Iran is one of the Middle East’s most politically important countries and its central government has transformed significantly over the past century. Once a monarchy, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979, but its elected presidents ultimately ceded authority to the Rahbar, a theocratic Supreme Leader.
Iran’s authoritarian government and association with terrorist groups have often forced U.S. sanctions. Its high-profile human rights abuses have similarly attracted criticism, with the prostitution and trafficking industries particularly on the rise. Prostitution is technically illegal in Iran, but a failing economy and government inaction have allowed it to proliferate. In 2023, the U.S. World Trafficking in Persons Report ranked Iran as a Tier 3 country, signaling a lack of anti-trafficking initiatives. Prostitution rings often target young girls aged 13 to 17, selling them into service in neighboring countries like Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Here’s what to know about child prostitution in Iran:
Poverty Encourages Child Prostitution in Iran
As U.S. sanctions continue to hinder Iran’s economic growth, the nation’s population of roughly 88 million grapples with inflation and unemployment. In September 2023, the Iranian Statistics Center reported the country’s Misery Index at 60.4%, a record high. The Misery Index is a combined assessment of inflation and unemployment rates, aiming to understand Iran’s economic outlook individually.
According to the World Bank, by November 2023, more than 10 million Iranians had fallen victim to poverty. To better their families’ circumstances, many children are forced to work because of loopholes in Iran’s child labor laws. About 15% of Iranian children participate in the labor force and many live on the streets in the country’s urban centers, vulnerable to predation from prostitution rings. Some families even rent their children to criminal organizations, which then make the children beg for money. If children fall short of their quotas, they are often moved into commercial sex work.
Iran’s Temporary Marriage System
Sexual affairs outside of marriage are illegal in Iran, punishable by 100 lashes. However, the Iranian government recognizes so-called “temporary” marriages, allowing couples to legally participate in sex without the formality of a lifelong union. A temporary marriage or sigheh, as it’s called in the country –allows a man to marry a woman for a predetermined period, ranging from an hour to several months or even years. By design, these arrangements absolve men of any financial responsibility to their partners, functioning instead as legalized casual sex. Though some advocates for sigheh cite its religious antecedents, many of its critics point to its potential for sexual exploitation. According to Iranian law, girls as young as 13 can enter into sigheh, providing a legal avenue for child prostitution in Iran.
Afghan Refugees Are Especially Vulnerable
In August 2021, despite a U.S.-led invasion that had forced its ousting 20 years prior, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist group, often curtailing human rights in observance of an extremist doctrine. As a result, more than 750,000 Afghans have sought refuge in Iran, hoping for economic opportunity and relief for families back home. However, according to the U.S.’s 2023 World Trafficking in Persons Report, many immigrating Afghans have trouble obtaining documentation and their children are especially vulnerable to forced marriage and sex trafficking.
Government Officials Fail To Address Child Prostitution
As evidenced in the U.S.’s 2023 World Trafficking in Persons Report, Iran has failed to protect its most vulnerable populations, with some government officials even complicit in the sex trade. For instance, despite the recent influx of Afghan refugees, the Iranian government often neglects to screen immigrants for indications of sex trafficking, even denying foreign trafficking victims access to government welfare services. Reportedly, the Iranian police and IRGC, a branch of the Iranian armed forces, even collaborate with sex traffickers based in Dubai, discouraging the Iranian government from investigating and apprehending major traffickers. As a result, victims, adults and children alike endure the most significant penalties, including lashings, public shaming and imprisonment.
Looking Ahead
Subject to widespread poverty, temporary marriages and poor governmental oversight, Iranian children often fall victim to prostitution and are recruited into crime rings that prey on the disadvantaged.
Despite the Iranian government’s half-hearted response, the international community remains committed to investigating child prostitution in Iran. For instance, the U.S. State Department publishes yearly reports on global human trafficking, specifically detailing its prevalence in Iran. These reports include thorough recommendations for curtailing trafficking’s spread, such as: providing protection services to trafficking victims, proactively identifying potential trafficking victims, especially children and adhering to the U.N. TIP protocol, an international standard meant to impede human trafficking. Similarly, on the domestic front, a feminist movement has challenged Iran’s compulsory hijab laws, criticizing the fundamentalist morality that informs many Iranian institutions, including the sigheh.
– Sydney Verdi
Photo: Flickr
HIV/AIDS in Belize
The First Case and How It Spreads
In 1986, health care professionals diagnosed the first case of HIV/AIDS in Belize and subsequently, HIV made its way into the wider community. The transmission of the virus is accelerated by poverty, inadequate use of condoms and cultural beliefs that encourage men to engage in numerous sexual relationships. According to the Prime Minister of Belize, young people from impoverished and migrant families are at the highest vulnerability of contracting and spreading HIV/AIDS in Belize. The Joint United Nations Programs on HIV/AIDS claims 2,400 adults (prevalence of 2.01%) were living with HIV/AIDS in 1999.
Challenges
According to the Government of Belize, the country faces multiple challenges in implementing HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs. Those challenges are a growing heterosexual epidemic, rising mother-to-child (MTCT) transmission rates, gender inequity making it difficult for women to negotiate the use of condoms and misconceptions/stigma about how HIV/AIDS spreads.
USAID Involvement
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports HIV/AIDS in Belize even though it does not have a presence in Belize. The country of Belize is part of the USAID’s Central American Regional HIV/AIDS Program. During the 2001 fiscal year, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) allocated USD 3.7 million. The program enhances the capabilities of Central American organizations to provide HIV/AIDS prevention and care services to target audiences. It implements a condom social marketing strategy among high-risk groups for HIV infection.
NAC Belize National Response
The National AIDS Commission of Belize’s goal is to provide updated information on HIV in the response to HIV. They want to reach the national goal of ending the epidemic by 2030. National statistics indicate that Belize’s HIV Strategic Plan addresses these developments in the response by calling for more research, increased targeted and behavior change, communication education and coordination of programs and services as initiatives towards reducing the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS through sustainable systems of greater access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
Prevention Measures
Combination Prevention is a program approach that is supposed to reduce the transmission of HIV by applying a combination of behavioral, biological and structural interventions. Combination approaches help ensure people can access the interventions that suit their needs at different times. There is also evidence that people on effective anti-HIV treatment who are properly keeping with treatment are less likely to spread HIV to others. ART (antiretroviral therapy) at the individual level reduces viral load and infectiousness, making it a prevention method.
Mass Communication Helps
Acknowledging the importance of mass communication for prevention, the Ministry of Health (MOH) implements several public education initiatives throughout the year, particularly during World AIDS Week activities, such as the “Get Tested Today Campaign.” Mass media informs and educates the general public about PMTCT. One of the leading civil society organizations using mass media is PASMO. Another is BFLA, which is using mass media to advertise SRH services and condom use. Another is the Belize Red Cross, which uses billboards to spread awareness through the “Faces” campaign. Currently, the Global Fund(GFATM)-Round 9 grant awarded to the Belize Civil Society Movement (BCM) is filling a gap in the mass media campaign by targeting young people with a “Behavior Change Communication” campaign that focuses on delaying sexual activity, reducing partners and promoting safer practices among young people aged 15-24 years.
Donor Support/Other Support
There is also Donor and other support for HIV/AIDS in Belize, such as the support provided by the UNAIDS and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH funds HIV prevention research in Belize and other developing nations, including studies to evaluate interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). During the 1998-99 fiscal year, UNAIDS provided $450 million for national programs in the Central American region and is starting to fund regional work, including the USAID-supported mobile populations initiative and HIV/AIDS meetings and conferences.
Conclusion
HIV/AIDS in Belize remains a critical public health concern, demanding continued attention, resources and strategies to lessen its impact. Stigma, access to health care and funding constraints persist despite significant progress in prevention, treatment and awareness efforts.
– AuiCha Conley
Photo: Pixabay
The Reality of Child Prostitution in Iran
Iran’s authoritarian government and association with terrorist groups have often forced U.S. sanctions. Its high-profile human rights abuses have similarly attracted criticism, with the prostitution and trafficking industries particularly on the rise. Prostitution is technically illegal in Iran, but a failing economy and government inaction have allowed it to proliferate. In 2023, the U.S. World Trafficking in Persons Report ranked Iran as a Tier 3 country, signaling a lack of anti-trafficking initiatives. Prostitution rings often target young girls aged 13 to 17, selling them into service in neighboring countries like Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Here’s what to know about child prostitution in Iran:
Poverty Encourages Child Prostitution in Iran
As U.S. sanctions continue to hinder Iran’s economic growth, the nation’s population of roughly 88 million grapples with inflation and unemployment. In September 2023, the Iranian Statistics Center reported the country’s Misery Index at 60.4%, a record high. The Misery Index is a combined assessment of inflation and unemployment rates, aiming to understand Iran’s economic outlook individually.
According to the World Bank, by November 2023, more than 10 million Iranians had fallen victim to poverty. To better their families’ circumstances, many children are forced to work because of loopholes in Iran’s child labor laws. About 15% of Iranian children participate in the labor force and many live on the streets in the country’s urban centers, vulnerable to predation from prostitution rings. Some families even rent their children to criminal organizations, which then make the children beg for money. If children fall short of their quotas, they are often moved into commercial sex work.
Iran’s Temporary Marriage System
Sexual affairs outside of marriage are illegal in Iran, punishable by 100 lashes. However, the Iranian government recognizes so-called “temporary” marriages, allowing couples to legally participate in sex without the formality of a lifelong union. A temporary marriage or sigheh, as it’s called in the country –allows a man to marry a woman for a predetermined period, ranging from an hour to several months or even years. By design, these arrangements absolve men of any financial responsibility to their partners, functioning instead as legalized casual sex. Though some advocates for sigheh cite its religious antecedents, many of its critics point to its potential for sexual exploitation. According to Iranian law, girls as young as 13 can enter into sigheh, providing a legal avenue for child prostitution in Iran.
Afghan Refugees Are Especially Vulnerable
In August 2021, despite a U.S.-led invasion that had forced its ousting 20 years prior, the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist group, often curtailing human rights in observance of an extremist doctrine. As a result, more than 750,000 Afghans have sought refuge in Iran, hoping for economic opportunity and relief for families back home. However, according to the U.S.’s 2023 World Trafficking in Persons Report, many immigrating Afghans have trouble obtaining documentation and their children are especially vulnerable to forced marriage and sex trafficking.
Government Officials Fail To Address Child Prostitution
As evidenced in the U.S.’s 2023 World Trafficking in Persons Report, Iran has failed to protect its most vulnerable populations, with some government officials even complicit in the sex trade. For instance, despite the recent influx of Afghan refugees, the Iranian government often neglects to screen immigrants for indications of sex trafficking, even denying foreign trafficking victims access to government welfare services. Reportedly, the Iranian police and IRGC, a branch of the Iranian armed forces, even collaborate with sex traffickers based in Dubai, discouraging the Iranian government from investigating and apprehending major traffickers. As a result, victims, adults and children alike endure the most significant penalties, including lashings, public shaming and imprisonment.
Looking Ahead
Subject to widespread poverty, temporary marriages and poor governmental oversight, Iranian children often fall victim to prostitution and are recruited into crime rings that prey on the disadvantaged.
Despite the Iranian government’s half-hearted response, the international community remains committed to investigating child prostitution in Iran. For instance, the U.S. State Department publishes yearly reports on global human trafficking, specifically detailing its prevalence in Iran. These reports include thorough recommendations for curtailing trafficking’s spread, such as: providing protection services to trafficking victims, proactively identifying potential trafficking victims, especially children and adhering to the U.N. TIP protocol, an international standard meant to impede human trafficking. Similarly, on the domestic front, a feminist movement has challenged Iran’s compulsory hijab laws, criticizing the fundamentalist morality that informs many Iranian institutions, including the sigheh.
– Sydney Verdi
Photo: Flickr
African Pastoralism and Resilience Through Drought
The resilience of pastoralism highlights the deep-rooted symbiosis between humans and their livestock. People worldwide have practiced it for millennia, nurturing and breeding a variety of animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, camels, horses, reindeer and llamas. Furthermore, the environment and the needs of their herds heavily influence the dynamics of pastoralism. This practice encompasses a range of approaches, from nomadic to sedentary and spans diverse regions, including Kenya, Iran, Somalia, and Nepal.
Pastoralism: The African Case
In Africa, pastoralism is not only widespread but also vital to the continent’s economy. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, this practice spans 43% of Africa’s landmass, supporting a staggering 268 million individuals. The mobility of these pastoralists, who adeptly navigate their herds to different resource hubs for sustenance, has historically enabled them to thrive in the face of the continent’s unpredictable environment and safeguard their livestock across seasons.
However, this resilience is now under threat due to environmental extremes, as evidenced by the severe drought currently ravaging the Horn of Africa (HoA), one of the world’s most economically vulnerable regions. From northern Kenya to southern Ethiopia, this drought has resulted in the loss of more than three million livestock, amplifying vulnerabilities within pastoralist communities.
This is not the first hurdle to test the resilience of pastoralists. Across Eastern and Southern Africa, they’ve grappled with a series of mounting challenges, including expansive industrialization, the privatization of communal lands and wildlife conservation initiatives. Furthermore, these developments not only hinder pastoralists’ traditional mobility but also undermine their ability to weather the unpredictable impacts of climate change, such as the ongoing drought previously mentioned.
The Impact of the DRIVE Project
In response to the mounting challenges faced by pastoralists, the ambitious De-risking, Inclusion and Value Enhancement of Pastoral Economies (DRIVE) project, funded by the World Bank and in partnership with ZEP-RE – a leading reinsurer in Africa and a specialized institution of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) – aims to catalyze positive change in pastoral economies. With a budget of $360.5 million, DRIVE aims to reach more than 1.6 million pastoralists across 2,500 groups over a five-year period.
In addition, this initiative focuses on safeguarding pastoralists against the financial toll of extreme weather events like droughts through innovative financial services, including drought insurance and digital savings accounts. By incentivizing diversification of wealth beyond livestock holdings, pastoralists can better weather small shocks and access insurance linked to their digital accounts to mitigate more severe ones.
Looking Forward
DRIVE’s comprehensive strategy not only seeks to enhance resilience to climate change but also to stimulate the commercialization of livestock production and promote inclusivity, with a focus on marginalized groups like women. By empowering pastoralist communities through the DRIVE project, they will be better equipped with the tools needed to navigate the dynamic challenges of their environment while ensuring the sustainability of their livelihoods and overall well-being.
– Ani Gonzalez Ward
Photo: Unsplash
ETIV Do Brasil: Empowering the Youth in Itacaré
Poverty, Economic Inequality and Education in Brazil
In 2003, the Brazilian government implemented Bolsa Família, the Brazilian Cash Transfer, to eradicate hunger and alleviate poverty. Following the Brazilian economic crisis in 2014 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the government expanded the program, hoping to actualize this goal. However, in 2022, the World Bank reported the poverty rate to be 24.3%, on par with statistics from 2014. Despite ongoing efforts to alleviate poverty in Brazil, the poverty rate has largely remained stagnant.
Economic disparity in the country is pronounced, with a notable contrast in wealth distribution. As of November 2023, data from Statista revealed that approximately 49% of Brazil’s wealth was concentrated within the top 1% of the population. In stark contrast, the bottom half of the population experienced a negative wealth of 0.4%, indicating that their debts exceeded their assets. The economic disparities in Brazil are most pronounced between the wealthier southern regions and the poorer northern areas, as well as between urban and rural areas and within cities.
In 2021, the World Bank reported Brazil had a Gini coefficient of 0.53, constituting the country as one of the most unequal countries in the entire world. Recognition and acknowledgment of economic inequality in Brazil is one of the first steps towards reducing poverty in the nation. This is because economic inequality strongly impacts education in Brazil due to the enrollment of students in higher education largely dependent on their family income.
ETIV do Brasil
ETIV do Brasil is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty among the youth in Itacaré, ensuring they have increased access to opportunities through education. Located in Itacaré, within the state of Bahia in the Northeast of Brazil, an area known for its economic challenges, the organization aims to uplift the local community. With approximately 15 million residents in Bahia, statistics indicate that around 42% of the population falls below the poverty line, while an additional 13% are extremely poor.
ETIV do Brasil, guided by its mission to Educate, Transform, Integrate and Value (ETIV) every member of the local community, was established in October 2015. Despite its relatively recent inception, the nonprofit has already empowered more than 450 children. Additionally, the organization has collaborated with more than 100 volunteers hailing from 23 different countries, fostering a diverse and global perspective. Furthermore, ETIV has forged more than 35 partnerships, both within the local community and internationally.
Recently, The Borgen Project had the opportunity to interview Chloe Bonfield, who volunteered for ETIV do Brasil while on a missionary trip to Brazil. Bonfield described the organization as “the epitome of community spirit, resilience and strength.” Bonfield told The Borgen Project, “ETIV allows individuals to come together to support one another. Children can learn life skills that help the entire community overcome adversity”.
ETIV do Brasil: Gender Equality
The nonprofit plays a crucial role in promoting gender equality and female empowerment through two dedicated programs: the Girls Empowerment Club and the Girls Health Club. These initiatives operate in a total of 10 programs across Itacaré. In January 2024, a study published in BMC Public Health drew attention to gender roles in Brazil by comparing urban and rural areas. The research revealed that both girls from urban and rural regions exhibited higher rates of participation in household chores than boys.
The study suggests there is a correlation between children’s compliance with typical gender roles and behaviors. Bonfield told The Borgen Project that gender equality programs such as those with ETIV do Brasil “teach children their future is a world of possibilities.” Not only do these programs provide children with the skills and education needed to progress, but they also demonstrate to them their desires and goals are achievable,” Bonfield shared.
ETIV do Brasil: Environmental Education
Itacaré is a community whose livelihoods are largely reliant on fishing and subsistence agriculture. More than three-quarters of all tropical commercial fish depend on the success of mangrove forests. Therefore, an understanding of the environment and being able to maintain it remains imperative. As part of encouraging sustainability practices with ETIV do Brasil, Bonfield describes how they “often planted Mangroves with children.” Not only does this educate the children, but it also helps the entire local community to flourish.
Conclusion
ETIV do Brasil educates children, builds relationships between community members and fosters respect and awareness for the local environment. The initiative’s educational programs provide children with opportunities for a better future as well as empower them to make positive changes in their lives and communities.
– Heidi Helen Horgan
Photo: Pexels
Artificial Intelligence in Tanzania
Artificial Intelligence Is Helping Humans in Tanzania
According to a review from Science Direct, artificial intelligence has the potential to improve and increase the outreach of health systems in Tanzania. Studies were run throughout the country to monitor machine running; specifically artificial intelligence was used in these studies to note the prediction and diagnosis of diseases and the transportation of vaccines. The study concluded with a note that AI-based innovations in Tanzania could assist in “improving health service delivery, including early outbreak prediction and detection, disease diagnosis and treatment, and efficient management of healthcare resources in Tanzania.”
Increase in Market Value, Job Opportunities, and Education
Because AI in the Healthcare sector is predicted to grow so steeply over the next 10 years, it is likely that new professionals and developers will spend time in Tanzania, leading to an increase in the market; specifically, the market is expected to grow to “$57.63 million, registering a CAGR of 46.12% during the forecast period of 2022-2030”. One of the greatest challenges for bringing Artificial Intelligence into full swing in Tanzania is the country’s scarcity of AI professionals; while this is an ongoing hurdle, increased access to education and technology may emerge as a by product of the new industry,
Identifying Poverty Hotspots
Next, AI is helping humans identify vulnerable regions in need of basic human services, all over Africa. From a method developed by Stanford engineers, AI creates a birdseye view that estimates poverty locations and the development of those regions over an extended period of time. Here’s how it works: “The tool scans daytime and nighttime imagery and human infrastructure such as roads or housing. In this way, the government can know where to allocate more effort.” Essentially, AI is helping humans breakthrough in poverty mapping as the technology uses images of areas in the daylight vs. under the “intensity of nighttime lights” to ultimately transfer this information into poverty predictions. It did this by constructing “filters” associated with different types of infrastructure that are useful in estimating poverty.
Women’s Health Breakthroughs
Finally, AI is helping humans in Tanzania, women in particular, through advanced, time-efficient screening. For example, the Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre is diagnosing and treating cervical cancer through an artificially designed analysis of Pap Smears. It then recognizes “abnormal cells and assists doctors in making more accurate diagnoses”. Similarly, at Tanzania’s Muhimbili National Hospital, artificial intelligence is taking the form of fashion. Wearable artificial-intelligence-based devices have been made to monitor pregnant women with hypertension and diabetes, allowing healthcare professionals to detect and manage any potential complications”.
Artificial intelligence in Tanzania is a sure sign that it is possible for artificial intelligence to help humans and to lead to breakthroughs in business markets, health, and poverty.
– Kaitlyn Garrett
Photo: Unsplash
The CURE Foundation: Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Women’s Empowerment in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Since the offset of the 21st century, a myriad of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), development agencies and charities have embarked on the mission of empowering women in Bosnia and Herzegovina to fight against gendered poverty, which is particularly rampant in the country’s rural areas. Vast improvements have been made across the country and the end of the Bosnian War created a political climate that ushered in feminist activism. This activism aims to combat the gendered impacts of the war that further entrenched the notion of women as victims.
The reality that marginalized gender identities are more affected by poverty than heterosexual men is a condition brought about by unbalanced power relations. In this context, women, in particular, are excluded from decision-making processes, policy-making procedures, job progression, skill development and, consequently, the realization of their agency. Research presented by the European Commission showcases the dichotomy of economic realities and opportunities between women and men in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The study highlights how women earn 46% less than men in the same job, occupy only 40% of managerial positions (a figure which is even lower in the political sector) and have an employment rate of 24.9%. The reduced space allowed for women regarding economic participation increases their vulnerability to poverty. Coupling this with data that demonstrates how one in three women in Bosnia and Herzegovina experience violence in their lifetime, it showcases how women may also be trapped in relationships of dependency. These dependencies are sustained through socially constructed norms reinforcing the “female” duties of caregiver, mother and wife.
History of the CURE Foundation
In the CURE Foundation’s 18 years of activism, the NGO has pioneered a plethora of projects, events, research initiatives and demonstrations that have all contributed to empowering women in Bosnia and Herzegovina. CURE’s strategy involves disseminating knowledge through various channels to increase the visibility of women in decision-making positions. These institutional channels take the form of public protests, workshops in schools, publishing research regarding gendered violence, educating community leaders and organizing campaigns to deconstruct stereotypes that limit women from accessing equal opportunities.
Education and Encouragement Lead to Empowerment
Despite the proliferation of programs aimed at empowering women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, their transformative impact has been limited by a focus on short-term, economic-related results. However, CURE targets the structural inequalities that hinder the realization of women’s empowerment. An example of this is CURE’s “Speak up against violence!” (Progovori o nasilju!) project.
The project targeted gender-based violence by engaging with five organizations across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Each of these organizations put forward two women to undergo training on how to effectively create safe spaces for women, encouraging them to talk about violence and move away from its normalization. Promoting messages such as “I can say no – Love is not violence” on social media platforms has also aided in expanding the audience to other gender identities, thus fostering healthier environments in which the re-framing of rights can take place.
This has a profound impact on empowering women in Bosnia and Herzegovina by shifting narratives of powerlessness to power within. Thus, it mobilizes women in a way that ceases to perpetuate depictions of women as agent-less victims.
Forming Gender-Sensitive Local Policies
The exclusion of women’s voices from policy-making processes reinforces their marginalization and creates strategies that are not representative of the parts of the population that face the struggles of gendered poverty the most; this contributes to the preservation of poverty cycles.
The foundation is combating this through its project: “Gender-sensitive Local Policies of the Municipality of Centar Sarajevo in the EU Accession process,” where research from local women’s organizations is incorporated into policy recommendations. By doing so, gender policies at a local level will target the structural inequalities that disempower women, such as barriers to education, lack of childcare and health care.
Moving Forward With the CURE Foundation
CURE’s program manager, Vedrana Frašto, reiterates the nonprofit’s claim of solidifying feminist activism in the younger generations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, stating that the “women’s movement needs to act now” to make sure the country is continuously progressing towards gender equality. Frašto joined CURE in 2009 and plays a vital role in organizing women’s movements, advocating for more gender-inclusive local policy and fighting the unequal power relations that hinder the processes of empowering women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In discussing what is needed from future activists, Frašto expressed her concerns about diminishing interests and slowing down of movements, highlighting that “succeeding” in CURE’s mission will become harder if a larger gap is created between the post-war feminist climate and today’s generation where mobilization efforts have stagnated. That said, she remains hopeful and continues to work towards creating safe environments for women in Bosnia and Herzegovina where they can break down barriers, empower themselves and dismantle the poverty cycle that limits the endless potential of Bosnia’s future female leaders.
– Zara Brown
Photo: Flickr
The Health Impact on Children Living in the Slums of New Delhi
Neglect: Living in the Slums of New Delhi
Societal improvements and national progress have led many government officials in New Delhi to overlook and essentially ignore slum towns. The government, despite its obligation to acknowledge slum settlements and their human rights to water and sanitation, has not legally recognized any new slum since 1994. Without this recognition, slum residents suffer, often facing an array of diseases and dying younger than those living outside the slums. Accessing essentials like health care and employment proves challenging, making it difficult for families to find jobs that sustain them and to access safe medical care. People from all over India, particularly those with families and young children, make the slums of New Delhi their home, striving to support themselves in a new city.
Children’s Health Crisis in the Slums
There is an alarmingly disproportionate percentage of children living in the slums of New Delhi and India in general. Throughout India, there are more than 13 million children between the ages of 10-14 living in poverty. These numbers are amplified within the slums themselves. A particular slum, called ‘Nizamuddin Basti’ located in central New Delhi has an approximate population of 25,000 people. The number of people under the age of 14 in the settlement is just more than 5,000. Due to the overpopulation issues with the slums, health issues among children are rife. The main issues highlighted through firsthand experience are respiratory diseases, diarrhea, gastritis, intestinal worms, anemia, scabies and ringworm. Direct health issues are the causes, such as lack of housing ventilation, inadequate sanitation and water storage facilities, often making the children of the slums ill and worsening their preexisting diseases.
Aiding the Youth
Organizations such as ‘Children Incorporated aim to help young people nationally, using the money raised to provide children with the basics and essentials that they often miss out on. In addition to organizations from other areas, ‘The Hope Project’ is a local organization, with aims to facilitate the young people in the slum settlements and give them access to clean supplies and water to improve their health. Alongside supplies and resources, the organizations aim to create schools and health centers for children to give them the help they desperately need to be able to have a sufficient future, which it has done since the project began in 1975. Through help from organizations, alongside improved assistance from government officials in New Delhi, the people of the slum settlements can feel optimistic about their future for themselves and the children of the slums.
Looking Ahead
Amidst the challenges faced by slum dwellers in New Delhi, particularly children, the commitment of organizations like Children Incorporated and The Hope Project brings a beacon of hope. These efforts, combined with increasing government recognition, are paving the way for a brighter future for slum residents. As access to education and health care improves, there is a growing optimism that the cycle of poverty in these communities can be broken, offering children a chance at a healthier, more prosperous life.
– Lily Thornhill
Photo: Unsplash
Updates on SDG 1 in Chile
The U.N.’s first and most important Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for all nations is to “End poverty in all its forms everywhere.” Chile has experienced an economic miracle since the fall of Pinochet, and here is an explanation of how this economic transformation has translated into modern development.
Poverty
The U.N.’s SDG 1 measures poverty rates across the globe, the number of people who live on less than $1.90 a day and the amount those who live on less than $3.20 a day. Chile’s transition from the Pinochet kleptocracy to a market-based economy in 1990 helped develop the Chilean economy through foreign investment and internal economic development, which increased the quality of life and living standards across Chile.
Although the World Bank estimates that in 1990 38.6% of Chile’s population lived below the poverty line, as of 2022, the U.N. estimates that 0.03% of Chileans live on less than $1.90 a day and just 0.18% live on less than $3.20 a day. These scores show that the updates on SDG 1 in Chile are that significant progress has occurred. Market orientation to has effectively eradicated poverty in Chile, but that does not tell the whole story about the updates on SDG 1 in Chile.
The second aspect of the U.N.’s SDG 1 in Chile is measuring relative poverty, the share of a population whose income is less than half of the median disposable income in that country. Chile scored particularly badly in this metric at 16.5% in 2017. The U.N.’s long-term goal is for all countries to score around 6%, and Chile is wide of this margin.
Inequality
Chile has had long-run problems with inequality stretching back to the Pinochet era and the beginnings of marketization. The focus on Chile’s growth was firmly based on poverty eradication and little investment went towards structures that allow a thriving middle class to develop. The Chilean governments of the 2000s and 2010s did not sufficiently invest in educational infrastructure and a true welfare state, resulting in what has become known as “Santiago style-inequality,” where a lower class lives above the poverty line with little prospect of any further development.
Education in Chile is almost fully privatized, resulting in a system designed only to help high achievers and leave behind those who often need good education the most to improve their economic situation. This includes high school education, a sector traditionally run by the state in developing nations to ensure a decent outcome for all students. According to The Guardian, the cost of education in Chile is astronomical, with the average university degree costing 41% of an average yearly income which further prevents social mobility, keeps those above the poverty line in that class and creates “Santiago style-inequality.”
Major Reforms
Chile’s president from 2014-2018, Michelle Bachelet, made major reforms to education, improving the quality of and access to primary and secondary education. Still, Bachelet’s main reform was to make higher education free for those with the lowest incomes. The bill protected a certain amount of the budget to pay for the higher education of some of the poorest Chileans, which at the time made higher education free for 60% of the country. The bill also set up a national body to set tuition fees for all students apart from the 10% richest Chileans. Private universities can only charge whatever fees they choose for the richest 10% of students rather than all students.
People are seeing the benefits of Bachelet’s reform in the updates on SDG 1 in Chile today. Social mobility has increased by breaking down these educational barriers and making education available to all Chileans, reducing poverty and inequality. Poorer Chileans are going to university in larger numbers than ever. However, there is still much of done on future educational reform to help reduce inequality in the long term.
Overall, the updates on SDG 1 in Chile are that Chile is on track to achieve the poverty eradication aspect but is failing in inequality reduction. Still, hope exists for the future if Chile can put the right educational reforms in place.
– John Cordner
Photo: Flickr
Poverty Alleviation Coalition Took on 500,000 Households
Build up to the Coalition
Through the 2010s, an increase in refugees and depleting support structures lead to the 76% statistic of refugees living in developing countries. This pressing cause culminated in a unanimous United Nations Global Assembly support for the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. The declaration expressed support and the need for the protection of refugees while addressing the necessity of support for the countries housing them, as encompassed in the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework.
This framework was based on four objectives:
As a result, the Global Compact on Refugees was formed on December 17, 2018, by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It outlined how international collaboration was the only route to an equitable and sustainable solution to refugee situations.
The Formation
The Poverty Alleviation Coalition was formed in July 2019 by the UNHCR and the World Bank Partnership for Economic Inclusion as a vector to support the Global Compact on Refugees. Along with several implementation partner organizations, such as BRAC, research partner Innovations for Poverty Action and many donors, the coalition uses the best of each member to combine technical, physical, political and financial support in their plan.
Regarding the specifics of the Poverty Alleviation Coalition’s goal, the group circled back to the Graduation Approach method in the hopes of graduating 500,000 refugee households out of poverty from 2020 to 2025. The organizations outlined 35 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America and calculated the need for $1,400 per household, totaling $700 million over five years.
Progress by 2024
As the COVID-19 pandemic rose through the Poverty Alleviation Coalition’s launch, particularly affecting participant’s ability to find jobs, a significant step in the Graduation Approach. Yet, the Coalition triumphed. Different projects have been launched, such as with the organization World Vision Rwanda, which was able to attain grants to aid 5,000 households on their graduation from poverty.
As of July 2023, the Coalition has aided about 111,000 refugee households by securing $250 million. Even with about two years left to go, the Poverty Alleviation Coalition has demonstrated that by pooling together the assets of various organizations, ending global poverty is readily within humanity’s reach.
– Aria Desai
Photo: Unsplash
Microfinance and Health Care Accessibility in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Link: Microfinance and Health Care
Microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Sub-Saharan Africa are not just about small business loans anymore; they have expanded their services to include health care financing. MFIs offer small loans, savings and other financial services to individuals and communities who lack access to traditional banking.
This shift is a response to the acute need for accessible health care services, especially in rural and impoverished urban areas. These services enable people to invest in health-related expenses, such as medical treatments, health insurance and preventive care, thereby improving overall health care accessibility. Furthermore, by offering loans, savings products and health insurance, MFIs are enabling low-income individuals and families to afford medical treatments and preventive care that were previously out of reach.
The impact of microfinance on health care accessibility is profound. In countries like Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda, microfinance initiatives have been linked to improved health outcomes, including increased rates of immunization, better maternal health services and reduced incidence of common diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.
Case Studies of Microfinance in Action
Limitations and Future Perspectives
Microfinance holds promise for enhancing health care accessibility in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it faces challenges such as high interest rates that may burden borrowers and a narrow focus on financial products at the expense of comprehensive health care solutions. Additionally, MFIs often encounter funding and scalability issues that curb their reach and effectiveness.
Furthermore, a more integrated approach combining microfinance with health care services could significantly benefit Sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy would involve health education, preventive care and collaborations with health care providers to boost MFIs’ impact. The success of integrating health care and financial services into the region’s future hinges on cross-sector collaboration. Governments have a vital role in fostering regulatory environments conducive to this integration, while international agencies and NGOs can offer essential technical support and funding for pilot projects. Crucially, the engagement of local communities is paramount to ensure the initiatives align with their health and financial needs.
To maximize the potential of microfinance in transforming health care accessibility, further research and investment are essential. This will help scale up successful models and address the health and economic challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa more effectively.
Looking Ahead
Microfinance initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa play a crucial role in bridging the gap between underserved communities and health care services. Despite facing challenges, the potential of microfinance to facilitate better health care outcomes is immense. With continued innovation and support, microfinance can significantly contribute to the health and well-being of Sub-Saharan African communities.
– Hosna Hossain
Photo: Unsplash