With half of the world’s population comprising of females, period poverty affects millions of women and girls on an ongoing monthly basis. Defined by ActionAid as the lack of access to safe, hygienic menstrual products and an inability to manage menstruation with dignity, period poverty remains prevalent in many least-developed and developing countries worldwide. But how common is period poverty in the Balkans?
PaRiter, a Croatian human rights organization and Jana Kocevska, a North Macedonian female rights activist and founder of Tiiit! Inc., collaborate to highlight and address inequality and period injustice affecting women and girls in the Balkans. Its efforts focus on raising awareness and advocating for systemic changes to address these challenges.
The Balkan Case
The Balkans, a region on Europe’s mountainous southeastern peninsula, includes countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. Historically, this area has experienced long periods of instability and conflict, leading to significant disparities between these countries and the rest of Europe, particularly its Western counterparts.
Multidimensional poverty remains high, with 34% of people in Kosovo living below $6.85 per day according to the World Bank’s poverty line for upper-middle-income countries. In contrast, the number of people living below this threshold in the rest of Europe amounts to only 2%.
Period Poverty in Croatia
With this lack of socio-economic development, gender-based poverty has increasingly been scrutinized. A study conducted by PaRiter in 2021 indicated that 9.9% of participating women in Croatia sometimes did not have the financial resources to buy enough sanitary products, while 28.1% were forced to buy cheaper items of worse quality.
Until 2023, Croatia imposed a 25% tax on tampons, which was then reduced to 15%. This tax cut marks progress in combating period poverty, yet the ongoing stigma around menstruation and limited access to affordable, quality sanitary products still cause disparities. Many women and girls, due to these barriers, miss work or school, further increasing their vulnerability.
However, through PaRiter’s initiative, many educational institutions across Croatia have implemented a trial run providing free sanitary products to people who menstruate. In response, Marinella Matejcic, women’s rights and reproductive justice program lead from PaRiter, stated “We are happy not only with the fact that many educational institutions and local administrations have decided to take action but also because a paradigm shift has taken place regarding the topics considered suitable to be addressed in a public debate. The battle against period poverty is an issue of public interest that overcomes ideological differences.”
Interview with North Macedonian Female Rights Activist
Croatia sets an example for other Balkan countries with its advanced public and health care infrastructure. Unlike Croatia, nations like Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia still grapple with limited access to modern gynecology and contraceptive methods. Rural areas in these countries often face challenges in accessing clean water and their health facilities, underdeveloped and burdened with outdated perspectives on female sexual and reproductive health, further exacerbate the disparities in women’s health care.
In an interview, North Macedonian Jana Kocevksa described that “Menstrual Justice is about opening the debate, acknowledging that menstruation is an important natural phenomenon related to sexual and reproductive health” and that “politics leading to ending menstrual poverty should be systematically supported by the national health program.”
On October 4, 2023, North Macedonia joined the UNECE-WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health as the 28th member, committing to enhance health and hygiene support in its minority and rural communities. This initiative marks a crucial step in addressing disparities in menstrual hygiene by focusing on clean water access. However, to fully combat period poverty, the country recognizes the need to expand education and awareness campaigns to dismantle the stigma associated with menstruation.
In its survey, PaRiter pointed out that a key factor of period poverty was that many women felt shame and embarrassment around menstruation, indicating a severe gap in the current education system. Kocevska suggests that the solution “can only be achieved with political and well managed public health politics, emphasizing that “Menstrual justice means that marginalized people and minorities, people in different age groups or urban or rural areas, should all have equal access to knowledge on menstruation, periods free of stigma and clean period products.”
Period Poverty: Destigmatization
Efforts by organizations like PaRiter and activists such as Kocevska have raised awareness of period poverty in the Balkans, yet ongoing discussions are crucial to identify further areas for development. Many countries in the region lag behind their European counterparts in health and education, often clinging to outdated views on menstrual and reproductive health.
Efforts to educate on sexual health and women’s reproductive rights may need to undergo systemic changes at both local and national levels. This is critical to dismantling the stigma associated with menstruation and women’s cycles, ultimately aiming to eradicate period poverty in the Balkans.
As PaRiter’s Matejcic states, “For the idea of menstruation as something dirty to be definitively deconstructed and or the menstrual cycle to be destigmatized, it is necessary to introduce sexual education in school to educate citizens. Embarrassment and shame are fought with knowledge.”
– Zoe Winterfeldt
Photo: Unsplash
Sightsavers Reduce Trachoma in Kenya
Sightsavers, an international organization, is dedicated to preventing and treating blindness caused by NTD. Originating in the ’50s, it initially focused on leading countries like Kenya. The organization promotes disability rights and provides medical treatments to help eliminate trachoma in Kenya.
Sightsavers’ Efforts to Combat Trachoma in Kenya
Sightsavers dedicates itself to “avoiding blindness and advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities.” The organization actively pursues several key goals:
Kenya stands as one of the countries most affected by trachoma. However, the nation’s health care system faces significant challenges due to underfunding and lacking essential resources for avoiding vision loss. Consequently, many individuals in Kenya’s poorest communities struggle to access vital medications necessary for preventing trachoma.
In response, Sightsavers focuses on providing targeted support through various initiatives. This initiative includes offering “Free Eye Screening” services and ensuring regular check-ups for trachoma to detect and address vision issues early. The organization also emphasizes training local staff, equipping doctors and surgeons with the necessary skills to enhance Kenya’s health care system and improve patient care quality.
Additionally, Sightsavers researches to gather data on the causes and prevalence of visual impairment due to trachoma in Kenya. The organization reaches out to remote communities through rural outreach programs to conduct screenings for signs of trachoma. Moreover, Sightsavers implements hygiene programs to educate schools on the significance of good hygiene practices. They are helping to combat infectious diseases. Finally, the group prioritizes inclusive education efforts, working to reduce gender inequality barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing essential eye care support.
Lanoi’s Journey: A Tale of Resilience and Hope
In 2024, Sightsavers captured the narrative of Lanoi, a 4-year-old afflicted with trachoma in Kenya. The nonprofit organization’s community health volunteer, Joel, embarked on a journey to remote villages where he encountered Lanoi, grappling with trachoma. Utilizing dose poles facilitated by SightSavers, Joel swiftly determined the appropriate medication dosage and administered antibiotics to Lanoi.
Dose poles are crucial in assessing a patient’s height and facilitating accurate medicine dosage. The distribution of more than one billion NTD treatments through pole calculations highlights the significance of Sightsavers. Following treatment, Lanoi experienced a swift recovery within days. Following her recovery, Lanoi’s uncle committed to advancing Sightsavers’ mission and combatting trachoma in Kenya. He focused on educating others about crucial prevention strategies to reduce the prevalence of the disease.
SAFE Strategy in Kenya
SightSavers employs the SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Face-washing and Environmental improvements) to combat trachoma in Kenya. This comprehensive approach involves surgical interventions to alleviate the condition where necessary. The group distributes antibiotics through mass drug administration programs, repeated annually for five years, to ensure the effectiveness of treatment.
Additionally, the organization prioritizes facial cleanliness, conducting local workshops to educate individuals on the importance of personal hygiene. Environmental improvements are also emphasized, with efforts concentrated on enhancing access to clean water and minimizing the risk of reinfection by eliminating breeding grounds for flies carrying the disease in Kenya.
Fighting Stigma Toward Gender
Sightsavers emphasizes the importance of addressing gender inequality in trachoma treatment efforts in Kenya. Children are particularly vulnerable to trachoma. Mothers, often primary caregivers, face heightened exposure. Recognizing this, Sightsavers views female volunteers as crucial in reaching women lacking treatment due to cultural or religious norms.
– Kasia Flisiuk
Photo: Flickr
Period poverty in the Balkans
PaRiter, a Croatian human rights organization and Jana Kocevska, a North Macedonian female rights activist and founder of Tiiit! Inc., collaborate to highlight and address inequality and period injustice affecting women and girls in the Balkans. Its efforts focus on raising awareness and advocating for systemic changes to address these challenges.
The Balkan Case
The Balkans, a region on Europe’s mountainous southeastern peninsula, includes countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. Historically, this area has experienced long periods of instability and conflict, leading to significant disparities between these countries and the rest of Europe, particularly its Western counterparts.
Multidimensional poverty remains high, with 34% of people in Kosovo living below $6.85 per day according to the World Bank’s poverty line for upper-middle-income countries. In contrast, the number of people living below this threshold in the rest of Europe amounts to only 2%.
Period Poverty in Croatia
With this lack of socio-economic development, gender-based poverty has increasingly been scrutinized. A study conducted by PaRiter in 2021 indicated that 9.9% of participating women in Croatia sometimes did not have the financial resources to buy enough sanitary products, while 28.1% were forced to buy cheaper items of worse quality.
Until 2023, Croatia imposed a 25% tax on tampons, which was then reduced to 15%. This tax cut marks progress in combating period poverty, yet the ongoing stigma around menstruation and limited access to affordable, quality sanitary products still cause disparities. Many women and girls, due to these barriers, miss work or school, further increasing their vulnerability.
However, through PaRiter’s initiative, many educational institutions across Croatia have implemented a trial run providing free sanitary products to people who menstruate. In response, Marinella Matejcic, women’s rights and reproductive justice program lead from PaRiter, stated “We are happy not only with the fact that many educational institutions and local administrations have decided to take action but also because a paradigm shift has taken place regarding the topics considered suitable to be addressed in a public debate. The battle against period poverty is an issue of public interest that overcomes ideological differences.”
Interview with North Macedonian Female Rights Activist
Croatia sets an example for other Balkan countries with its advanced public and health care infrastructure. Unlike Croatia, nations like Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia still grapple with limited access to modern gynecology and contraceptive methods. Rural areas in these countries often face challenges in accessing clean water and their health facilities, underdeveloped and burdened with outdated perspectives on female sexual and reproductive health, further exacerbate the disparities in women’s health care.
In an interview, North Macedonian Jana Kocevksa described that “Menstrual Justice is about opening the debate, acknowledging that menstruation is an important natural phenomenon related to sexual and reproductive health” and that “politics leading to ending menstrual poverty should be systematically supported by the national health program.”
On October 4, 2023, North Macedonia joined the UNECE-WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health as the 28th member, committing to enhance health and hygiene support in its minority and rural communities. This initiative marks a crucial step in addressing disparities in menstrual hygiene by focusing on clean water access. However, to fully combat period poverty, the country recognizes the need to expand education and awareness campaigns to dismantle the stigma associated with menstruation.
In its survey, PaRiter pointed out that a key factor of period poverty was that many women felt shame and embarrassment around menstruation, indicating a severe gap in the current education system. Kocevska suggests that the solution “can only be achieved with political and well managed public health politics, emphasizing that “Menstrual justice means that marginalized people and minorities, people in different age groups or urban or rural areas, should all have equal access to knowledge on menstruation, periods free of stigma and clean period products.”
Period Poverty: Destigmatization
Efforts by organizations like PaRiter and activists such as Kocevska have raised awareness of period poverty in the Balkans, yet ongoing discussions are crucial to identify further areas for development. Many countries in the region lag behind their European counterparts in health and education, often clinging to outdated views on menstrual and reproductive health.
Efforts to educate on sexual health and women’s reproductive rights may need to undergo systemic changes at both local and national levels. This is critical to dismantling the stigma associated with menstruation and women’s cycles, ultimately aiming to eradicate period poverty in the Balkans.
As PaRiter’s Matejcic states, “For the idea of menstruation as something dirty to be definitively deconstructed and or the menstrual cycle to be destigmatized, it is necessary to introduce sexual education in school to educate citizens. Embarrassment and shame are fought with knowledge.”
– Zoe Winterfeldt
Photo: Unsplash
5 Organizations Tackling Food Insecurity In Malaysia
The most vulnerable communities to the crisis are residents of Kelantan and Sabah, since agriculture is the main driving factor of their economies, the disruption of which exacerbates food insecurity and poverty among the regional population. The pandemic also thrust a lot of Malaysian residents already facing food insecurity even further into the crisis.
5 Organizations Fighting Food Insecurity in Malaysia
Fortunately, several regional and national programs tackle food insecurity in Malaysia. They aim to help alleviate the crisis among low-income families, marginalized communities and during natural disasters. Below is a list of five nonprofits and NGOs that are doing substantial work:
Looking Ahead
In the face of mounting food insecurity challenges, Malaysia is witnessing the unwavering dedication of various organizations committed to making a difference. With innovative approaches and grassroots initiatives, these groups are providing essential support to those most vulnerable, from rural communities in Sabah and Kelantan to urban families in Kuala Lumpur.
As these organizations continue to expand their reach and impact, they embody collective resilience, demonstrating that through collaboration and compassion, overcoming food insecurity is within grasp. The road ahead, while challenging, is brightened by the promise of sustained support and community empowerment, guiding Malaysia toward greater food security and prosperity.
– Jay Kosumi
Photo: Unsplash
Namami Ganga: Improving Water Sanitation in India
As of 2021, approximately 16% of India’s population live in poverty, often living with limited access to clean water and sanitation and as a consequence are at risk of contracting dangerous diseases. River pollution is a substantial factor in poor sanitation in India and the high levels of waterborne diseases, such as cholera, affect the most poverty-stricken and claim the lives of more than 1 million children in India every year. Due to the levels of poverty and the limited access to safe water, there have been many calls to clean up and regulate the waste that is polluting the Ganges River.
Namami Ganga
In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Namami Ganga campaign during his election campaign, which aims to improve the reduction and proper management of pollution and environmental conservation and restoration of the river. The success of this initiative could help contribute to improving sanitation in India. With approximately 200 million liters of untreated sewage emptying into the river daily in Varanasi alone, it needs proper regulation and cleanup.
The main elements of Namami Ganga include sewage treatment infrastructure, river cleaning, afforestation, industrial waste overseeing, river-front development, bio-diversity and promoting public awareness,
A decade later, the campaign seems to be making good progress. It helped complete a total of 99 sewage management projects and another 48 are underway across several states in India and multiple locations have launched means of floating solid waste collection and disposal along the Ganges.
Namami Ganga has launched projects in collaboration with several wildlife organizations to help restore the local biodiversity and forest large amounts of land, which can combat soil erosion and flooding. The campaign is also working to increase public awareness with workshops, seminars and activities to promote local participation and understanding of the mission, according to its website.
Thanks to the initiative, the Ganges has seen great improvements over the last decade, and there is great optimism for its efforts to continue and help improve sanitation in India.
Sankat Mochan Foundation
Although Namami Ganga has made great strides since 2014, other organizations and initiatives, such as the Sankat Mochan Foundation (SMF) have been raising awareness and doing vital work too.
First established in Varanasi in 1982, the SMF is a non-profit and non-political organization that has been working to combat the Ganges River’s environmental damage. The SMF centers its mission on the eradication of sewage pollution in the Ganges, an objective all the more relevant in Varanasi, a holy city on the Ganges, where many Hindus come to visit and practice the spiritual act of bathing in the Ganges’ sacred waters that have now become highly polluted.
According to its website, some of the SMF’s key objectives include the promotion of education and health care for the region’s poorer communities, the protection and advocacy of Varanasi’s time-honored traditions and customs and the environmental restoration and conservation of the Ganges.
The Future of Sanitation in India
The clean-up of the River Ganges seems key to safety and prosperity on both a health, social and environmental scale and could help bring into fruition what the SMF has been advocating for since the 1980s and contribute to the ongoing mission to improve sanitation in India. Nanami Ganga has the potential to reduce the threat of many diseases and significantly improve the quality of life of those who depend on the river in their daily lives, as well as those who bathe in its waters in reverence to its sanctity as one of the holiest water sources in all of Hinduism.
– Rose Williams
Photo: Unsplash
Equitable Funding: African Visionary Fund
Evidence of Change
Decolonizing Development is gaining traction in the aid sector, highlighted by the African Visionary Fund (AV Fund)’s recent announcement. Launching as a Segal Family Foundation fellowship in 2017, the AV Fund commits $1 million in flexible support to African-led organizations. In addition, this initiative, benefiting Sub-Saharan African communities, boasts pooled funding from several contributors, including King Baudouin Foundation’s United States (U.S.) arm, Segal Family Foundation, Skoll Foundation and the Tawingo Fund, which supports small to medium-sized charitable groups aiding the needy in developing nations.
The Case for Co-Leadership
Co-leadership is essential to the African Visionary Fund’s (AV Fund) operation, underscoring the belief that proximity to the communities served enhances the impact. Integral to its philosophy since inception, the AV Fund advocates for equity-centered philanthropy, embodying these principles within its structure. Launched as an independent entity in 2020, Katie Bunten-Wamaru, with her extensive background in nonprofit management and experience in East Africa, serves as the co-CEO, propelling the Fund’s mission forward. Her leadership exemplifies the Fund’s commitment to shared governance and deep local engagement.
“The African Visionary Fund (AV Fund) emerged amid global discussions on equity and localization, focusing on directing more funding to local leaders during the global pandemic. A year after its inception, Atti Worku joined Katie Bunten-Wamaru as co-CEO. Based in Africa, Worku, with her extensive experience in the nonprofit sector and advocacy for local founders, has significantly contributed to the Fund’s mission. Moreover, before the AV Fund, Worku founded and led Seeds of Africa in Ethiopia for more than a decade, bringing valuable grassroots experience to her role.
Atti Worku, AV Fund co-CEO stated “This role is very personal to me. I see myself in the ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs we engage with at the AV Fund. I hope to learn from them and partner with them to redesign funding systems that give African visionaries an equitable chance of success.”
AV Fund
The African Visionary Fund (AV Fund) emphasizes collaboration with visionary leaders and acts as a strategic ally, creating opportunities for those closest to their communities. It focuses on supporting organizations that are African-founded, -based and -led, working alongside a network of trusted partners. In addition, this approach enables significant impacts across various sectors, including health infrastructure, education, local economies and equitable societies, showcasing the Fund’s success in fostering sustainable and inclusive development.
Looking Forward
The AV Fund is evidence that foreign aid is having a reckoning. As Degan Ali impressed “International fund-raising should be based on amplifying the dynamic work our communities themselves are engaged in.” Furthermore, Bunten-Wamaru stated, “Everything that we do has to be in service of African-led organization.” In addition, Katie explained further, “There will always be a need to balance this tension – having a co-leadership model helps us balance both sides of our work and not lose sight of either goal.”
– Pamela Fenton
Photo: Flickr
Human Trafficking: 5 Companies Fighting It
While not every single person has the capacity to stop slave labor physically, everyone can contribute in many ways, even by simply purchasing useful or pretty products. Here, we list five interesting products and companies that help stop human trafficking.
Purpose Jewelry
Purpose Jewelry is a company that sells handmade jewelry made by survivors of human trafficking. The company rescues the girls from brothels and sends them to live in its trademarked “Sanctuaries,” where it trains them to make jewelry. It also provides them with health care, mental care and education. The girls also earn full salaries for their work. The company invests 100% of its profit back into helping the victims. Currently, the company assists victims from Mumbai, Cebu, Kampala and Tijuana.
Elegantees
Elegantees creates casual but stylish clothes that any woman can wear. Its priority is sustainability, using cotton and deadstock materials. Most importantly, the employees are primarily girls who are survivors or at risk for human trafficking from Nepal or India. “The Nepal-India border is one of the busiest human trafficking gateways in the world,” with a report showcasing that around 50 women are illegally transported from Nepal to India daily.
The company explains very simply that poor girls often get tricked into brothels because they are looking for jobs. If companies quickly provide safe jobs, human trafficking intermediaries are cut out. All workers are adults, earn a livable wage and receive overtime, vacation and any other benefits you would expect from normal working conditions.
Dignity Coconuts
Dignity Coconuts is a company tackling a unique poverty-related problem in the Philippines. Coconuts are the country’s largest crops grown, with both large plantations and small-scale farmers involved in their production. However, this has resulted in a serious issue known as “copra slavery.” Many companies and countries prefer to purchase products from large-scale farmers, which often drives smaller farmers into poverty. This leaves them vulnerable to human trafficking and at the mercy of larger farms.
As a result, they are usually forced to beg for loans that they will never be able to repay. Dignity Coconuts changes this dynamic by enabling customers to purchase coconut oil directly from the farmers in the Philippines. The organization has more than 150 farmers on board, which means 150 farms providing jobs for people, protecting them from poverty and desperation that might lead them to trafficking jobs, including running the slave trade.
The Starfish Project
The Starfish Project is an organization that rescues girls from brothels and provides them with training in making jewelry and crafts. Additionally, the girls can continue their education while working there. They can move up in the company hierarchy from crafting to having full careers in fields such as accounting and photography. It is worth noting that the Starfish Project focuses on rescuing rather than prevention. More than 180 women have been able to escape human trafficking situations and turn their lives around thanks to the Starfish Project’s efforts.
Good Paper
Good Paper is a company that creates handcrafted cards for various occasions. The cards are produced in two locations: one in the Philippines, which supports victims of sex trafficking and the other in Rwanda, which helps victims of genocide.
The Philippines is one of the highest-risk countries for trafficking, with 60,000 to 100,000 children being the victims of sex trafficking. You can make a difference in someone’s life by purchasing a card from Good Paper. Each card is signed by the person whose life you have helped change by supporting this company.
The above products are available for purchase by the average consumer. By buying them, you can help support victims of human trafficking and prevent more people from falling into this terrible crime. Furthermore, improving the economic situation of the victims can help reduce poverty overall.
– Varsha Pai
Photo: Pixabay
Đổi Mới: Vietnam’s Rapidly Evolving Healthcare System
How the Health Care System Has Developed
The Vietnamese Ministry of Health provides services at three levels: the district and commune levels, the provincial level and national institutions under central government control. This hierarchical system is employed to efficiently distribute services, extending them effectively from the grassroots level. As a result of such comprehensive progressions, there are many notable successes of the rapidly developing health care system transforming lives in Vietnam:
How Health Care Developments Help To Overcome Poverty in Vietnam
Health care is one of the most significant factors that affects poverty rates in any country. Given that “poor health is disproportionately concentrated among the poor,” Vietnam can seldom achieve poverty reduction without improved health care. Through its efforts to revolutionize the health care system, Vietnam has expanded high-quality services to those most impacted by poor health nationwide. This initiative not only improves the overall health of the population but also enhances economic opportunities for those severely affected by poverty, increasing their “ability to work” and potential for “educational attainment.”
Vietnam, significantly assisted by its rapidly developing health care system, has “attained its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving its poverty rate 10 years before the deadline set by the U.N.” Poverty reduction has occurred so rapidly that, whereas in 2021, 4.4% of the population lived below the national poverty line, by 2023, this figure has dropped to 2.93%.
Challenges Facing Vietnam’s Health Care
Although the rapidly developing health care system is transforming lives in Vietnam, many areas require further attention, evidencing the need for continued funding and support from both within the country and outside.
Vietnam’s health care system continues to operate through “manual, paper-based reporting systems.” Consequently, data integration and distribution are currently inefficient processes.
Despite a significant increase in the number of health care workers, rising from 15,000 in 1986 to 109,500 by 2021, the distribution of workers is not “relative to population density,” resulting in the neglect of more rural populations by the rapidly developing system.
However, strategies are in place to tackle this issue, including the increased implementation of “telemedicine,” offering consultation and diagnosis online. This, however, requires technological improvements in the rural communities themselves, demanding increased funding and subsequent international support.
Underfunding
The Vietnamese health care system faces challenges in sustainability and further development without an augmentation of funding. “In particular, insufficient resources are allocated to health care infrastructure, equipment and staff training.” Therefore, many patients have no choice but to resort to “out-of-pocket payments,” which can be a “significant financial burden for low-income families.” Increased international aid is necessary to support the health care system, supporting the Vietnamese government in achieving UHC and reducing the need for low-income patients to subsidize their own medical demands.
Conclusion
The rapidly developing health care system transforms lives in Vietnam by providing innovative, highly advanced treatments and financing research into preventative methods. Largely government-funded, Vietnamese health care is now accessible to all demographics and can tackle both basic health needs and more complex issues.
– Chloe Thomas
Photo: Flickr
WOBA: Addressing Period Poverty in Vietnam
With the help of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VMU), an organization with more than 13 million members nationwide, EMW’s program WOBA has expanded to the most marginalized households and women. Their collaboration has continued to make positive changes to period poverty in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s Stigma Towards Menstruation
Medical News Today defines period poverty as the political, cultural and socio-economic “barriers to menstrual products, education and sanitation.” Period poverty in Vietnam may have harmful impacts on women’s lives. This includes their mental health, health and hygiene, work balance and education. Further, lacking access to menstrual products may result in dangerous infections and an increase in possible toxic shock syndrome. The stigma surrounding menstruation often results in women’s exclusion from the community.
WOBA’s Support
WOBA sought to decrease the gender inequalities that have disproportionately disadvantaged women’s access to sanitary water. The program’s primary objectives include increasing access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in marginalized communities and reducing menstrual stigma and exclusion targeted at women. Its fight against period poverty in Vietnam focused on the poorest areas, including Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Ben Tre.
By 2022, WOBA had set several crucial objectives to enhance water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives. These goals encompassed reinforcing governmental efforts in implementing WASH policies, improving accessibility and utilization of WASH facilities in marginalized communities, empowering women and advocating for hygienic practices. A significant focus was also placed on delivering clean water to female-led households.
Noteworthy accomplishments of the program included assisting 52,580 women and girls in managing menstrual hygiene challenges. Additionally, installing hygienic latrines for 18,000 marginalized households and establishing new water connections benefiting 8,000 households facing economic hardship.
Truong Thi Hoa’s Story
Truong Thi Hoa is the “President of the Tan Xuan Commune Women’s Union in Nghe An province.” She fights to tackle harmful taboos and empower women to engage with menstruation hygiene safely in her Vietnamese communities. In a conversation with Water for Women in 2023, she opened up about her experience with menstrual stigma. She recalls feeling “ashamed and afraid to meet others or go to school during her period.”
Truong Thi Hoa wishes to bring dignity to women affected by period poverty in Vietnam. Her training sessions educate women on the appropriate use of sanctuary products. In the same conversation with Water for Women, she believes inviting men into the conversation “is an efficient way to support, understand and share the health care burden with women and girls.”
Truong Thi Hoa feels that an essential step in breaking cultural taboo is for women to invite their husbands to her organized training sessions. For Truong Thi Hoa, men are vital allies who help bring gender equality to Vietnam’s attitudes toward menstrual hygiene.
Long-Term Improvements
Period poverty in Vietnam has dramatically improved with the aid of the WOBA program. During the program, EMW collaborated with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which funded “national consultants on menstrual health and hygiene.” Its educational sessions continue the work of individuals like Truong Thi Hoa, providing informative conversations and practices with women about their “hygiene and sanitation needs” and menstrual health.
Furthermore, EMW’s WASH program has continued to aid schools in Vietnam. Due to challenging weather conditions, families are often deprived of clean water. In response, the initiative “installs water filtration systems and hand washing basins” in rural and mountainous schools where access to clean water may be a daily struggle. Additionally, the program’s educational initiative continues to raise awareness about the importance of personal hygiene in schools. Its conduction of “a behavior change campaign promoting hand washing” continues to reduce period poverty in Vietnam.
UNICEF’s Report on Menstrual Health in East Asia
In 2023, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a regional progress review on Menstrual Health in East Asia. UNICEF commended the positive observance of Menstrual Hygiene Day by Thrive Networks/East Meets West Foundation Vietnam as an ongoing effort to combat period poverty in Vietnam. The report underscored that the foundation’s work “contributed to increasing menstrual health awareness.” As well as helped “gain attention from one of the high-ranking government officials.”
Looking Forward
While many women struggle with period poverty in Vietnam, integral organizations such as EMW and its projects, such as WOBA, have successfully aided the improvements of menstrual hygiene for many women.
– Kasia Flisiuk
Photo: Unsplash
Bilingual Education and reduced Child Labor in Peru
Child labor in Peru
Conducted in 2015, the National Child Labor Survey found 1,619,200 children engaged in some form of labor in Peru. The largest sector of child labor is in the agricultural industry at 63.8%. However, various other industries also exploit child labor in the country. A hazardous business comes in small-scale mining. Here children are used informally and are at risk of being exposed to harmful gases, mercury poisoning, mining collapse and even landslides and explosive accidents.
Illegal mining also poses a threat to local communities with child trafficking commonplace. In these instances, commercial sexual exploitation and forced child labor can devastate lives in the mining regions of Peru. It is also worth noting that the level of child labor in coastal and urban regions was far lower than that of rural and jungle regions. This disparity shows the added struggle that indigenous Peruvians have in securing their children’s safety and future.
Bilingual Education
The good news can be found in the research paper “Bilingual Education and Child Labor: Lessons from Peru.” Written by Professor Alberto Posso, Head of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at Griffith University’s Business School. Published by the “Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organization” Posso notes the correlation between indigenousness and increased levels of poverty in the country.
While Peru’s illiteracy rate sits at 6%, indigenous people in the country represent 4% of that figure. To address this challenge, the Peruvian government has promoted bilingual programs that aim to retain indigenous children in schools and support their traditional cultural values while also teaching the national language of Spanish.
The National Department for Intercultural Bilingual Education (DINEBI) has significantly impacted bilingual education by providing teacher training courses to 16,000 individuals. Additionally, initiatives like the Project on Education in Rural Areas (PEAR) promote intercultural dialogue. This dialogue not only enriches understanding of life in Peru’s indigenous communities but also offers innovative approaches to education and early childhood learning, aiming for more inclusive and culturally diverse educational environments.
The Results
Government-supported bilingual education initiatives in Peru have led to a 12%-18% decrease in child labor. According to Professor Posso’s research, similar policies could boost the number of hours indigenous children spend in school by 38%. Above all, bilingual education emerges as a crucial tool not only in Peru but also in national and international efforts to combat child labor and poverty. It underscores the importance of community-specific initiatives in acknowledging the unique ways poverty affects majority groups and marginalized communities.
– Thomas Field
Photo: Unsplash
Project ERTAD: 4 Year Plan To Revitalize Georgia
Over a three-year period, the poverty rate in Georgia has steadily declined from 21.3% to 15.6% in 2022. Moreover, the rate of unemployment has also witnessed a decrease from 20.6% in 2021 to 18.1% in 2022.
Project ERTAD’s Aims
Project ERTAD seeks to build upon this progress through the employment of 160 front-line civil servants tasked with executing the ultra-poor graduation model to assist the families exposed to the worst impacts of poverty in Georgia. By providing the most vulnerable families with support through an approach referred to as the Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) approach, the poorest households will receive increased socio-economic inclusion, transferable technical skills, and access to social and financial markets to enhance their communities. The five regions where this project will be launched include Kakheti, Imereti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara and Samegrelo.
‘‘Our organization’s main priority is strengthening families and in this way helping children. We believe that through our international experience and methodology practiced globally, we will succeed and help families to overcome poverty,” confirmed Ekaterine Gurgenadze, Director of World Vision Georgia.
World Vision’s History
World Vision has a history stretching back more than 70 years. Founded in 1950 in Oregon, the organization originates from the generosity of its founder Bob Pearce who, after giving the last $5 in his pocket to an abandoned Chinese girl in 1947, sought to prioritize the needs of the helpless both nationwide and globally. Initially providing emergency services to the people of East Asia, the charity has since expanded to become the largest Christian non-government organization with operations in nearly 100 countries worldwide.
With a strong emphasis upon the Christian faith, World Vision extends its support globally by providing emergency responses to victims of war and natural disasters. For example, the charity lent its support to the victims of the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria and continues to provide support for those enduring the respective conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.
World Vision Georgia
World Vision’s operations in Georgia primarily address issues pertaining to street poverty and internally displaced individuals including migrants, refugees, stateless individuals and asylum seekers within its borders. The organization estimates that there are 250,000 internally displaced people. This includes 30,000 international migrants. Despite the progress in addressing poverty nationwide, the charity estimates that there are 2,000 children in Georgia living on the streets in major cities such as Tbilisi.
By implementing schemes such as the Child Rights Code, 21,447 children have thus far received support from World Vision. Such commitment extends towards creating Child Protection Units to improve the Child Welfare and Protection System. This includes establishing day care centers and 24/7 shelters to provide these children with food, along with medical and emotional support on a daily basis. Moreover, 19,260 displaced individuals have benefitted from World Vision’s education, empowerment, integration and protection services.
Looking Ahead
Project ERTAD will ultimately build upon the work achieved thus far by World Vision in Georgia. Launched this year and extending towards 2026, the project reflects the Georgian government’s poverty alleviation plan by incorporating the best approaches towards elevating the social service system in Georgia.
– Thomas Perry
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