Many political campaigns, government agencies, and non-profit organizations categorize a series of topics as “women’s issues.” These issues generally address subjects such as birth control, reproductive rights, and women’s access to education and equal pay. Yet, these issues affect more than just women—they affect everyone. Women’s issues are actually human issues.
In many parts of the world, women are viewed as inferior to men. While boys are encouraged to receive an education, girls are often removed from school to take care of the home, losing out on an education that could increase a woman’s pay and her household’s earning potential in the future. At a microscopic level, a reduced household income increases the chance of a single-family living in poverty. However, when entire cultures neglect the role of women as productive members of society, not only do individual households suffer, but entire economies lag, negatively affecting everyone.
Even in societies where women are allowed to work, women are undervalued for their skills and labor. They are concentrated in “insecure jobs in the informal sector with low income and few rights.” According to the Global Poverty Project, “women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, produce half of the world’s food, but earn only 10% of the world’s income and own less than one percent of the world’s property. On average, women earn half of what men earn.” This pay reduction, while better than a complete ban on allowing women to work, also contributes to poverty. When women earn less, their family earns less, increasing a household’s chance of living in poverty.
Because many areas of the world limit a woman’s access to education and job opportunities, women are often viewed as inferior to men and are left powerless in their societies. Throughout the globe, “three million women die each year because of gender-based violence, and four million girls and women a year are sold into prostitution. One in five women is a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.”
Societies are better off economically and socially when women are valued, are allowed to receive an education, are presented with equal work opportunities, and are protected from abuse. In areas where women are educated, fertility rates are lower, helping to reduce overpopulation and contributing to a higher GDP per capita. Children are also better cared for and healthier when their mothers are educated. And as stated before, women with access to education and equal work opportunities are able to earn higher wages, reducing the chance of their family living in poverty and improving overall economic production.
“Women’s issues” are truly human issues because they affect everyone. The role that women play in society not only affects sisters, mothers, and daughters, but also their brothers, fathers, sons, and husbands. By enabling women with the tools they need to be safe, healthy, and productive members of society, the entire world will be a better place.
– Jordan Kline
Sources: Global Poverty Project, UN Women
Photo: Current Gender Issues
How African Artists Broke Through the Global Art World
African art sells for modest amounts in comparison to other contemporary works of art, so why are international collectors and enthusiasts racing to secure as much of it as they can? If worldwide critical acclaim and prestigious awards are any indications, African art could become a profitable investment.
With the South African country of Angola taking the Golden Lion award for best national participation at the Venice Biennale art exhibit, African art has generated extraordinary buzz amongst curators and collectors. The Bonham auction house in London holds the only annual sale dedicated to African art, and the house’s website notes that there has been “an explosion of interest” in recent years for the artwork.
“Created by artists from a multitude of cultures,” the site explains, “African contemporary art reflects the complex heritage of this dynamic continent and demonstrates tremendous potential for investment.”
El Anatsui, a Ghanaian sculptor and teacher at the University of Nigeria, is among the acclaimed African artists whose work has generated such enthusiasm. Channeling his Ghana heritage, many of his works incorporate either clay or wood in conjunction with local goods from his culture, such as Igbo palm mortars and Ghanaian trays. Some of his famous works blend common items together to form monumental and fluid sculptures. For example, his 2007 sculpture “Dusasa II” is a 361.6 lb melding of plastic disks, aluminum, and copper wire. One of his most recent works, “TISA-TISA—Searching for Connection,” was entirely constructed using recycled materials.
El Anatsui’s work is currently featured in museums such as the Brooklyn Museum in New York and the British Museum in London. He has also created a wall-hanging sculpture for the Royal Academy in London after receiving an invitation to the establishment. In an interview with Gulf News, El Anatsui explained how art has always existed as expression of cultures such as his, and it’s thanks to advances in modern communications that awareness of other cultures has increased.
Angolan photographer Edson Chagas has also garnered international attention after his showpiece Found Not Taken allowed his home country to take the Golden Lion award. A documentary and commentary on consumerism and capitalism, Found Not Taken compiles years of photos taken in Luanda: the city Chagas was born. Although he studied photography in London, he always intended to continue his projects from his home country. Chagas hopes the award will spark more interest in both his work and the art of other Angolan artists.
This increased exposure has allowed Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh to secure funding in London for a contemporary African art fair. She notes that African artists are using their art to “promote their country,” and the international focus on countries such as Angola is “not just on war anymore.” Modern art plays an important role in the common perception of cultures and societies, so Africa’s rising popularity will increase awareness of the continent’s triumphs and struggles on a global scale. With economies on the rise in many of Africa’s countries, citizens such as Chagas hopes their governments will take this opportunity to provide stronger education in the arts to train a new generation of artists.
– Timothy Monbleau
Sources: BBC, BBC Economy on the Rise,
Bonhams, Poetics of Line, Golden Lion Award, Metropolitan Museum of Art The British Museum, Gulf News, Tree Hugger, Contemporary And
Photo: skunkandraven
Why “Women’s Issues” Are Actually Human Issues
Many political campaigns, government agencies, and non-profit organizations categorize a series of topics as “women’s issues.” These issues generally address subjects such as birth control, reproductive rights, and women’s access to education and equal pay. Yet, these issues affect more than just women—they affect everyone. Women’s issues are actually human issues.
In many parts of the world, women are viewed as inferior to men. While boys are encouraged to receive an education, girls are often removed from school to take care of the home, losing out on an education that could increase a woman’s pay and her household’s earning potential in the future. At a microscopic level, a reduced household income increases the chance of a single-family living in poverty. However, when entire cultures neglect the role of women as productive members of society, not only do individual households suffer, but entire economies lag, negatively affecting everyone.
Even in societies where women are allowed to work, women are undervalued for their skills and labor. They are concentrated in “insecure jobs in the informal sector with low income and few rights.” According to the Global Poverty Project, “women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, produce half of the world’s food, but earn only 10% of the world’s income and own less than one percent of the world’s property. On average, women earn half of what men earn.” This pay reduction, while better than a complete ban on allowing women to work, also contributes to poverty. When women earn less, their family earns less, increasing a household’s chance of living in poverty.
Because many areas of the world limit a woman’s access to education and job opportunities, women are often viewed as inferior to men and are left powerless in their societies. Throughout the globe, “three million women die each year because of gender-based violence, and four million girls and women a year are sold into prostitution. One in five women is a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.”
Societies are better off economically and socially when women are valued, are allowed to receive an education, are presented with equal work opportunities, and are protected from abuse. In areas where women are educated, fertility rates are lower, helping to reduce overpopulation and contributing to a higher GDP per capita. Children are also better cared for and healthier when their mothers are educated. And as stated before, women with access to education and equal work opportunities are able to earn higher wages, reducing the chance of their family living in poverty and improving overall economic production.
“Women’s issues” are truly human issues because they affect everyone. The role that women play in society not only affects sisters, mothers, and daughters, but also their brothers, fathers, sons, and husbands. By enabling women with the tools they need to be safe, healthy, and productive members of society, the entire world will be a better place.
– Jordan Kline
Sources: Global Poverty Project, UN Women
Photo: Current Gender Issues
World Bank Plan for Energy Sector Investments
The World Bank Group’s report “Toward a Sustainable Energy Future for All: Directions for the World Bank Group’s Energy Sector” was released on July 16, and lays out principles-based plans for the World Bank’s work in the energy sector. The report puts a special focus on expanding energy access and sustainable energy.
The report, also known as the Energy Sector Directions Paper, focuses on the poor in terms of their energy access, stating that “supporting universal access to reliable modern energy is a priority.” The report points out the connection between poverty and lack of energy access asserting that “economic growth, which is essential for poverty reduction, is not possible without adequate energy.”
The Energy Sector Directions Paper also emphasizes supporting renewable energy. Declining costs of renewable energies like wind and solar power are increasing their usefulness, and hydropower in particular is one of the largest untapped sources of renewable energy in the developing world. The energy sector directions paper underscored the importance of these renewable energies for sustainability and also in order to increase energy access while trying to reduce climate change. The World Bank Group asserted that they would support and invest in coal power development “only in rare circumstances.”
1.3 billion people are without access to electricity and 2.6 billion people rely on the traditional use of biomass for cooking, which causes harmful indoor air pollution. These people are mainly in either developing Asia or sub-Saharan Africa, and in rural areas. In order to foster sustainable development in these countries, plans like the World Bank Group’s Energy Sector Directions Paper need to be enacted to give the poor access to renewable energy sources.
– Martin Drake
Sources: World Bank, International Energy Agency
Photo: Value Walk
What the Supreme Court Did for HIV Prevention
On June 20, the United States Supreme Court delivered their decision in the case of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) v. Alliance for the Open Society Institute International (AOSI). The highest court in the country ruled 6-2 that USAID had violated the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution by requiring private organizations to take a pledge not to provide funding for HIV prevention to sex workers. The landmark decision means that HIV/AIDs prevention organizations all over the world will now be able to seek USAID funding without having to sign a pledge that would exclude the very people they are trying to serve.
In 2003, USAID implemented a new law that required all groups receiving U.S. government funds for international HIV/AIDs work to adopt policies opposing prostitution. The “anti-prostitution loyalty oath” mandated that these organizations take the official position on prostitution that the U.S. government does, which is that all forms of sex work are illegal. The oath resulted in the defunding of numerous HIV prevention organizations that deliberately serviced sex workers.
The government, and by proxy USAID, officially equate prostitution with human trafficking. These organizations, however, take the stance that not all sex work is the result of trafficking and that some women and men willfully enter into prostitution. They want to make sex work safer for those involved, recognizing that it will continue despite attempts to stop it.
In September 2005, AOSI began challenging the loyalty oath in federal courts, labeling it unconstitutional. They argued that the oath was in violation of private organizations’ first amendment rights because it required them to adopt the government’s point of view and restricted what they could say or do. The Supreme Court agreed. This ruling brings the U.S. one step closer to accomplishing its goal of eradicating HIV. Instead of adopting policies that contradict their objective, USAID will now have to align itself with it.
– Allana Welch
Sources: Huffington Post, Johns Hopkins, PR News Wire
Photo: Politics PA
Is Ugandan Coffee Climate-Friendly?
In Mount Elgon, a region in southeastern Uganda, a new public-private partnership is helping smallholder coffee farmers adopt climate-friendly farming methods in order to increase their yield.
The region is known for the production of Arabica beans, a high-quality coffee bean that only grows in certain conditions. The Mount Elgon region is ideal for the bean, because of its rich volcanic soil, high altitude and good rainfall. However, farmers have only been able to produce one-third of the potential yield in recent years because of climate change and poor farming techniques. As temperatures rise, so does the number of pests and diseases, and the area has become prone to landslides because of an increase in heavy rainfalls, deforestation and uninformed farming practices.
This new project, initiated by the Welsh Assembly Government and funded by the Cardiff-based Waterloo Foundation, is helping farmers cope with the climate changes. The project has initiated a pioneering new approach to farming coffee beans and has introduced techniques such as using shade trees for the coffee plants, organic compost, better soil management, proper spacing between coffee trees, pruning, control of pests and the recycling of plastic. Together, these initiatives are helping to double the output of coffee. Simon Hotchkin, Sustainability of Harrogate, said, “We think there’s potential to double the output of coffee even from the best-managed farms we’ve seen. Most of these farmers have very little influence over the international coffee markets, so the thing that they can control and influence is the output and the livelihood that they generate from coffee.”
The project is also providing funding for new nurseries that over time will create over one million new trees, as part of a three-year climate change action plan. The trees will give shade to the coffee plants, over time will yield fruit, and some will be harvested for timber and firewood. The project hopes that in the future, consumers will be willing to pay more for the higher quality Arabica coffee bean, which in turn will help growers in Uganda to continue adapting to global warming.
– Chloe Isacke
Source: The Guardian, New Agriculture
Photo: Wallpapers Ad
Revamp or Remove India Free School Lunch Program?
In Bihar, India 22 school children dies and dozens more became ill of contaminated school lunches. The food was made with cooking oil that had been stored in a used pesticide container. Now, parents and officials are questioning the reliability of the food and some children are even refusing to eat the lunches after the incident. The “Mid Day Meal Scheme” has been an integral part of India’s attempt to help impoverished children, and could now be facing its own end. Should the program that now feeds 120 million children a day and that has provided many of those children with their only meal of the day for so long face the chopping block? Or should the Indian government work to improve it?
While eating their daily meal of lentils, beans, rice, and potatoes the children complained that the food did not taste right. Shortly after, large numbers of them started to suffer from vomiting and diarrhea. Students were sent home to deal with the illness, but they did not find help there. The local private clinics were overrun with patients and could not deal with the sudden influx.
Akilinand Mishra, father of one of the students, told the New York Times that he tried to take his son to the clinic once he became ill. He was finally able to hitch a ride to the hospital, but his son died in his arms on the way there. Mr. Mishra stated in the interview, “It was poison that the children ate, not food. Food contamination doesn’t happen that fast. It was poison.” Bacterial contamination is relatively common throughout India and poisoning, although much more rare, has been known to happen in schools that take part in the program.
The Mid Day Meal scheme originated in 1925 in the Madras Municipal Corporation as a way to help disadvantaged children. The idea spread slowly through the country and in 2001 the government mandated that all states provide lunch to their students. According to the UN’s State of School Feeding 2013, India’s school lunch program has resulted in higher levels of student enrollment and lower levels of absenteeism. Due to low-income, many children are required to stay home from school in order to work, but with the promise of a free meal, many parents have started sending their children to school so they do not have to worry about feeding on their own pocket.
The Evaluation Study on Cooked Mid Day Meal did by PEO Planning Commission shows that only 13% of children receiving the free lunch consume fruit during meals at home on a daily basis and 33% get milk at home every day. Some surveys suggest that as much as 50% of children in India suffer from some form of malnutrition, thus these meals can play a very important role in helping these children grow into adults. But, according to parents, this may not be enough of an incentive to continue relying on the program. With contaminated food occurring regularly and corruption in all levels of the CMDM scheme, it is risky for parents to allow their child to eat at school.
That does not necessarily mean that there should be an end to the program altogether. While there are numerous issues that need to be addressed, the CMDM is the largest free lunch program in the world. Therefore it could easily be one of the most helpful if it were run properly. The problems with the overall implementation of the program are certainly outweighed by the positive effects it has already had and the even better results that could come if the program was improved.
– Chelsea Evans
Sources: New York Times State of School Feeding 2013 Performance Evaluation of Cooked Mid Day Meal
Photo: The Nation
No Education for Adults Seeking Asylum
In the last few years, Australia has become very popular with young adults seeking asylum from their dangerous and crime-ridden homelands. The total number of requests for asylum has risen from 668 in 2008-2009 to 7379 in 2011-2012, with about 65% of the people screened last year aged 30 or younger.
The result of this increase has been that the country’s border patrol has increased and possibly gotten out of hand. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s current policy holds that those arriving at the country by ship who are on bridging visas lose their right to attend school at the end of the school term during which they turn 18. So, the second someone becomes an adult, they lose the right to a proper education.
Those who are seeking asylum in Australia are generally suffering persecution in their country of origin due to race, religion, gender, economic standing, or political affiliation. Many of them may be refugees and are unable to seek an education as a result. They travel to Australia with hopes that they may be able to improve their lives and flourish outside the harsh environment they had been living in.
A 17-year-old Hazara boy fled to Australia after he was persecuted in Afghanistan and Pakistan by extremists groups due to his race and therefore unable to go to school. Leaving his family and life behind, he came to seek education and work in a better place. But he has been left in a lurch thanks to the Australian government. He told The Global Mail, “When I was in my country I worked so hard, I like to work … part of the time work … to study as well. I like that. Now I am not allowed to work and study.”
Upon his arrival in the country, he was not allowed to enroll in school because he would soon be turning 18. He is also not allowed to work, but is provided a small government stipend to meet basic needs. The Red Cross pays for him to study English several hours a week, but otherwise, he just waits for his asylum claim to be processed.
The government argues that children of mandatory school age, 5-17, are put through school regardless of their asylum status but that it would be unreasonable to expect adults to stay in school because of the extra costs that are incurred as a result. However, the education of young adults is arguably just as important as that of children. Going to school provides the asylum seekers with a focus for their lives, makes them feel like part of a community, and provides them with a chance at bettering themselves before either settling down in Australia or getting repatriated back to their own country.
There are schools that are known for going against the government’s demands and allow adult students to stay and continue their education, but without citizenship, those seeking asylum are still unable to get government assistance for higher education or get jobs while they wait.
And things could be even bleaker than initially imagined. The Prime Minister announced on the 19th that all those arriving by boat would be removed to Papua New Guinea and would not be allowed to permanently settle in Australia. Those who are found to be refugees may stay in Papua New Guinea but otherwise must leave. There is no word on what this would mean for those currently waiting for ruling on their asylum requests in Australia, but it is clear that soon education will not be the only thing at stake for those fleeing their country and seeking help in Australia.
– Chelsea Evans
Sources: The Global Mail, Asylum Trends, New York Times
Photo: Harris
5 Ways to Empower Women
Though women produce roughly half of the world’s food supply and are often held responsible for their family’s well being, they are treated as second-class citizens in many places around the world. According to the United Nations, women’s empowerment is important not only from a human rights standpoint but also because it is “a pathway to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development.” Listed below are five ways to empower women that will simultaneously bolster the fight against global poverty.
1. Give a Microloan
Organizations such as Kiva allow people to lend small amounts of money to individuals who cannot access traditional banking systems. When given microloans, women can start their own small businesses and better support themselves and their families. Microloans also help women to gain financial independence, which often allows them to escape domestic violence.
2. Help Girls Empower Each Other
Girl Up, a United Nations organization, allows American girls to connect with their peers in developing nations. Girl Up ensures that girls across the world can inspire each other and learn to stand up for the rights and opportunities to which they are entitled.
3. End Gender-Based Violence
Roughly 70% of females experience physical or sexual violence during their lifetime, and many more are subjected to other forms of abuse. Social mobilization is imperative in the battle against gender-based violence because it ensures that educational, psychological, and legal resources are offered to the many women who face violence. Organizations such as Say NO: UNiTE To End Violence Against Women provides funding for advocacy programs, volunteer opportunities at shelters, and protective government legislation in order to eliminate gender-based violence.
4. Grant Equal Educational Opportunities
Two-thirds of children denied an education across the world are girls. Left uneducated, girls are much more likely to live in poverty because of their low-earning potential and high fertility rate. Girls who attain higher levels of education have fewer children, earn higher salaries, and encourage education within their own households, gradually reducing poverty over time. The UN’s Global Fund for Women works to bridge the educational gap by investing in organizations that provide women with valuable skills and knowledge.
5. Help Women Recover from Conflicts
Women are one of the most vulnerable populations in times of conflict, subject to higher rates of violence, rape, and poverty. Advocating for food assistance following violent conflict helps to ensure that women receive food assistance after they have been crippled by the difficult side effects of war. This assistance helps them to restart their lives, giving them the tools and training they need to rebuild their communities.
– Katie Bandera
Sources: WFP, Oprah, Huffington Post
Photo: Flickr
Extreme Poverty in the United States
Throughout the world, extreme poverty rates have decreased significantly in the past years. According to the United Nations, “the number of extreme poor has dropped by 650 million in the last three decades.” Economic investment and poverty relief work in developing countries have played a significant part in reducing extreme poverty rates across the globe.
Although the majority of the people living in extreme poverty reside in developing nations, extreme poverty has yet to be eradicated from even the wealthiest of countries in the world. A recent study conducted by sociologists from Harvard and the University of Michigan have determined that extreme poverty in the United States still exists. Nearly 1.65 million households in the United States survive on less than $2 a day. This figure “accounted for 4.3% of all non-elderly households with children” in the United States.
The conditions of an American living in extreme poverty are certainly different than those of people who live in the developing world. Fortunately for the American impoverished, the United States has established a number of programs to assist people living under the poverty line. Food stamps, housing subsidies, and refundable tax credits are available to ensure that a person’s basic needs are met. The United States spent $9.6 billion on funding Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in 2011. This program provides temporary financial assistance to the impoverished, allowing them to pay for daily expenses when they are struggling to earn a sufficient income.
Although extreme poverty is concentrated in developing nations, extreme poverty is truly a global issue. Poverty reaches rich and poor countries alike, and the impoverished need aid no matter where they live. The difference between the impoverished living in a wealthy country and a developing one, however, is that wealthy countries have well-established safety nets for those living below the poverty line. In other parts of the world, this is not the case, making foreign assistance to these areas even more critical to ensure that the impoverished have their most basic human needs fulfilled.
– Jordan Kline
Sources: CNN, UNDP, Washington Post
Photo: HandsOn Blog
Problem of Safe Drinking Water for Refugees
Drinking water is a major problem for many parts of Africa, particularly in refugee camps, where minimal living conditions make it difficult to secure safe drinking water. The recommended minimum amount of water a person needs in an emergency situation is 15 liters a day. In Ab Gadam, a refugee camp in southeast Chad, UNHCR struggles to provide refugees with 10 liters per person per day. Currently, in Ab Gadam the drinking water is filtered from a nearby lake, however, when the rain comes, this source of water will be cut off. UNHCR is trying to find new solutions to be able to meet this challenge.
“It is really serious…we need to increase the supply – and that is what we are working on,” said Dominique Porteaud, UNHCR’s senior water and sanitation officer. He made it clear that if a solution was not found people would turn to alternative, unsafe ways of obtaining water that could lead to disease.
Zenab, a refugee living in Ad Gadam with five children, knows all too well the effect unsanitary water can have. After having to flee their village in the troubled West Darfur region, she and her family spent weeks in the border area. While there they dug small holes in the ground to find drinking water. This drinking water was not filtered and caused Zenab’s two-year-old son Ali to get sick. After entering the Ad Gadam camp, Ali is still sick but is now receiving treatment.
As the rain season quickly approaches UNHCR has been looking at several different approaches to supply safe drinking water to the refugees of Ad Gadam. Some of these measures include increasing the number and size of water storage tanks and continuing the search for productive boreholes.
UNHCR has already developed a water treatment plant, which chemically sanitizes water brought in from the nearby lake. The plant can produce enough clean water to supply refugees with 10.5 liters per day, which is still short of the minimum recommended. Refugees have also begun to find their own source of clean drinking water. Zenab and her family collect rainwater that they use to clean clothes, pots and pans, and bathe.
To inform people about the dangers of unsafe drinking water, UNHCR has begun to run awareness programs that stress the importance of clean water, sanitation and hygiene. “It is important that everybody, including the children, know about the best use of water and the dangers of drinking dirty water,” says Barka Mahamat Barka, a UNHCR water and sanitation expert.
– Catherine Ulrich
Sources: UNHCR, UN
Photo: Contribute