps income low. The World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia disability inclusion brief describes this as a bidirectional cycle, particularly acute in countries with weak social protection systems.
Efforts to Improve Disability Inclusion
UNICEF has worked with Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Education to expand inclusive education programs through pilot schools, accessibility improvements and teacher training initiatives. In January 2025, UNICEF and the Ministry continued specialized training programs for teachers, school administrators and education professionals working in inclusive classrooms in Ashgabat. These programs aim to improve mainstream classroom access for children with disabilities nationwide, though access in rural areas remains limited.
Turkmenistan made a major commitment in 2008 by ratifying the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. That ratification required legal frameworks protecting equal access to education, employment and social services. The World Bank has since worked with policymakers in the region to examine how benefits are distributed and where coverage falls short for people with severe disabilities.
The BEARR Trust, a U.K.-based organization founded in 1991, has tracked this work from the outside. It monitors social welfare conditions across the former Soviet Union, documents what is happening on the ground and produces the kind of independent analysis that governments and NGOs need to know where to direct resources.
A Path Forward
Progress on disability and poverty in Turkmenistan is real. More children with disabilities are in mainstream classrooms than a decade ago. Policy frameworks are stronger. International partnerships are deepening, but real progress and enough progress are not the same thing. Employment discrimination persists. Benefit access remains uneven. Rural communities are still largely left out.
Experts and advocacy organizations continue to emphasize that inclusive education, enforceable employment protections and stronger social support systems are necessary to reduce the long-term effects of disability and poverty in Turkmenistan.
– Sarah Jeanelle Taylor
Photo: Unsplash
Gender Wage Gap in Tanzania: Beyond the Hourly Rate
Small Pay Gap, Large Employment Gap
At first glance, Tanzania appears close to achieving pay equality. The unadjusted gender wage gap stands at just 2.9% at the hourly level, which economists consider too small to hold meaningful economic significance. On a monthly basis, women actually earn 4% less than men. However, these figures hide major differences in employment patterns between men and women.
Across every age group, women work fewer paid hours than men. Among employed workers, 33.4% of women work part-time compared to 17.3% of men. In other words, while women who secure paid employment tend to earn roughly the same hourly wages as men, they are less likely to work the same number of hours.
The broader employment picture shows an even more significant gap. Women’s employment rate is 75.5%, compared to 84.6% for men. Meanwhile, unemployment among women reaches 12.7% under Tanzania’s national definition; more than double the 5.8% rate for men.
Unpaid Care Work and Poverty
One of the biggest barriers affecting the gender wage gap in Tanzania is unpaid domestic and care work. Women spend an average of 4.6 hours each day on unpaid care and household responsibilities, compared to men who spend only 1.2 hours. This means women shoulder nearly four times the unpaid care burden.
That imbalance has direct economic consequences, contributing to the higher poverty rates among women. In urban Tanzania, female-headed households face a 20% poverty rate compared to 14% for male-headed households. Women who cannot commit to full-time paid work often move in and out of informal employment as well, where workers typically lack social protection, paid leave and job security. In non-agricultural sectors, 93.8% of employed women work informally, compared to 86.6% of men.
Occupational Segregation and Informality
Women and men also remain concentrated in different sectors of the economy. The Duncan Segregation Index estimates that roughly 30% of workers would need to change sectors to create equal employment distribution between men and women.
Women are more likely to work in care-related fields such as education, health and household services, while men dominate sectors including manufacturing, construction and transport. Women also face barriers to advancement within these occupations, as they hold only 27.9% of senior and middle management positions. Another area of vulnerability is contributing to family work. Nearly 40% of employed women work as contributing family members—unpaid workers assisting on family farms or businesses—compared to 18% of men. In rural areas, the figure rises to nearly 51% of employed women.
Progress and Solutions Underway
When researchers consider factors such as age, marital status, education, occupation and sector, the adjusted gender pay gap becomes statistically insignificant. This suggests that differences in working hours and occupational segregation, rather than direct wage discrimination, account for most of the observed gap. These are areas where policy interventions can make a measurable difference in reducing the gender wage gap in Tanzania.
Tanzania has already introduced laws addressing sexual harassment and gender discrimination, while also providing maternity and paternity benefits. The country has also ratified the ILO Equal Remuneration Convention, which mandates equal pay for men and women for work of equal value. Together, these legal protections create a framework for equal treatment in the workplace. Financial inclusion remains another key area of focus. Expanding women’s access to banking and financial tools will help more women start businesses, manage financial risks and build long-term economic independence.
In December 2024, the World Bank signed a $104 million agreement supporting the Pamoja Project. This is an initiative that aims to directly benefit nearly 320,000 women by expanding economic opportunities and strengthening services that prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
The World Bank also continues to work with Tanzania on implementation frameworks designed to turn legal protections into measurable outcomes. As the UN Women brief notes, collecting better data at more frequent intervals would improve understanding of the gender wage gap and would help policymakers shape more effective policies.
Looking Ahead
Reducing the unpaid care burden, expanding women’s access to formal employment and enforcing equal pay protections remain key to closing the gender wage gap in Tanzania. With recent legal reforms, financial inclusion initiatives and targeted projects like the Pamoja Project, these goals are becoming more realistic with each passing year.
– Camila Correch
Photo: Flickr
Women-Led Shea Butter Cooperatives in Northern Ghana
Shea Production Supports Rural Livelihoods
In many rural communities across northern Ghana, livelihoods depend heavily on agriculture and natural resources. Shea production has become one of the region’s most important economic activities for women. According to the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) article “The Shea Revolution: Modernizing the Shea Value Chain for Ghana’s Women,” the global shea butter market is valued at approximately $2.75 billion and is projected to grow to $5.58 billion by 2033.
Despite the product’s value, traditional shea processing remains physically demanding and time-consuming for many women. Osman Mariam, a shea producer in northern Ghana, described the importance of shea butter production by stating, “For the women here, shea butter is like our gold,” Mariama said. “It is what we depend on to support our families.”
Women-Led Shea Butter Cooperatives Expand Opportunities
Women-led shea butter cooperatives help women improve production quality, increase output and access international markets. One example is the Sunkpa Shea Women’s Cooperative in Ghana’s Savannah Region. Founded in 2013, the cooperative began with 565 women from eight smaller associations and has since expanded to include more than 800 women across 12 sub-cooperatives.
The cooperative operates within Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs), which support sustainable land management and conservation practices. Through these initiatives, women help restore degraded land, protect shea trees and participate in agroforestry projects. According to the Equator initiative report, the cooperative has restored 650 hectares of agroforestry parklands and established a nursery capable of growing 700,000 seedlings.
The report also states that the cooperative supports several women throughout the shea value chain and employs 200 women at its processing facility. Memuna Braimah, chairperson of the Sunkpa Shea Women’s Cooperative, explained the impact of the organization by saying, “This encourages us to know that our actions are not only making an impact by changing our landscape but also serving as a lesson for others to know that we women, when united, can reach greater heights and achieve much more than we can imagine.”
Environmental Conservation and Women’s Rights
Environmental protection has become increasingly important for women-led shea butter cooperatives in northern Ghana. According to the Global Shea Alliance article “Protecting Shea Trees: Securing Women’s Livelihoods,” women in many communities depend on nearby shea parklands for income and economic stability. However, deforestation and land-use changes have threatened shea production in recent years.
The article explains that shea trees are increasingly being cut down for charcoal production and land development, reducing women’s access to shea nuts and forcing them to travel farther to collect them. Latifa Chimsi Abdulai, a member of the Wunda Bangbeebu Women’s Cooperative, emphasized the importance of conservation efforts. “She knows preservation is key,” the article states, as cooperative members work with chiefs and local leaders to restore protections for shea parklands.
The Global Shea Alliance reported that more than 16,000 shea trees across Ghana, Togo and Benin have been digitally mapped. The initiative also linked more than 3,500 women producers through the Enhancing Women’s Land Tenure through Shea Tree Mapping project. The initiative helps strengthen women’s land rights while supporting environmental sustainability.
Modern Technology Improves Working Conditions
Modern shea-processing equipment is also helping improve working conditions for women. According to UNDP Ghana, the organization partnered with Community Development Alliance Ghana and the Government of Japan to establish modern shea butter processing facilities in communities in northern Ghana. The facilities include grinders and roasters that reduce processing time and lessen the physical burden placed on women.
The initiative is expected to support approximately 150 women involved in the shea value chain. Speaking about the project, UNDP Peace and Governance Analyst Melody Azinim said, “When you reduce the burden on a woman, you multiply her potential.” Improved access to technology allowed women-led shea butter cooperatives to increase production and compete more effectively in international markets.
Looking Ahead
Women-led shea butter cooperatives in northern Ghana continue to create economic opportunities while supporting environmental conservation and sustainable development. Organizations such as the Sunkpa Shea Women’s Cooperative demonstrate how cooperative business models, international partnerships and conservation initiatives can help reduce poverty and strengthen local economies. As global demand for ethically sourced shea products continues to grow, these cooperatives may continue expanding opportunities for women and families across Ghana.
– Grelby Santos
Photo: Flickr