In Turkmenistan, 41 in every 1,000 babies born in 2021 died before reaching their fifth birthday. About 21.8% of the population has been living in poverty, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific estimated in 2018. Child poverty in Turkmenistan is prevalent as well but efforts are in place to address it.
The Situation
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened its preexisting economic crisis. Vulnerable Turkmen in the densely populated region of Velayat Marijsk had even tried to enroll children in orphanages, being unable to feed their families.
Among Turkmen children, malnutrition is prevalent. More than one in three kids, aged 6 to 59 months, are anemic. In 2022, UNICEF reported that 7% of the youngsters experienced stunting due to the lack of nutrition for an extended period of time in their early childhood.
Poverty thwarts children’s physical and cognitive growth. It violates their rights to education and health care. In Turkmenistan, child rights violation take place on multiple fronts ranging from child labor, early marriage, religious discrimination to human trafficking.
Child labor and human trafficking are two primary concerns due to the region’s financial catastrophe.
Child Labor
Economic disparity triggers forced labor in Turkmenistan’s rural regions. Despite official prohibition on child labor since 2005, hundreds of adolescents work during the cotton harvest at exploitative wages every year.
The government’s ‘repressive’ social policies often lead to forced labor of public sector employees and opens the door to child labor, states Cotton Campaign in its June 2022 report.
Mandatory labor of public sector employees in cotton harvest, coupled with perennial poverty across the society, is a key contributor to child labor in Turkmenistan. Children of humble backgrounds often replace those employees in cotton fields to sustain their families.
In 2021, Turkmen.news has reported, schoolgoers went to harvest cotton in the fall of 2020 for 30 to 40 manats (roughly between 6.5 and 9.0 GBP) of daily wage. Between September and December, rural schools were shut down.
According to Radio Liberty’s sources, that year, “Dozens of children, some of them coughing and sneezing, could be seen in the fields along the road in the Baharden farmers’ association (Ahal region). Though they were clearly unwell, they were still kept in the fields.”
Despite being an arid geography, Turkmenistan has become the 10th largest cotton producer in the world under intensive irrigation and state control. Last year, the country exported cotton valued at roughly $300 million to the global textile market.
Child Trafficking
Turkmenistan has become the fifth most affected country by human trafficking in the Global Organized Crime Index (OCI). The US Department of State in its 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report evaluated that Turkmenistan has not taken adequate steps to eliminate human trafficking from its soil in recent times.
The country’s students have an obligation to spend their summer in farming. Authorities also compel them to labor in organizing events hosted by the state without compensation.
Unemployment, poverty and lack of social support put Turkmen at a greater risk of trafficking. Poor families send their children to work as porters in marketplaces and cultivate potatoes and carrots.
Though a specific figure could not be obtained, a growing number of adolescent girls has undertaken prostitution to sustain themselves. In a blog post, Humanium, an NGO contributing towards ending child rights violations, stated that schoolgirls sell their service on streets in the cotton belt of the country.
Making a Difference
Turkmenistan has lifted most of the country’s population out of extreme poverty over the last couple of decades. The number of families surviving daily on less than $1.90 per person has decreased from 31.5% to 0.6% between 2000 and 2022.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to end poverty in its all forms by 2030. The UN has supplemented with $2,882,510,000 to improve the well-being of Turkmenistan.
To reduce malnutrition in neonates, 38.6% of mothers have received maternity benefits in 2021. Among the households with children, 15.3% have received another cash cover to sustain their families.
The 2019 analysis of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has confirmed that the nation has advanced its accessibility of education and health care services across the civil society.
The organization has emphasized the need for multisectoral economic growth that a transparent social support system fuels, accessible health care, education and the participation of people to curb child poverty in Turkmenistan and uphold child rights.
– Soham Mitra
Photo: Flickr
How Catholic Relief Services Is Providing Aid in Ethiopia
About CRS’s Work
With funding from the Department of Agriculture, CRS has provided aid in Ethiopia in the form of food, shelter, medical care, sanitary care and humanitarian training in Ethiopia for nearly 60 years. In 2023, CRS received $529.3 million in funding from the U.S., distributing it through local partners such as churches and NGOs in Ethiopia. CRS is currently extending aid into regions of Tigray that war has destabilized. Nearly 71% of the region’s population received wheat, split peas and vegetable oil from CRS partners, with 50% of the aid going to women who the conflict left widowed.
Its outreach includes training Ethiopian citizens in humanitarian work, enabling communities to respond more quickly and efficiently to disasters. Following a series of devastating droughts in Dire Dawa, CRS provided packets of wheat, split peas and vegetable oil, and kept the market prices of necessities low by selling directly to residents.
Challenges with CRS’s Work
While CRS has seen its share of success in Ethiopia, the work has not been without its obstacles. In addition to the theft of donated food, multiple CRS workers have died while performing humanitarian work in violent regions like Amhara and Tigray. Despite these setbacks, CRS continues to work toward its goal of eliminating food insecurity and extreme poverty in Ethiopia.
CRS is one of the leading humanitarian agencies working to reduce extreme poverty in Ethiopia. With regular funding from the U.S., its food aid and training to communities who the ongoing conflicts affected foster an environment of humanity and compassion.
– Parth Mishra
Photo: Flickr
Child Poverty in Turkmenistan
The Situation
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened its preexisting economic crisis. Vulnerable Turkmen in the densely populated region of Velayat Marijsk had even tried to enroll children in orphanages, being unable to feed their families.
Among Turkmen children, malnutrition is prevalent. More than one in three kids, aged 6 to 59 months, are anemic. In 2022, UNICEF reported that 7% of the youngsters experienced stunting due to the lack of nutrition for an extended period of time in their early childhood.
Poverty thwarts children’s physical and cognitive growth. It violates their rights to education and health care. In Turkmenistan, child rights violation take place on multiple fronts ranging from child labor, early marriage, religious discrimination to human trafficking.
Child labor and human trafficking are two primary concerns due to the region’s financial catastrophe.
Child Labor
Economic disparity triggers forced labor in Turkmenistan’s rural regions. Despite official prohibition on child labor since 2005, hundreds of adolescents work during the cotton harvest at exploitative wages every year.
The government’s ‘repressive’ social policies often lead to forced labor of public sector employees and opens the door to child labor, states Cotton Campaign in its June 2022 report.
Mandatory labor of public sector employees in cotton harvest, coupled with perennial poverty across the society, is a key contributor to child labor in Turkmenistan. Children of humble backgrounds often replace those employees in cotton fields to sustain their families.
In 2021, Turkmen.news has reported, schoolgoers went to harvest cotton in the fall of 2020 for 30 to 40 manats (roughly between 6.5 and 9.0 GBP) of daily wage. Between September and December, rural schools were shut down.
According to Radio Liberty’s sources, that year, “Dozens of children, some of them coughing and sneezing, could be seen in the fields along the road in the Baharden farmers’ association (Ahal region). Though they were clearly unwell, they were still kept in the fields.”
Despite being an arid geography, Turkmenistan has become the 10th largest cotton producer in the world under intensive irrigation and state control. Last year, the country exported cotton valued at roughly $300 million to the global textile market.
Child Trafficking
Turkmenistan has become the fifth most affected country by human trafficking in the Global Organized Crime Index (OCI). The US Department of State in its 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report evaluated that Turkmenistan has not taken adequate steps to eliminate human trafficking from its soil in recent times.
The country’s students have an obligation to spend their summer in farming. Authorities also compel them to labor in organizing events hosted by the state without compensation.
Unemployment, poverty and lack of social support put Turkmen at a greater risk of trafficking. Poor families send their children to work as porters in marketplaces and cultivate potatoes and carrots.
Though a specific figure could not be obtained, a growing number of adolescent girls has undertaken prostitution to sustain themselves. In a blog post, Humanium, an NGO contributing towards ending child rights violations, stated that schoolgirls sell their service on streets in the cotton belt of the country.
Making a Difference
Turkmenistan has lifted most of the country’s population out of extreme poverty over the last couple of decades. The number of families surviving daily on less than $1.90 per person has decreased from 31.5% to 0.6% between 2000 and 2022.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to end poverty in its all forms by 2030. The UN has supplemented with $2,882,510,000 to improve the well-being of Turkmenistan.
To reduce malnutrition in neonates, 38.6% of mothers have received maternity benefits in 2021. Among the households with children, 15.3% have received another cash cover to sustain their families.
The 2019 analysis of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has confirmed that the nation has advanced its accessibility of education and health care services across the civil society.
The organization has emphasized the need for multisectoral economic growth that a transparent social support system fuels, accessible health care, education and the participation of people to curb child poverty in Turkmenistan and uphold child rights.
– Soham Mitra
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About Disability and Poverty In Colombia
Government Policy Geared Towards Inclusion of the Disabled
With the hardships of disabled Colombians in mind, the Colombian government passed Law 361 of 1997, which ensures protection from discrimination for any disabled individuals within Colombian borders. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified and incorporated in 2011, allows the government to pass policies concerning affirmative action and other social benefits for disabled persons.
These policies helped form the political framework for social inclusion policies such as the National Disability and Social Inclusion Policy, laying the groundwork for NGOs and governmental organizations to enhance social benefits for disabled persons. While progress has been slow, the government is consistently working towards providing more services (unemployment benefits such as 50% of the last job’s salary paid by the state, food security, etc.) for the disabled population to ensure their economic, physical and social well-being.
Barriers to Employment for the Disabled
Despite strides in the inclusion of disabled persons into the corporate labor force, many in the productive sector still consider them to be incapable and unproductive. In fact, a 2022 study by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) found that only one in five disabled persons had employment in Colombia.
IGOs and NGOs Work Within Local Communities to Provide Resources
Many organizations base themselves in various local communities to provide helpful resources specifically tailored to the needs of the disabled there. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided peer counseling to individuals suffering from physical disabilities in five sites from 2016 to 2019 and is working with the Colombian government to develop a policy to introduce large-scale counseling for disabled persons. Corfrodis, a lesser-known NGO, is making education, health care and culture more accessible for disabled people by establishing micro-projects in local communities.
Disabled Persons Have Lower Literacy Rates
The 2015 National Demographic and Health Survey in Colombia found that the percentage of adults with less than primary schooling attained is significantly higher among disabled adults (38%) than adults with no difficulty (13%). Since most medium to high-paying jobs require the completion of lesser education, this statistic means that a significant portion of disabled persons work jobs that pay wages insufficient for maintaining a comfortable lifestyle.
How NGOs Lobby Government and Provide Educational Resources
Working within the framework established by the Colombian government, many NGOs establish themselves on a national scale to directly address problems that disabled persons face. Organizations such as Incluyeme help disabled people learn valuable skills within a certain field and seek employment that provides ample pay and growth opportunities. Meanwhile, lobbying organizations like the Disability and Human Rights Network have consistently succeeded at securing policy support that establishes disabled people’s rights and social welfare.
Conclusion
The rising availability of educational resources for the disabled and greater legislative efforts speak of a more prosperous future for disabled Colombians going forward. However, with international assistance, the Colombian government and NGOs based in Colombia would be able to address the plight of disabled Colombians much more effectively.
– Parth Mishra
Photo: Flickr
The Intersectionality of Gender and Poverty in India
Gendered Impact of Poverty
In the 1980s, feminists analyzed this intersectionality of poverty and gender and came to the conclusion that poverty affected women more than it affected men and that females suffered more than their male counterparts. This phenomenon and understanding came to be known as the “feminization of poverty”– a global truth. According to projections by UN Women, UNDP and the Pardee Center for International Futures from February 2022, an estimated 388 million women and girls lived in extreme poverty globally, compared to 372 million men and boys. This gender-based gap has only widened since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in developing nations like India.
When examined, there are many reasons why this might be the case. According to a 1995 paper written by Kathryn King in Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature, Vol. 14, No. 1, titled “Of Needles and Pens and Women’s Work,” others have traditionally restricted women to the private sphere of society and this remains largely true in the rural and sub-rural areas of India.
Killing of the female child after birth (infanticide) or even before birth (foeticide) is common in many urban and rural households, and if that is not the case, they experience neglect and exploitation with a noticeable bias toward the male child of the family. Even in urban areas, issues like double burden (that is, women having to take up the responsibility of both taking care of the household and children and of working) and the gender wage gap prevail. Additionally, a lot of the work women do in the household falls under the category of unpaid (and unrecognized) labor.
Education for The Poor Girl Child
As per data, more than 53 million girls in India–between the ages of 12 and 18–belong to underprivileged communities. Even though school enrollment of girls in India has been increasing and has increased from 10.7 to 28.1 million between 2000 and 2014, girls continue to drop out of school at higher rates than boys and many become victims of child marriage (despite it being illegal). According to data published by UNFPA in 2021, there are 102 million child brides in India. These trends highlight the need for niche organizations and NGOs like SwaTaleem to enter into this space of intersectionality of gender and poverty in India, and address the concerns that largely remain ignored by mainstream initiatives.
SwaTaleem’s Efforts
SwaTaleem is a New Delhi-based nonprofit organization that came into existence in 2015 and uses a participatory system-based approach to address the intersectionality of gender and poverty in India, helping those who live within this intersectionality. The organization aims to break the cycle of oppression by helping girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and rural and tribal areas gain access to high-quality education and foundational skills, overcome language barriers and achieve financial freedom.
SwaTaleem majorly works with Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV schools), which are residential girls’ secondary schools run by the Government of India since 2004 to provide for and ensure quality education for girls belonging to the disadvantaged sections in India. Its methodology consists of working with school clusters through collaborative efforts and by using low-tech IVRS (Interactive Voice Response Service) technology to allow for an engaging and participatory approach to education.
Through its consistent efforts, the NGO has multiple ongoing programs, including:
SwaTaleem’s Impact
Through its work spanning the past eight years, SwaTaleem has positively influenced the lives of millions of girls and women. The organization has achieved this through its IVRS program, placing close to 100,000 calls annually and delivering more than 10,600 hours of educational content. Additionally, under its parent engagement initiative, it has made nearly 3,700 calls. Although SwaTaleem’s reach extends to practically every girl in India, its broader impact on the community is noteworthy. This success stands as a testament to the adage that “little by little, a little becomes a lot.”
– Manasvi Kadian
Photo: Flickr
Ending the Cycle of Child Poverty in Singapore Through Education
The Cycle of Poverty
Education is a key factor in overcoming child poverty. Children from low-income families are more likely to struggle to match their peers. In Singapore, 3% of school-age children are not proficient in reading.
Children who struggle to stay in school due to unmet financial needs have a higher risk of remaining in poverty, continuing a cycle when they have children of their own. Children who struggle with poverty are at risk of failing to achieve the core competencies necessary for growth and development. To combat this, Singapore offers financial assistance to families whose children are at risk of leaving school in order to help financially contribute to the household.
Attending libraries assists families that cannot afford to buy toys or books that are necessary to reach developmental milestones. Libraries can provide access to all educational tools. The benefits of children doing extra reading outside of school hours have been found to increase their inspiration and vocabulary skills. In Singapore, families with an annual income of around $60,000 per year struggle with obtaining educational materials for childhood learning and development.
Government initiatives toward encouraging access to education are important to end the cycle of child poverty in Singapore. Having parents who finish secondary education has been shown to increase a child’s vocabulary skills significantly—children of educated parents have an average range of 600 vocabulary words by age 3, compared to 250 words for children of uneducated parents.
Children’s Rights in Singapore
The Children’s Ordinance originated in 1927 to ensure that all children were safe from any type of poverty. In 1946, the Social Welfare Department began to raise awareness of social issues, including child poverty. The Social Welfare Department assists individuals and families struggling with finding health care, employment and affordable food.
In 1950, efforts to protect children from neglect and abuse through community activities and youth sports leagues became the Children and Young Persons Act, giving children increased legal protection. In 1989, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child combined children’s legal access to health care, education and social services.
Education Resources
Originating in 2000, the I Can Read campaign supports literacy from home. Children enhance their language skills through an online platform that is geared to provide a school-like setting.
The nonprofit organization Kidstart supports families during the early stages of childhood development, serving children under 6 years old. Its aim is to build stronger relationships between children and parents and empower children to discover more about their communities.
My Home School supports international schooling, with a curriculum based on the Charlotte Mason method, providing in-home education to children from Kindergarten to Secondary 4.
Overcoming the Cycle of Poverty
Education is an important factor in overcoming poverty. A great resource to help fight poverty is FreeRice. It donates grains of rice to the World Food Programme for every question that participants answer correctly.
– Paige Couture
Photo: Flickr
Providing Clean Water in India
According to UNICEF, India loses more than $600 million annually due to waterborne diseases. Additionally, it is not just clean water that India’s people lack. UNICEF adds that nearly two-thirds of Indian districts face extreme water depletion. With such an immense gap in the need for water and the resources available, a question arises. What is limiting clean water in India?
Limitations to Clean Water in India
Many rural areas lack water infrastructure. Eighty-five percent of drinking water in rural areas comes from groundwater. For the locals, while this source may not be as clean, it is convenient and the only option that has so far been reliable. Leaky pipes, lack of water treatment facilities and improper water management hinder rural areas. They cannot access water in ways similar to their urban counterparts. However, the Indian government has been making steps towards improving water access, and new legislative goals on sustainable development should boost accessibility to water treatment facilities in the coming years.
Pollution in Water Sources
According to a study by the National Institution of Transforming India (a government think tank), nearly 70% of India’s water is contaminated. While groundwater is still the primary water source for most people, wells and aquifers are depleting nationwide. This forces people to shift towards unsanitary drinking water. These devastating circumstances lead to millions of people being ill.
Children are especially at risk, with 1.5 million children dying annually of diarrhea directly due to a lack of clean water in India. India’s water pollution stems from a lack of infrastructure for waste disposal and an understanding of how human activities damage water resources. Recent initiatives have aimed to combat the problem of pollution by creating sewage treatment plants and looking into technology that could potentially recycle wastewater on a large scale.
A Lack of Education About Water Resources
When rural areas saw an increase in clean water accessibility, it turned out that less than half of the locals were using these new water systems. While providing water is essential, educating the public on its importance is also crucial for its adoption. Additionally, another important step is changing the narrative around certain holy streams. For example, the Ganges, a holy river in India, experiences 3 million liters of sewage daily. With this river being a primary source of water for millions, it becomes crucial to prevent contamination.
Several nonprofits, such as the GANGES Project, are partnering with the Indian government to spread awareness of the importance of clean water. The project started in the early 2000s. The National Institute of Advanced Studies learned that the amount of pollution in the river was getting toxic. Since its start, the project has made massive strides by collecting more data about the water flow and its relationship to pollution. Team members are lobbying for policy changes, empowering community leaders to change the lifestyle of people along the river and initiating campaigns to practice proper waste management.
While the Indian government has several obstacles to overcome, it has shown progress. By establishing infrastructure and working with outside organizations, clean water in India is becoming more possible. With each step, thousands of people can access clean water in India, and many disease vectors will be eliminated.
– Aman Chaudhary
Photo: Flickr
How Tab for a Cause is Addressing Global Poverty
While Tab for a Cause’s traditional interface allows users to pick and divide their donations among a range of approved charities, the nonprofit recently rolled out specific global initiatives. This article illustrates four of these specific initiatives, which address global poverty.
Tab for Ukraine
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tab for a Cause launched its Tab for Ukraine initiative. Tab for Ukraine provides user-initiated donations that help Ukrainian families in the war access food, water, shelter, education and other crucial services. The specific charity that this initiative supports is Save the Children, which has worked in Ukraine since 2014.
In 2022 alone, Save the Children provided essential services to more than 1,095,323 Ukrainians. These services included hygiene kits, mental health support, direct cash transfers, online education spaces and locations where children could safely participate in sports, art, language learning, socialization and playtime.
Tab for Global Health
Another Tab for a Cause initiative is Tab for Global Health. This initiative provides donations that help train and employ health care professionals in developing nations, enabling health care access in the communities that need it the most and generally creating “healthier and happier communities around the world.” The charity that this initiative supports is Partners in Health.
Founded in 1987, Partners in Health provides high-quality health services to people in Haiti, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the Navajo Nation. While Partners in Health mostly focuses on developing nations, they work within the U.S., too.
Tab for Ending Hunger
For users looking to fight food insecurity, Tab for a Cause also offers its Tab for Ending Hunger. This supports the charity Action Against Hunger, which provides baby formula, emergency nutrition services and quality food to those who need it, fighting global malnutrition.
Action Against Hunger originated in 1979, and operates in 55 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Through its programs, Action Against Hunger provides services to an average of 28 million people worldwide every year.
Tab for Ending Poverty
The final initiative covered in this article is Tab for Ending Poverty. This funnels donations to GiveDirectly, which provides money directly into the pockets of those who need it, trusting that those living in poverty will spend the money on necessities. The goal of this charity is to accelerate the end of extreme poverty.
Founded in 2009, GiveDirectly provides direct cash transfers to people in Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Türkiye, Uganda, the U.S. and Yemen. To date, GiveDirectly has provided more than $700 million to people living in poverty in the aforementioned countries.
Conclusion
With each day that passes, Tab for a Cause’s users raise more money for charity, helping to fight global poverty and food insecurity. For those looking to be part of this effort, Tab for a Cause is free and available for Google Chrome, Safari and Microsoft Edge.
– Natalie Coyne
Photo: Unsplash
The Link Between Poverty and Children’s Education in Somalia
Education in Somalia
UNICEF has highlighted several challenges affecting children’s education in Somalia. Parents in many areas are unable to afford their children’s education due to poverty, long distances to schools, safety concerns, social norms favoring boys’ education and a shortage of teachers, especially female ones. Additionally, the lack of sanitation facilities further hinders enrollment, especially for girls. Even for those attending school, challenges persist—overcrowded classrooms, inadequately trained teachers and a shortage of educational resources hinder the quality of education. Consequently, children face difficulties in achieving academic success.
Concerning gender inequality, a 2018 report from the Education, Policy and Data Center (EDPC) underscores disparities in Somali education. In 2006, 81% of girls aged 6-11 were not in school, compared to 77% of boys. Similarly, 79% of girls aged 14-17 were out of school, in contrast to 66% of boys. Gender norms influence this discrepancy, leading parents to prioritize their sons’ education over their daughters’ due to limited financial resources.
Schools are limited in rural areas, and often centralized in cities, making it challenging for children to commute. Due to insufficient government funding, due to extreme poverty fluctuations, the education system faces financial challenges. Amina Abdulle, a British primary school teacher working with girls in Somalia, reported that teaching conditions are tough, with a shortage of supplies due to funding issues. She also reported that poverty-related cuts have affected public education, making schooling less accessible, compounded by the introduction of school fees.
Ongoing Efforts
Speaking on what adjustments could improve the education in the Somali schooling system. Abdulle says, “I think there is a lot of room for improvement. But the changes don’t have to be drastic to make a difference.”
Save the Children is a children’s rights organization that has worked in Somalia since 1951, for more than seven decades. The organization’s efforts cover “health and nutrition, education, child protection and child rights governance,” the Save the Children website says. Through various forms of programming, the organization aims to improve the well-being of children. For instance, in terms of education in Somalia, Save the Children supports the Ministry of Health and the public education sector to rehabilitate school infrastructure, and provide quality training to educators while advancing the school curriculums and strengthening education policies.
What is Next?
The Save the Children website outlines its commitment to enhancing education access, particularly for marginalized groups such as rural and pastoralist communities, out-of-school children and internally displaced populations. The organization concentrates on elevating the quality of education services to enhance learning outcomes and advocates for equality and inclusiveness, particularly for girls and children with disabilities. Its educational initiatives follow a holistic approach, addressing child rights, protection, health and proper nutrition. In an interview, Abdulle noted that change is underway, albeit gradual, and emphasized the children’s eagerness to learn, expressing hope for appropriate transformations to benefit them.
– Sumaya Ali
Photo: Unsplash
Gender Equality Improves in Sub-Saharan Africa
Poverty and Gender Equality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Promoting global gender equality is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations in 2015. The goal is to achieve gender equality by 2030. UN Women conducted a new data analysis that spotlights gender-based discrimination across all 17 SDGs and then summarized where Sub-Saharan Africa stands in comparison globally.
The first Sustainable Development Goal is no poverty. The global average is that 122 women in the 24-34 year-old cohort live in extreme poverty for every 100 men of the same cohort. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the average is 127 women living in extreme poverty for every 100 men in the same cohort. The fifth Sustainable Development Goal is about gender equality and reducing the barriers for women and girls. Globally, women do 2.6 times the unpaid domestic work compared to their male counterparts. In the three countries that UN Women looked at — Ethiopia, Mali and Mauritius — women, on average, spend 19% to 22% of their day doing unpaid domestic work. Meanwhile, men spend approximately 2.5% to 8.7% of the day on unpaid domestic labor in the same three countries.
The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) comprehensively measures how poor a population is based on a summary figure of the three dimensions of poverty — health, education and living standards. The most recent survey year for Gabon was 2012, and based on the data collected, 15.6% of the population is multidimensionally poor. The most recent survey year for Côte d’Ivoire was 2016 when 46.1% of the population was multidimensionally poor.
Reforms in Gabon
Gabon adopted new laws in 2021 that revised the country’s 1972 Civil Code. The Civil Code had previously been rooted in French colonial labor laws that imposed constraints on the jobs and sectors women worked in, the hours and the pay for their labor. As part of the 2021 revisions to reduce these constraints, women in Gabon could:
Additionally, reforms to the Criminal Code in 2021 protected Gabonese women from gender-based discrimination when accessing credit.
In May 2023, the First Lady of Gabon, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, patronized a three-day event promoting women’s rights and empowering them during the Conference of Ministers in Gender and the Advancement of Women. The event highlighted how vital the inclusion of women is when it comes to political and peace processes. At the end of the event, the eleven countries present adopted the “Declaration on the Common Agenda on priority actions for the promotion of women’s rights and their empowerment.”
Reforms in Côte d’Ivoire
The results of the Program for the Analysis of Educational Systems were published in 2021. This report revealed that only 41% of children could read above the satisfactory level during their final year, and only 17% showed satisfactory proficiency in math.
Côte d’Ivoire has transformed its education system in response to the report. During the 2023/2024 school year, Côte d’Ivoire began the National Early Learning Program, which uses cognitive science and neuropsychology to understand how children read during their early schooling years. In addition to reforms on how children learn, Côte d’Ivoire is also reducing gender inequality and stereotypes in the educational system through:
Concluding Remarks
The reforms that Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire have taken so far are essential steps in the 2030 Agenda to promote gender equality and reduce the barriers that women face. These steps help women gain greater access to rights at all levels — from education to economic systems and political processes. Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire are leading the charge of increasing gender equality in Sub-Saharan Africa.
– Komalpreet Kaur
Photo: Flickr
4 Organizations Helping the Deaf Community in Zimbabwe
1. Deaf Zimbabwe Trust
One organization helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe is Deaf Zimbabwe Trust. Founded in 2012 and based in Harare, Zimbabwe, Deaf Zimbabwe Trust initially originated to promote human rights for deaf Zimbabwean children. Deaf Zimbabwe Trust still supports equal educational opportunities for deaf children in Zimbabwe, but in the 10 years since its establishment, the organization has experienced substantial transformation and expanded to offer services to the entire deaf community in Zimbabwe.
Deaf Zimbabwe Trust now works to promote human rights for all deaf Zimbabweans by influencing policy, promoting better health outcomes for deaf Zimbabweans through the use of interpreters, teaching sign language, researching evidence-based interventions and empowering deaf women. Through this work, Deaf Zimbabwe Trust envisions a world where all deaf and hard-of-hearing people can live independent, dignified lives with the same rights and opportunities that are available to hearing people.
2. NZEVE Deaf Centre
Another organization helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe is NZEVE Deaf Centre. Founded in 2000 and based in Mutare, Zimbabwe, NZEVE Deaf Centre caters to the needs of deaf Zimbabwean children and youth, as well as their families. The organization’s work includes running a preschool for deaf children, providing early detection and intervention services, improving deaf Zimbabweans’ access to various forms of health care, encouraging deaf leadership and promoting social justice.
Through this work, NZEVE Deaf Centre has supported 237 deaf Zimbabwean children, provided education to 202 deaf Zimbabwean children, provided training to 99 deaf Zimbabwean youth and trained 157 workers. Additionally, NZEVE Deaf Centre has partnered with Mrs. Kadzora’s Garden Project, which now employs deaf Zimbabweans and other Zimbabweans with disabilities in Zimbabwe’s farming industry. NZEVE Deaf Centre does this work with the goal of creating a world where deaf people are viewed as valued members of society.
3. Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe
An additional organization helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe is Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe. Founded in 2017 and based in Harare, Zimbabwe, Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe specifically focuses on empowering deaf Zimbabwean young women and girls. Alongside hosting an annual Miss Deaf Pride pageant, Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe works to provide education and opportunities to deaf women and girls.
Other work that Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe carries out includes sign language education, self-advocacy training, disability rights training and entrepreneurship and career development training. Within the organization’s entrepreneurship and career development training, Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe teaches deaf women and girls how to make jewelry so that they can embark on lucrative careers in jewelry making. Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe does this work with the goal of enabling deaf women and girls to feel more confident in themselves.
4. Sunrise Sign Language Academy
A final organization helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe is Sunrise Sign Language Academy. Based in Harare, Zimbabwe, Sunrise Sign Language Academy focuses specifically on Zimbabwean Sign Language education to make all aspects of life more accessible to deaf Zimbabweans. It is currently hard for deaf Zimbabweans to access equal health care, equal opportunities and equal recognition in society due to a lack of people who know sign language and, therefore, a lack of people able to communicate with deaf people. In teaching sign language to influential members of society, including but not limited to clergy, education professionals, medical professionals and legal professionals, Sunrise Sign Language Academy hopes to bridge that gap.
Sunrise Sign Language Academy also has the goal of making Zimbabwean Sign Language something that all households in Zimbabwe know. This is an important endeavor, as many deaf people worldwide currently end up suffering from Language Deprivation Syndrome, a result of a lack of language input from an early age.
Looking Ahead
While there is still a long way to go before the deaf community in Zimbabwe achieves full equality, these organizations have helped them take strides in that direction. It is thanks to their tireless efforts that many deaf Zimbabweans have been able to access educational opportunities, career development opportunities and more.
– Natalie Coyne
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