It is the time of year to reflect on achievements and the need for change. The World Economic Forum 2016 Report on the Global Gender Gap points to both.
Countries are measured on the following metrics regarding women and gender inequality: economic participation and opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment, health, and survival.
The highest possible score is one for gender equality. The lowest possible score is zero for gender inequality. Rwanda has achieved a ranking of five. Pakistan and Yemen are 143 and 144 respectively out of a total 144 countries. Gender inequality examples are numerous in both Yemen and Pakistan.
Gender inequality leads to gender-based violence against both women and young girls affecting one in three females around the world, in the name of “honor killings”, public stoning’s, wartime rape, domestic violence and abuse. Increased conflict in Yemen highlights a correlation with marrying off child bride’s sooner. This is a longstanding human rights violation in Yemen.
Numbers from a survey of 250 community members conducted by UNFPA indicated 72 percent of child marriage survivors in North Yemen were married between the ages of 13 and 15. In the South, 62 percent were married before the age of 16. Child brides experience pregnancy complications and are more vulnerable to violence. They are expected to conceive within their first month after marriage.
Pakistan also experienced severe spikes in violence against women this past summer. Women died by burning, strangling, and poison. Women are vulnerable to early marriage, domestic violence and death by male family members who may be suspicious that they are unfaithful.
New legislation passed in October called the “anti-honor crime bill”. This marks progress; there will, however, remain obstacles between parliament and religious groups. For real change, all murders will need to be treated the same as a crime against the state.
True change for women living in vulnerable settings is possible. Protecting Girls Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act is a bill that was introduced in July 2016 that “… is critical to ensure that children, particularly girls, displaced by conflicts overseas are able to receive a quality education and that the educational needs of women and girls are considered in implementing U.S. foreign assistance policies and programs.”
Pakistan activists are taking action for change with a play on words to end violence against all women. The U.N. Women Pakistan’s new #BeatMe campaign challenges men to beat well-known women from Pakistan at things in which they excel. The campaign confronts physical abuse with female mountain climber Samina Baig. She is the only Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest.
The campaign will focus on success stories of women from all walks of life. Pakistan’s #BeatMe campaign has advocacy components, legal services for survivors and intends to address a shift in social attitudes particularly among men and boys. The campaign’s long-term goals focus on opening a global dialogue about women’s rights and gender equality.
It has been twenty years since the Rwandan genocide where 100 million men, women and children died. Women extended their strength as mothers into the fields of construction and mobilization to rebuild their nation. Today women have a seat at the economic and political tables of power. This is why Rwanda ranks 5th this year for improving the status of women.
- Fifty percent of Rwanda’s Supreme Court Justice’s are women
- Girls attend public school in equal numbers to boys
- Women can legally own property and pass citizenship to their offspring
- Established businesswomen are leaders in the private sector
- Rwanda ranks first in the world for women’s representation in elected lower house of parliament.
New laws are one factor in the Rwanda’s shift to a country where women hold a new place in society. These laws are strengthened by a paradigm shift in the collective thinking of the entire country.
Rwanda did not rebuild overnight. The strength of Rwandan women is a model for countries at war, where women are struggling to stay alive, and seek freedom from violence, a large stepping stone to education, political power and equal pay.
– Addison Evans
Photo: Flickr
SE200 Community Chlorine Maker: Clean Water in Five Minutes
To help remedy this issue, the SE200 Community Chlorine Maker is using electricity and salt to provide clean drinking water to people in need. By producing accurate amounts of chlorine, the battery powered device is able to clean 200 liters of water in five minutes. Chlorine kills an array of microbes and sanitizes water thoroughly. However, chlorine is not always available in remote and impoverished areas.
The Chlorine Maker is simple to use. Water is mixed with salt and poured into a brine bottle. Then the solution is added to the chlorine maker. The device is attached to either a 12V battery or wall plug. After the start button is pushed the liquid begins to bubble. This indicates that electrolysis is occurring. The chemical reaction creates bleach.
Originally this technology was developed by the military but the Mountain Safety Research (MSR) in collaboration with PATH, an international health organization, modified it so anyone can easily use it directly at water sources.
Compared to other chlorine generators, the SE200 Community Chlorine Maker is relatively inexpensive and easy to use. Most importantly, it is able to calculate the correct amount of chlorine needed each time it is used. The SE200 Community Chlorine Maker has been tested in different countries such as Kenya and Ghana. It was officially put on the market in May of this year. It currently costs $200.
MSR and PATH in partnership with World Vision and Operation Blessing want to bring the Chlorine Maker to communities in need of clean water at no cost to them. MSR launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $50,000 in order to send a minimum of 2,500 devices to communities around the world by the end of 2017. These devices will provide safe drinking water for approximately 500,000 people.
In late November, MSR reached their $50,000 goal and now hopes to reach $60,000. They are currently at $59,500 with 645 backers. With their goals met, the SE200 Community Chlorine Maker will improve the lives of many.
– Karla Umanzor
Photo: Flickr
Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa Honor “CNN Heroes”
From adventurous kayaker Brad Ludden’s First Descents to young father Sheldon Smith’s Dovetail Project, the organizations represented were truly diverse, with notables including those furthering progress in the developing world.
CNN Heroes kicked-off by celebrating Luma Mufleh and her organization, Fugees Family. Founded in 2004, Luma assists refugee children to the United States by offering free academic enrichment programs and coaching after-school soccer games. As a Jordanian refugee herself, she targets children displaced due to war, and tailors services to meet individual needs, whether overcoming language barriers, learning about American institutions or combating discrimination. To date, Fugees Family has assisted more than 850 kids from 28 countries.
Another highlight is Umra Omar’s Safari Doctors which began in 2014. Umra temporarily lived in the U.S. but returned to her home in Kenya to provide medical care to the remote Lamu archipelago near the Somali border. Faced with frequent threats and spillover attacks by Al-Shabaab terrorists, most professionals in health care and education fled the Lamu area. However, Umra looks past the danger and now delivers immunizations and other basic health services, arriving on her own by boat. She estimates that she has treated over 2,000 people so far and maintains that these dire communities would benefit most from the return of trained professionals.
Finally, the 2016 Hero of the Year? Jeison Aristizabal, a native of Cali, Colombia, began a project known as ASODISVALLE to assist disabled persons in one of the poorest areas of his home country. Jeison suffers from cerebral palsy and since 2000, has worked to triumph over prevailing stigmas for all. Part of his mission focuses on the identification of other disabled people in the region, but the more important part focuses on providing inclusive rehabilitation and educational services to integrate these citizens back into the community. He offers everything from job training to healthy meals, stimulating the opportunities and happiness of thousands in the area.
Hosts Cooper and Ripa were seen getting emotional more than once at the event, a testament to their support for such projects around the developing world. Cooper has been a part of the program since its inception 10 years ago, and Ripa joined just this year, though making appearances as a presenter during the last two ceremonies. Ripa is also a known supporter of UNICEF.
While the real stars of the event are undoubtedly the remarkable CNN Heroes honorees, it is likely that Cooper and Ripa will both continue to use their presence to draw attention to similar causes in upcoming years.
– Zachary Machuga
Photo: Flickr
Notre Dame and USAID Team Up to Improve Education in Haiti
Currently, almost 80 percent of teachers have not been exposed to the proper training prior to their tenure as educators, and half of those working in the country’s few public institutions lack basic teaching qualifications.
Public schools are almost non-existent in Haiti – almost 90 percent of establishments are run by religious organizations and non-government entities. Because these schools are private, they require tuition fees in order to operate, which is often a huge burden for families in a country where the average annual income is roughly $800.
More than half of all children do not attend school, and the development of education in Haiti must contend with the staggering fact that over half of Haitian adults are illiterate, and as many as 50 percent of second graders cannot read even one word.
However, in an effort to improve the quality of life for millions around the world, USAID has teamed up with 6 U.S. universities to develop innovative solutions to a variety of problems. By awarding over $3 million in grants to graduate students across the country, USAID has committed to improving the lives of people across the globe.
As part of this effort, the University of Notre Dame was awarded a grant in December 2012 to take on the challenge of literacy in Haiti. The grant will cover 150 schools and as many as 30,000 children and will work in tandem with the Haitian Catholic Church over the next four years. Additionally, USAID has partnered with Haiti’s Ministry of Education to the tune of $6.3 million to improve early-grade reading and writing skills.
The University of Notre Dame is certainly familiar with the daunting task of improving the lives of Haiti’s young students. In 2014, the university’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) launched the “Read to Learn” initiative, aiming to reach 7,000 children in 52 schools by expanding Creole reading programs, the native language of 95 percent of Haitians.
Although recent years have been tumultuous and full of challenges for the country, its people remain resilient and dedicated to improving their communities and the lives of their children. With the help of organizations such as ACE and USAID that are committed to improving literacy and education in Haiti, students throughout the island have hope for better education and a brighter tomorrow.
– Emily Marshall
Photo: Flickr
Access to Clean Water and Sanitation Services in Burundi
In 2015, Burundi’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was the lowest in the world at 276 U.S. dollars, and its population density was one of the highest at 435 people per square kilometer of land area, according to The World Bank. As a result, everyday things such as access to clean water and sanitation services in Burundi can be a struggle for the people who live there.
Burundi is located in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa and has been called “the Heart of Africa” because of its geographic shape and location. Although landlocked, the country’s freshwater sources are plentiful. Nearly the entire western border of Burundi lies on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and most of its northern side is bordered by the Kanyaru River. Other bodies of water there include the Malagarasi, Rusize and Ruvubu Rivers; and Cohaha and Rwero Lakes.
A 2010 Water and Sanitation Profile on Burundi from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) reported that their renewable internal freshwater availability was equal to just under 330,000 gallons per person every year. With a number as large as this, how is it possible that access to clean water and sanitation services in Burundi is a struggle?
The Problems Facing Access to Clean Water and Sanitation Services in Burundi
Since 1962, four wars have taken place in Burundi, the results of which have directly impacted their water sector infrastructure. “Burundi’s water supply and sanitation (WSS), sector endured years of destruction brought on by sabotage and neglect during the civil war and its aftermath […] several kilometers of water pipes, connections and 80% of installed meters were destroyed,” according to USAID. This caused many people to use untreated water, which led to waterborne diseases, triggering higher mortality rates.
In 2000, world leaders adopted the U.N. Millennium Declaration along with seven goals, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which had targets for addressing extreme poverty. Goal number 7, target 10, was to “halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation.” USAID reported that in 2008, 72% of urban and rural populations in Burundi had access to drinking water, and 46% had access to sanitation services. There was significant improvement seen in the availability of sanitation services, with 1.2 million people gaining access since 1990.
Although Burundi was likely to meet the MDG, targeting sustainable access to drinking water, it was not expected to reach the “water and sanitation services in Burundi” target. However, the Government of Burundi was working to improve their WSS sector by creating new policies to increase coverage throughout the country, according to the USAID. Past and current donors contributing to the WSS sector include the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and The World Bank.
– Kristin Westad
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Togo
Togo is a largely underrepresented country when it comes to global poverty awareness. Up until about 500 years ago, nothing about the area was known. Togo is an African country sandwiched between Benin and Ghana on the Gulf of Guinea. It is characterized by palm-lined beaches, hilltop villages and phosphate production. Although Togo is one of the world’s top five producers of phosphates, an otherwise prosperous resource used in fertilizers, its inhabitants remain poor and almost entirely dependent on humanitarian foreign aid. Thus, the rates of poverty in Togo are very high.
Nearly 81.2 percent of Togo’s rural population lives under the global poverty line. This makes Togo one of the world’s poorest countries. Child welfare is a huge issue, as 49.5 percent of those impoverished are under 18 years of age. One out of every eight Togolese children will not live to see their fifth birthday. Many face disease, as well as violence and exploitation at the hands of corrupt labor forces and human trafficking. Although the Togolese put a lot of value into education, most children are unable to continue schooling, as their parents cannot afford it.
For years, Togo has been the target of criticism for its human rights policies and poor governance. Developmental aid for Togo was halted in 1992 due to poor governance and human rights issues. In the past, it has gained notoriety as a transit spot for ivory taken from poached elephants and rhinos. For many, this criminal behavior is an act of desperation, as poverty in Togo is so high that many see no other alternative.
However, work is being done. In 2015, Togo began making strides towards eliminating the worst forms of child labor. The Togolese government adopted a new penal code that would implement harsher penalties for human traffickers and other forms of child abuse. The National Committee for the Reception and Social Reinsertion of Trafficked Children also endorsed a new Protective Policy Document on Child Domestic Work which would launch movements to help vulnerable children access education.
As Togo relies heavily on NGOs and international organizations, it is also important that foreign governments help these children by supporting laws such as the Education for All Act. Acts like this one would help to ensure that children similar to those in Togo receive a better education and opportunities.
– Kayla Provencher
Photo: Flickr
Gender Inequality Examples and Progress Across the Globe
Countries are measured on the following metrics regarding women and gender inequality: economic participation and opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment, health, and survival.
The highest possible score is one for gender equality. The lowest possible score is zero for gender inequality. Rwanda has achieved a ranking of five. Pakistan and Yemen are 143 and 144 respectively out of a total 144 countries. Gender inequality examples are numerous in both Yemen and Pakistan.
Gender inequality leads to gender-based violence against both women and young girls affecting one in three females around the world, in the name of “honor killings”, public stoning’s, wartime rape, domestic violence and abuse. Increased conflict in Yemen highlights a correlation with marrying off child bride’s sooner. This is a longstanding human rights violation in Yemen.
Numbers from a survey of 250 community members conducted by UNFPA indicated 72 percent of child marriage survivors in North Yemen were married between the ages of 13 and 15. In the South, 62 percent were married before the age of 16. Child brides experience pregnancy complications and are more vulnerable to violence. They are expected to conceive within their first month after marriage.
Pakistan also experienced severe spikes in violence against women this past summer. Women died by burning, strangling, and poison. Women are vulnerable to early marriage, domestic violence and death by male family members who may be suspicious that they are unfaithful.
New legislation passed in October called the “anti-honor crime bill”. This marks progress; there will, however, remain obstacles between parliament and religious groups. For real change, all murders will need to be treated the same as a crime against the state.
True change for women living in vulnerable settings is possible. Protecting Girls Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act is a bill that was introduced in July 2016 that “… is critical to ensure that children, particularly girls, displaced by conflicts overseas are able to receive a quality education and that the educational needs of women and girls are considered in implementing U.S. foreign assistance policies and programs.”
Pakistan activists are taking action for change with a play on words to end violence against all women. The U.N. Women Pakistan’s new #BeatMe campaign challenges men to beat well-known women from Pakistan at things in which they excel. The campaign confronts physical abuse with female mountain climber Samina Baig. She is the only Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest.
The campaign will focus on success stories of women from all walks of life. Pakistan’s #BeatMe campaign has advocacy components, legal services for survivors and intends to address a shift in social attitudes particularly among men and boys. The campaign’s long-term goals focus on opening a global dialogue about women’s rights and gender equality.
It has been twenty years since the Rwandan genocide where 100 million men, women and children died. Women extended their strength as mothers into the fields of construction and mobilization to rebuild their nation. Today women have a seat at the economic and political tables of power. This is why Rwanda ranks 5th this year for improving the status of women.
New laws are one factor in the Rwanda’s shift to a country where women hold a new place in society. These laws are strengthened by a paradigm shift in the collective thinking of the entire country.
Rwanda did not rebuild overnight. The strength of Rwandan women is a model for countries at war, where women are struggling to stay alive, and seek freedom from violence, a large stepping stone to education, political power and equal pay.
– Addison Evans
Photo: Flickr
SAP Enterprise Resource Planning in Kenya
This is why the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is partnering with SAP to implement a core technology software called SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
SAP was created in Germany in 1972 with the goal of transforming information technology. The company is the world leader in enterprise software and software-related services. It now has locations in more than 130 countries.
SAP in Africa is implementing a business process management software called ERP, allowing organizations to use a system of integrated applications to manage its business. ERP integrates product planning, development, manufacturing, sales and marketing into a single database.
Benefits of ERP include scalability, improved reporting and data quality, lower cost of operations and better customer relations. This is crucial to maintaining an efficient, flexible and uncorrupted e-government whose decisions are backed up with verifiable data.
The KRA is now the first east African company to adopt SAP ERP’s technology. The programs SAP will implement are expected to scale, accelerate and revolutionize decision-making and business management. Each government process in Kenya will now depend on a program called SAP HANA.
The goal of SAP HANA is to simplify the IT environment through data integration into a single, in-memory platform. This simplifies the time-consuming data management tasks and makes it possible for IT departments to focus more on technology innovation.
SAP HANA integrates data from a wide variety of sources with up-to-date insights. These insights can be used to detect patterns and make educated predictive analyses, ultimately making the KRA more citizen-centric, fast and efficient.
SAP Enterprise Resource Planning in Kenya is not just another ICT solution. This is a “massive technology leap” according to Ashley Boag, Acting Managing Director of SAP East Africa, and it is made possible by the full adoption of an e-government system.
SAP ERP’s integration into the Kenyan e-government will maximize technological efficiency and prepare Kenya for growth into the increasingly competitive digital economy. This is a major step towards realizing the development goals stipulated in the Kenya Vision 2030, which aims to transform Kenya into an industrializing, clean, secure and middle-income country by 2030.
– Liliana Rehorn
Photo: Flickr
Helping Refugees Worldwide: Three Simple Ways
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, humanity is facing its largest displacement crisis on record. Violence, persecution and regional instability have caused more than 65 million people to abandon their homes and seek refuge in other lands. These numbers are devastating, and they leave citizens of stable countries wondering what they can do as individuals in helping refugees worldwide.
The White House website states that the U.S. has been active alongside many countries offering sanctuary and assistance to refugees, providing shelter, medical care, and basic services “But the need remains great. Helping refugees isn’t just up to governments — every American can play a role, too.”
Here are three simple ways Americans can begin helping refugees worldwide:
The U.N. Refugee Agency states that every donation it receives goes toward worldwide field operations. Currently, the organization is making an urgent appeal for donations that will go toward the crisis in Iraq. Fighting in Mosul and Northern Iraq has resulted in a humanitarian crisis. The website lists what each amount of money will accomplish. As little as $50 will provide five people with sleeping mats and keep them off the ground at night; $200 will provide emergency shelter for two whole families.The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is another organization that, for every dollar donated, spends 90 cents on programs and services that directly benefit refugees. This organization consistently receives high marks from charity watchdog organizations. When making a donation, research where the money will go. Decide what organization is doing an effective job in helping refugees; information about their finances should be available on their website.
One might wonder how to support refugees on an ongoing basis. The IRC, for example, encourages monthly donations as a Rescue Partner. This steady support allows them to, “respond swiftly and effectively when conflict strikes, to rescue lives in the midst of chaos and to help fragile communities rebuild and move toward a more stable future.”
One individual is only able to give so much financially. Another option to help refugees is to become a fundraising partner. By mobilizing others in the surrounding community, one person can have an even greater impact than would have been possible with a single wallet.The organization Help Refugees will launch its “Choose Love” campaign this month, a series of events designed to encourage empathy, promote awareness and expand the organization’s reach on the frontlines of this crisis. Help Refugees encourages people to raise money with t-shirts, bake sales, events and more.
The displacement of 65 million people is devastating, but lives can be saved through the collaborative efforts of millions of individuals willing to help. By simply asking the question ‘What can I do to help refugees?’, you are the beginning of the solution.
Continue searching for organizations fighting against silence in the face of tragedy. Have open conversations with people seeking to discover new ideas and viewpoints concerning how to help refugees.
Help Refugees says, “As a brutal winter approach, we need you now more than ever. This is still a crisis, but we are not powerless.”
– Rebecca Causey
Photo: Flickr
American Car Sales, The Roads of India
American cars have populated roads from Texas to Vermont to Oregon for decades, yet domestic sales growth is not what it once was. India is the next emerging market with vast potential for American car sales, and companies are vying for dominance.
General Motors (G.M.) and Ford are two of the biggest auto companies that export American cars around the world. In recent years, this model made by the U.S. has shifted to opening new manufacturing and distribution systems across the world.
India is an emerging market in the global auto sales industry and G.M. and Ford have both invested early, resulting in competition for popularity, market share and profit. Based on the current circumstances, it appears that Ford has the advantage. Ford has made large investments in production plants, including the Sanand and Chennai Vehicle Assembly and Engine Plants, each with a price tag of $1 billion. Together, the combined production capacity of these plants is 440 thousand vehicles per year. Ford has seen steady increases in production from just over 14 thousand to 26.4 thousand cars sold in August of 2014, and 2016, respectively.
In contrast, G.M. has just halted a planned $1 billion investment which was aiming to double G.M.’s market share by 2020. Unpredictable consumer patterns and possible new environmental regulations may play a part in this development. Monthly sales are declining over time for G.M, with sales struggling to rise above 4,000 units in early 2015.
In India, only 18 per 1,000 individuals own a car, compared to the 800 per 1,000 in the U.S. India also saw the largest percentage increase in sales from January to November of 2015. The lack of saturation in the Indian market presents a huge potential for growth in American car sales, yet what remains to be seen is how American companies will re-invent themselves to be desirable in the eyes of the people of India.
In the past, U.S. companies brought models of the European theater to developing countries with reliable success, expanding American car sales into new markets. However, this tactic has proven ineffective in India where customers will not jump to a higher price bracket. These companies are attempting to figure out ways to follow the market much more closely than they have before, and it is proving more difficult than anticipated.
India is on the edge of an explosion in car sales as a result of the growing middle class that will disseminate out of the cities and into more rural areas. As this inevitable future approaches, the possibility of capitalizing on this growth becomes less and less certain for new companies that wish to enter this market. Will Ford and G.M. be flexible enough to attract the people of India to companies rooted in decades of American success?
– Patrick Tolosky
Photo: Flickr
Afghan Refugees in India: A Case Study on Entrepreneurship
Over the last few decades, pockets of Delhi, India, have become microcosms of Kabul. Afghan refugees forced out of their homes by war and extremism have found themselves living in meager conditions in poorer parts of the city. Despite their less than satisfactory living situations, these refugees have brought their entrepreneurial spirit with them, finding ways to share their Afghan culture with Indians.
Perhaps the best example of this phenomenon is Ilham, a catering service set up by four Afghan women in 2015 with the help of Access, an NGO working in collaboration with UNHCR. The women create local Afghan delicacies such as Kabuli Pulao (rice with spices, vegetables and meat), Mutton do Piaza (mutton curry) and Firni (rice pudding). Since Afghanistan and India have always shared a particularly friendly relationship, these are dishes that have already been popularized in local Indian culture. However, by providing authentic versions, Ilham has managed to gain a large customer base in just over a year.
The success of this and other ventures set up by Afghan refugees in India, can be measured by the reactions of the women of Ilham when asked about their work. For example, Zameera sees not only the financial independence it has brought her, but also the emotional relief from the despair of losing her home and being separated from her family and country. For Zameera, Ilham is as much a business as it is therapy.
For the nearly 11,000 Afghan refugees in India registered with the UNHCR, as well as that much more living unregistered in the country, initiatives like Ilham have become a way of life. A culture of Afghan cuisine has developed in Delhi, where most of the refugees have settled.
The Green Leaf Restaurant, a popular eatery run by Afghan refugees is another success story. Green Leaf has been beneficial for both the owners as well as the surrounding community. Thus, these refugees contribute to the local economy by providing a niche service driven by high consumer demand.
Anecdotes from Afghan refugees in India offer a valuable insight into how the integration of refugees into local communities can be advantageous to both groups. Rather than detracting from Indian culture, Afghan people have added new aspects to it and strengthened an already strong political partnership. In a time when xenophobia is rampant and fear of job loss is high, it is important to remember that the mingling of cultures can create both enhanced identities as well as new markets for new jobs. The Afghan-Indian experience bears testament to the possibility of a harmonious integration and cultural exchange.
– Mallika Khanna
Photo: Flickr