When blackouts and fuel shortages threaten hospitals across Cuba, it is the doctors, nurses and medical students long embedded in neighborhoods who keep the system running. The de facto blockade of Cuba’s oil supply in recent months has had serious and widespread effects across all of Cuba, notably within the National Health Service (NHS). Representing the nation at the U.N. in September of 2025, Foreign Minister Bruno Parilla described daily challenges facing Cubans: “A grave scenario of prolonged and daily blackouts, difficulties in affording food, insufficient availability of medicines, reduced public transport, limited community services and pronounced inflation, which is eroding real incomes.”
Authorities and community clinics have reorganized services to protect health care access in Cuba. This ensures the continuous availability of life-saving treatments, including oncology care, dialysis and maternal health, across rural provinces. It also maintains regular access to primary family care physicians.
Cuba’s widespread, free-at-the-point-of-use medical system plays a critical role in maintaining access to health care, particularly during periods of economic or energy disruption. The health system’s ability to function under these conditions reflects Cuba’s family doctor and primary health care model. This model is built on principles that protect universal care and strengthen community resilience for all people in Cuba. These key principles form the foundation of Cuba’s strategy for maintaining health care access during humanitarian crises.
Accessibility and Regionalization
These first two principles establish that health care access in Cuba is universal and should remain available regardless of geography, income or social status. Before Cuba’s post-revolution health care reforms, rural Cubans had little to no access to hospital care. Today, “polyclinics,” general medical care centers are found in communities across the country, giving people outside major cities access to health care on a scale not seen since before the Spanish colonization of Cuba.
During the current fuel shortages and electricity disruptions, maintaining accessibility has required reorganizing how doctors and staff deliver care across Cuba. As a result, five million patients, including those undergoing dialysis or chemotherapy, who require constant electricity and regular specialist care, may see changes to their treatment plans.
Hospitals have prioritized electrical power for critical treatments to ensure staff can continue treating the most vulnerable patients. Thousands of cancer patients require ongoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, procedures that rely on stable electricity. Local health authorities have responded by concentrating patients in facilities with reliable power generators and hospital beds so that treatments can continue uninterrupted.
The newspaper Girón spoke with Yamira López García, the provincial director of Public Health in Matanzas, about the situation. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining the operational capacity of all facilities within the public health system and expanding outpatient services so that “no patient will be left without the possibility of treatment.”
The paper also reported that radiotherapy, chemotherapy and dialysis remain available to patients and that authorities have established infrastructure for new admissions. These efforts demonstrate how the system seeks to preserve health care access in Cuba even as logistical conditions deteriorate.
Prevention
Preventive medicine is the central pillar of Cuba’s health care model. Rather than focusing solely on hospital treatment, the system relies on neighborhood doctors and nurses to monitor family health and identify risks early. The NHS has called for doctors to be reassigned to facilities near their residences to strengthen neighborhood clinics and reduce transportation pressures.
Specialists from secondary care institutions have also been temporarily deployed to community polyclinics to ensure local services remain operational. Because this regionalized network already exists, the system can redistribute medical personnel across local facilities without dismantling care. Clinics remain embedded within the communities they serve, helping maintain health care access in Cuba even when transportation and electricity shortages disrupt larger hospitals.
These visits allow health workers to identify patients who may require urgent care before conditions worsen, reducing pressure on hospitals and helping preserve health care access at the community level in Cuba.
Community Participation
Rather than imposing health care structures on communities, Castro’s system sought to integrate local populations and emphasize organized public participation. Health care delivery, for example, is not limited to professional staff but also involves collaboration among medical institutions, local communities and educational programs. To maintain universal health care access in Cuba, medical students have joined primary care teams in clinics and doctors’ offices.
As part of their training, students assist with household visits, patient monitoring and public health education. Their work expands the capacity of the neighborhood health system while allowing services to continue despite staffing and transportation challenges. This collective approach strengthens the resilience of local clinics. It ensures that community-based care remains a cornerstone of health care access in Cuba.
International Collaboration
Cuba’s health care strategy also includes international collaboration, with thousands of medical professionals participating in missions across Africa, Asia and Latin America. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of Cuban doctors were working in more than 50 countries. Rather than recalling them, the Cuban government asked them to cooperate with host nations in combating the pandemic.
In recent months, many of those host countries have donated thousands of tons of critical aid, reflecting how international cooperation and reciprocal support can lead to better outcomes. The Nuestra América Convoy to Cuba is one such coalition aimed at delivering humanitarian aid based on “cooperation, respect for international law and U.N. values.” Arriving in Havana on March 21, 2026, the convoy is made up of volunteers from around the world and carries food, medicines and energy supplies.
Final Remarks
The energy crisis has tested every link in Cuba’s health care system. The resilience of community clinics and primary care networks demonstrates how strong public health infrastructure can protect health care access in Cuba, even under severe resource pressures. The polyclinic model supports universal accessibility and regionalized services, while prevention and community participation make clinics more adaptable under pressure. This approach offers a potential model for other low-resource settings facing similar shocks.
– Zoey Cruz
Zoey is based in Bedfordshire, UK and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Pixabay
Child Marriage in the UAE: Legal Reform and Protection for Girls
Modernizing Family Law
Legal reforms introduced in 2024 and implemented in 2025 expanded child-centered protections within family law as part of broader efforts to address child marriage in the UAE. The law introduced penalties for child neglect or abuse, and courts can now prioritize the best interests of children in marriage and custody decisions. The revised framework also requires courts to evaluate the welfare and maturity of any young person involved, providing an additional safeguard against coercion and early unions.
Advocacy organizations note that establishing 18 as the national standard marks progress, although earlier legal frameworks allowed judicial exceptions for marriage under 18. Increased judicial oversight requires courts to carefully assess whether a marriage serves the welfare of the young person involved, reinforcing protections against coercion or early unions.
Expanding Child Protection Systems
Alongside marriage law reform, the UAE has invested in broader child protection initiatives designed to reduce risks faced by minors. National legislation outlines protections covering education, employment restrictions and welfare systems to prevent exploitation. These frameworks aim to create safer environments where children can remain in school and develop before entering adulthood.
Supporting Girls Through Education and Awareness
Globally, education plays a key role in preventing child marriage, and the UAE has increasingly focused on awareness and social development programs. According to reports, the average age of marriage for women in the UAE has risen to about 24 years, suggesting changing social expectations and expanded opportunities for women’s education and employment. Research consistently links later marriage with higher rates of secondary education completion and greater workforce participation for women, outcomes associated with long-term reductions in poverty.
Government initiatives and partnerships with international organizations continue to promote girls’ rights and community awareness around early marriage. These efforts aim to help young women make informed life choices by encouraging continued education and economic participation.
A Positive Path Forward
Recent legal reforms highlight the UAE’s growing commitment to protecting children and promoting gender equality. Setting a clear legal age requirement, strengthening court oversight and expanding child welfare policies support efforts to reduce child marriage in the UAE and promote healthier futures for girls.
Although enforcement and social attitudes may vary, these reforms represent an institutional shift toward prevention rather than response, signaling sustained commitment to child protection. Continued cooperation between advocacy groups, legal institutions and legislators indicates that further progress remains possible. As reforms take effect, the focus increasingly shifts toward prevention, education and long-term opportunities for young people across the UAE.
– Honey Regev
Photo: Flickr
Community Support for Migrants in Mexico
Funding Reductions and Service Gaps
Mexico’s 2025 federal budget projects about $460 billion in revenue and modest economic growth. However, cuts to foreign aid, particularly programs affected by the expanded Mexico City Policy, have reduced funding for health, food assistance and legal support that nonprofits rely on to assist migrant populations. These reductions have increased pressure on humanitarian networks already managing high service demand.
In 2025, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) in Mexico lost approximately 60% of its operating budget due to cuts in foreign assistance. This led to the closure of four offices and slower asylum processing, resulting in longer wait times for individuals awaiting decisions. These delays have contributed to overcrowding in shelters and increased vulnerability among migrants in cities such as Tapachula and Tijuana.
Nonprofits at the Frontline
Despite these challenges, community support for migrants in Mexico persists through coordinated efforts by both international and local organizations. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has operated in Mexico since 2019, providing emergency assistance, including food distribution, cash support, hygiene kits and legal guidance, to displaced individuals in cities such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez. By partnering with community groups and local shelters, the IRC helps extend reach and facilitate access to asylum procedures.
In many cases, these organizations act as primary connectors between migrants and essential services. For example, shelters supported by international and local nonprofits continue to offer temporary housing, daily meals and referral services for medical and legal needs, often operating beyond capacity. Volunteers and community donations remain integral to sustaining these operations amid funding uncertainty.
Food Assistance and Local Partnerships
Nutrition support is a critical component of humanitarian care. World Central Kitchen has provided regular meal distributions at shelters and mobile feeding sites, helping ensure that displaced families receive adequate nourishment even amid limited resources. These efforts often collaborate with local kitchens and community centers to reach larger populations.
Food redistribution networks like food banks play a complementary role. They collect surplus food from donors and redistribute it to shelters, community kitchens and vulnerable migrant households. These partnerships strengthen food security and reduce waste, reinforcing community engagement in humanitarian response.
Faith‑based organizations and local civic groups also contribute, offering space, supplies and volunteer support. Many churches, community centers and educational facilities open additional shelter space during peak demand periods. This highlights the essential role of local partnerships in sustaining community support for migrants in Mexico.
Economic Barriers and Long-Term Stability
Access to stable employment remains challenging for many migrants in Mexico due to restrictive work authorization policies and lengthy asylum processing. Without legal employment opportunities, many remain dependent on humanitarian services. They are forced into informal labor markets with lower wages and fewer protections.
These conditions increase the risk of poverty, exploitation and housing instability. In addition, limited access to health care, education and financial services compounds challenges faced by displaced families. This creates a cycle of economic vulnerability that requires sustained intervention from humanitarian organizations and policy frameworks supporting legally authorized employment pathways.
Challenges and Continued Resilience
Humanitarian organizations report ongoing challenges, including funding shortfalls, staffing limitations and increasing demand for services. A survey of civil society groups working with asylum seekers found that more than half of legal and psychosocial support providers are at risk of reducing services or closing operations without additional resources. This heightens pressure on frontline shelters and assistance programs.
Despite these obstacles, community support for migrants in Mexico remains adaptive and resilient. Through collaboration among international nonprofits, local shelters, food relief partners and volunteer networks, essential services such as shelter, meals and legal support continue to reach displaced populations. These combined efforts help sustain humanitarian care while promoting long‑term stabilization and economic inclusion for migrants navigating complex displacement challenges.
– Kianna Hines
Photo: Flickr
How Mobile Clinics Are Expanding Dental Care in Rural Bolivia
Why Dental Care Is Difficult To Access in Rural Bolivia
Bolivia’s geography and settlement patterns create real barriers to routine care. Rural communities may be located far from clinics, with travel costs and time away from work making a dental visit impractical. Where dental services exist, they may be limited to urgent pain relief or extractions rather than preventive treatment or restorations.
At the national level, the WHO’s Oral Health Profile for Bolivia highlights the economic impact of oral disease. It estimates per-capita spending on dental care at approximately $4.20 and productivity losses from five untreated oral diseases at $152 million. This is an indicator of how oral health problems can translate into missed work and reduced earning capacity.
What Mobile Dental Clinics Do Differently
Mobile dental clinics reduce access barriers by bringing equipment and staff directly to remote areas, often in coordination with local schools and community authorities. Depending on the program, services may include examinations, cleanings, fluoride applications, sealants, basic restorations (fillings) and extractions, along with hygiene education. This approach is important because it shifts care upstream, preventing decay and addressing early-stage problems before they develop into infections that require more complex interventions.
Evidence From Mobile-Clinic Programs Operating in Rural Bolivia
One example of measurable outcomes comes from the Suyana Foundation. It operates mobile dental clinics in the Department of La Paz and tracks multi-year data on service delivery and oral health indicators in the communities it serves. In a program summary covering Bolivia, Suyana reports that between 2021 and 2023, its mobile dental clinics provided approximately 38,000 dental consultations.
Over the same period, the foundation recorded improvements in standard oral health indices. These included a 21% drop in the CPOD/DMFT index (from 6.7 in 2021 to 5.3 in 2023) and a 44% reduction in the simplified oral hygiene index (IHOS) (from 2.5 in 2021 to 1.4 in 2023). Suyana also reports child-focused results: the incidence of new caries among 10-year-old children fell by 38% from 2022 to 2023 in its Bolivian program.
Additionally, the number of students rehabilitated to “zero cavities” status increased from 296 in 2021 to 1,229 in 2023. These figures reflect the impact of a single organization rather than the entire country; however, they provide concrete evidence that mobile, prevention-oriented dental services can improve outcomes in areas with limited baseline access.
How Public Nonprofit Partnerships Expand Reach
Mobile-clinic models often depend on partnerships because logistics and sustainability are as important as clinical work. Public authorities can support coordination with schools, referral pathways into local health establishments and alignment with national standards. Nonprofits can add specialized staff, equipment, outreach capacity and external funding.
In Bolivia’s health ecosystem, organizations like Fundación ProSalud have a national presence, providing lower-cost health services through a network of clinics. These clinics help complement public provision and support broader access goals. Volunteer-based outreach models also operate in rural areas.
In Cochabamba and surrounding regions, the nonprofit Mano a Mano runs “jornadas”—weekend medical and dental trips where teams travel to remote communities to provide care. This shows how mobile or pop-up services can reach areas that permanent facilities do not consistently cover.
Why Dental Access Matters for Poverty Reduction
Dental care can look “secondary” compared to infectious disease or maternal health, but it has direct poverty links. Pain and infection can reduce school attendance and workplace productivity, while delayed treatment can force families into higher-cost emergency care. The WHO’s estimates of productivity losses from untreated oral diseases underline that oral health is not only a clinical issue but also an economic one, especially for households living close to the margin.
Mobile dental clinics address this problem by reducing the time and travel costs of seeking care and emphasizing prevention. When clinics provide sealants, fluoride and early restorations, they can reduce the likelihood that a child needs repeated extractions or that an adult loses workdays due to avoidable infection.
The Future of Dental Care in Rural Bolivia
Mobile clinics are not a substitute for long-term investment in permanent facilities and the oral-health workforce. But in rural Bolivia, they can function as a practical bridge, expanding coverage now while building community habits around preventive care. Evidence from programs such as Suyana’s mobile clinics suggests that sustained outreach can improve measurable oral-health outcomes, particularly for children.
As government standards, local coordination and nonprofit delivery capacity align, mobile dental services can continue reducing preventable pain, missed school days and productivity losses in underserved regions.
– Tom Basu
Photo: Flickr
Spark Microgrants: Building Durable Livelihoods in Africa
The Three-Phase Method
Spark Microgrant’s method is particular, as it wants to avoid imposing its practices and ideas on the citizens of the villages, so it adopted a village-driven process. This means that the organization puts the decision-making for the projects in the hands of those who will be using it, allowing them to build on pre-existing indigenous practices.
In fact, the first phase of the development project requires the village to identify its local assets, so that the economic growth that follows stems from pre-existing resources and not external, unsustainable support. Then, through six months of village planning meetings open to all village members, they must develop a vision or plan for how to utilise these resources in their favour, and then must decide on a method through which to achieve this vision. Opening these meetings to the entire village is an essential component of this phase, as it shifts the power in the village from a small group of male elites to women and men of all ages and socio-economic status.
For the second phase of development, the village receives the first half of its microgrant to invest in its chosen project. Not only does this allow them to test the success of their chosen project before they receive the second half, but it also allows the village to begin a savings program. Both of these are crucial to the success of the program because they ensure that the village can become self-reliant and will be able to prosper long after Spark Microgrants stops supporting them.
For the final phase, Spark Microgrant monitors the success of the program for two years to ensure that the chosen investments are prosperous. Additionally, they ensure that the benefits of the program are experienced by all members of the village, allowing all members to emerge from extreme poverty and stay out of it for the foreseeable future.
Current Impact
In the last 15 years, Spark Microgrants has had immense success in building durable livelihoods in Africa. By partnering with other local organizations, it has been able to expand its expertise of the region’s indigenous practices and widen its impact. It uses its two key pillars to quantify its success thus far. For “collective agency,” it tracks growth in citizen engagement in the project, specifically in village meetings. This is invaluable to the program, as it fosters a deep trust in the collective action of the village. In fact, they have seen a 215% increase in women’s civic engagement, proving that the open village meetings have succeeded in encouraging all village members to participate, creating more diverse governing bodies.
For the second pillar of “durable livelihoods,” Spark Microgrants tracks economic factors such as growth in assets, savings, and food security. It reports a 249% increase in median household asset values in the villages they have worked with as well as an 160% increase in household savings. Whilst this data clearly demonstrates the charity’s success, the most impressive … is that each village has seemed to use its revenues and success to launch its own similar programs in other villages. This is significant because it creates an impact multiplier, essentially doubling Spark’s impact for every village it works with.
Spark Microgrant’s efforts in building durable livelihoods in Africa are not only immense in results and statistics, but they also encourage self-reliance and sustainable long-term impact. Its flexible systems allow its models to be adaptable and unique to each village, creating lasting change and breaking generational poverty.
– Vittoria Cortese
Photo: Flickr
Green Nitrogen Fixation Can Help Alleviate Global Poverty
With numerous environmental and economic benefits, green nitrogen fixation can help alleviate global poverty and promote food security in developing nations.
Industrial Fertilizer Production
Industrial fertilizer is composed of compounds that provide plants with essential nutrients, which include the crucial life-sustaining element nitrogen and minerals such as phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen for fertilizer production is commonly obtained from atmospheric air, which reacts with hydrogen in natural gas to create ammonia. The ammonia can be converted to ammonium nitrate or other nitrogen compounds and mixed with minerals to produce fertilizer.
Inert atmospheric nitrogen must be “fixed” (converted to reactive nitrogen compounds) to be absorbed by crops. The Haber-Bosch process is the most common technique for nitrogen fixation since the early 1900s. It catalyzes the reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen at extreme temperatures and pressures, requiring significant energy and producing substantial carbon dioxide.
Not only is the Haber-Bosch process energy-intensive, consuming nearly 2% of global energy demand, but the materials needed for the method can be costly and, at times, inaccessible.
Fertilizer Supply Chain
Given that phosphorus, potassium and natural gas resources are limited and available only in certain parts of the world, fertilizer availability can fluctuate. The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia has significantly reduced fertilizer reserves. Many of Ukraine’s fuel processing facilities have been damaged in battle, reducing its ability to produce natural gas and driving up fuel prices.
Additionally, Russia and Belarus produce a substantial amount of fertilizer that they are presently unable to export due to shipping disruptions and sanctions resulting from the conflict. Rising costs and fertilizer scarcity have had a significant impact on farmers and consumers worldwide. Unlike those in developed nations who may be able to afford higher-priced fertilizers, food growers in developing regions do not have the financial resources to afford them.
Alternative solutions are needed to enable impoverished farmers to sustain food security for themselves and their communities. A promising alternative to industrial fertilizer, green nitrogen fixation can help alleviate global poverty by protecting the food supply of developing countries while delivering additional environmental and economic benefits.
On-Site Green Nitrogen Fixation Methods
Providing the capability of on-site, small-scale production, green nitrogen fixation methods are economical and fairly easy for remote farmers to implement. The methodologies include the following:
Scientists are working to further improve these techniques to enhance their effectiveness. With so many potential benefits for remote farmers, there is promise that green nitrogen fixation can help alleviate global poverty by enabling sustainable small-scale farming and helping end food insecurity worldwide.
The Agrogeological Approach
In addition to nitrogen, plants also need key minerals for optimal growth. To bypass reliance on imports, these minerals can be obtained locally. Although the fertilizer industry mainly targets the macro- (main) plant nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the “agrogeological” approach also employs micro- (secondary) nutrients to sustain soil fertility. Generally available worldwide, sources of phosphorus and potassium include animal manure, fallen leaves and sewage sludge.
Secondary plant growth nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper, can be obtained from wood ash, marl (a sedimentary clay rock) and phosphate rock. Often requiring minimal processing, these resources can be found in industrial waste or in nature and, along with nitrogen from green nitrogen fixation, can sustainably provide crops with the nutrients needed to thrive.
Outlook for Green Nitrogen Fixation
The world population could reach 10 billion by 2050, further increasing the already scarce supply of fertilizer and adding to food production demands on impoverished nations. Green nitrogen fixation is a promising soil fertility solution, particularly when coupled with agrogeological techniques. It can help alleviate global poverty by strengthening the resilience and independence of local farmers while contributing to environmental protection.
– Debbie Barto
Photo: Flickr
3 Programs Empowering Young Girls in India
Specifically, three programs in India are designed to help young girls thrive in their environments. These include the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, the Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) and the Balika Samriddhi Yojana.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
This program empowers young girls in India by providing financial assistance. It is a government banking scheme initially set up to help parents support their daughters’ educational goals. By setting aside this money and building a fund for these young girls, it helps this minority move away from a life of poverty.
Systemic gender inequalities can lead to an unfortunate life, such as poverty. One cause can be a lack of education. Girls are not as fortunate as boys to be granted the right to learn. As a result, they miss out on opportunities and independence and end up relying on others. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana works to prevent that and help girls live a life full of education.
Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK)
MSK is a program that empowers young Indian girls, particularly those in rural areas. It does so in many ways. However, the focus areas include education, employment, literacy, health and related support services.
Rural girls are often the most at risk because they lack the opportunities that boys or children in urban areas have. These girls do not have the resources needed to escape a frugal lifestyle, which very often results in early marriages and a cycle of domestic work. Educating and supporting girls in rural areas is not only essential for their futures but also for long-term national development.
Balika Samriddhi Yojana
Balika Samriddhi Yojana empowers young girls by providing financial support to those from underprivileged backgrounds. It not only helps with finances but also supports parents to ensure a focus on young girls’ mental and physical well-being. It provides a stipend to parents after the birth of a girl and scholarships for the child to support her education.
By doing all of this, it helps ensure that the girl and her family move away from struggling livelihoods and work toward bettering their lives, leaving poverty behind and toward a brighter future.
Final Remarks
These programs not only focus on gender inequalities, hoping to lessen that barrier, but also aim to help build a life out of poverty and into something better. These are only three programs highlighted, but many others address the issue and shed new light on it, showing that community and support can go a long way toward empowering young girls in India.
– Danielle Johnson
Photo: Flickr
ZNotes: Reducing Learning Poverty Through Education
Education can transform lives socially and empower people across demographics to improve their own lives. Even people in developing nations like India are achieving state ranks due to these educational opportunities.
ZNotes
ZNotes is an educational platform created by Zubair Junjunia, who witnessed the inequalities students faced during their end-of-year exams. Junjunia launched the platform when he was just 16. Now, this platform has amassed a wealth of information to help people gain further access to educational rights.
With more than 500,000 subscribers to its databases, ZNotes has had a profound impact on more than 6 million students from more than 190 countries. Epic Angels is one of the educational platform’s biggest benefactors in the Asia Pacific region.
The Importance of Education
UNESCO reports that global poverty would be reduced by more than 50% if everyone completed secondary education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the learning poverty rate skyrocketed to about 70% due to limited access to educational resources. ZNotes is a good way to quell this hindrance.
If everyone (including those in developing or low-income households) had proper access to education, then 171 million people would be able to have better lives and be free from poverty. Although ZNotes has garnered support from more than 4.5 million students globally, coverage of certain topics remains limited.
How ZNotes Is Reducing Learning Poverty
ZNotes is an immensely popular online learning tool that has also won awards for its syllabus-tailored study materials, which increase the chances of getting good grades. What started as a personal effort quickly turned into a global fight against educational inequality. It has worked to reduce the rate of learning poverty ever since by connecting learners across cultures, genders and faiths.
In these diverse spaces, students exchange guidance on university, internships and career pathways, widening access to valuable social capital. Beyond preparing students for high-stakes exams, ZNotes equips them for life after school. Through its internship and contribution programs, young people gain real-world experience in a global social impact startup, building both academic and employability skills. The results are clear: 77% of interns report stronger candidacy for jobs and future internships.
Conclusion
Education is a powerful yet complex tool to foster growth, independence and success. ZNotes is an online educational platform dedicated to working collaboratively with students to reduce learning poverty. With millions of supporters, ZNotes has significantly contributed to reducing learning poverty by empowering students to become globally connected, career-ready leaders through a combination of academic support and real-world experience.
– Shruti Reddy
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Economic Empowerment in Nepal
Although progress has been made worldwide, major gaps remain. According to U.N. Women, women still perform 2.8 times more unpaid care work than men, and nearly 30% of women globally have experienced physical or sexual violence. These challenges underscore why countries like Nepal must continue to strengthen women’s economic and social rights.
Stronger Political Representation
Nepal’s 2015 Constitution requires that women make up at least 33% of seats in the federal parliament and provincial assemblies. By 2018, women held 33% of parliamentary seats and 41% of local government positions. This increase in representation gives women a stronger voice in national and local decision-making.
Greater political participation supports women’s economic empowerment in Nepal because women leaders often advocate for education access, property rights and equal employment policies. Nepal has also institutionalized gender equality and women’s empowerment through the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) frameworks to support equal opportunity across sectors, reinforced by the National Women’s Commission and parliamentary committees that implement gender-sensitive policies and programs. This legal commitment is further anchored in Nepal’s Gender Equality Act (2006), which abolishes discriminatory legal provisions and promotes equal treatment for women in areas such as employment, property rights, and public participation. These policies help expand access to education, protect legal rights and support women’s participation in development programs, including disaster response and climate action. By building stronger laws and institutions, Nepal is creating long-term systems that support gender equality.
Expanding Financial Access and Entrepreneurship
Access to finance plays a key role in women’s economic empowerment in Nepal. According to the World Bank, expanding financial inclusion allows women to start businesses, invest in agriculture and improve household stability. In 2026, the World Bank approved a $95 million operation to support sustainable and inclusive finance in Nepal, including measures that help women-led businesses access credit and grow their enterprises. Microfinance programs and cooperative banking models have helped increase women’s financial access in recent years.
Women entrepreneurs are also receiving new investment support. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested in programs that expand financing for women-led businesses. These investments help women grow enterprises in agriculture, retail and small-scale manufacturing.
In addition to funding, many programs offer business management and vocational training. For instance, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative provides entrepreneurs with business education, mentoring, networking opportunities, and access to capital. The program includes courses in leadership, marketing, and financial management. Combining financial services with practical training increases the chances that women-owned businesses will succeed long term.
Closing the Digital Gap
Digital access is becoming more important for economic participation. However, global data from the International Telecommunication Union shows that 65% of women use the internet compared to 70% of men. This gap limits women’s access to online work, digital banking and e-commerce opportunities.
Nepal is responding by expanding digital literacy and technology training programs for women and girls. These initiatives aim to reduce the gender digital divide and prepare women for jobs in an increasingly digital economy.
Simultaneously, legal protections remain important. The United Nations in Nepal has urged stronger enforcement of laws addressing gender-based violence, including domestic violence and human trafficking. Protecting women’s safety allows them to participate more fully in the workforce and public life.
Women and Climate Leadership
Women in Nepal are also playing important roles in disaster response and climate adaptation. Community-based women’s groups often lead local preparedness efforts, especially in rural areas affected by floods and earthquakes. However, women are still underrepresented in national climate planning and funding decisions.
Regional discussions during the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review in 2024 emphasized the need for women’s inclusion in sustainable economic transitions. Expanding women’s access to green jobs and climate-focused industries can support both gender equality and environmental progress.
Through continued reforms and participation in global forums such as the World Federation of United Nations Associations International Model United Nations, Nepal has shown commitment to reviewing and strengthening its policies. By improving financial access, increasing political representation and expanding digital opportunities, the country is building a foundation for lasting women’s economic empowerment in Nepal. Continued enforcement of laws and investment in women-led initiatives will help ensure that progress remains steady and inclusive.
– Anaisha Kundu
Photo: Flickr
Child Soldiers in Libya: Reintegration Efforts
International organizations and local authorities are working to provide education, psychological support and employment pathways for children affected by conflict. These initiatives aim to improve long-term stability while reducing the likelihood that vulnerable youth will return to armed groups.
Child Recruitment
Children can become associated with armed groups in a variety of ways. Some join voluntarily due to economic hardship, while others are coerced or influenced by community pressures. In many cases, conflict disrupts education systems and employment opportunities, making armed groups appear to be one of the few available options for income or security.
Years of political instability have also weakened institutions responsible for protecting children. Humanitarian organizations report that refugee and migrant children in Libya face increased vulnerability to exploitation, violence and recruitment into armed activities
These conditions highlight why addressing the issue of child soldiers in Libya requires broader social and economic solutions, including education access and community-level support systems.
Reintegration Programs for Former Child Soldiers
A growing number of reintegration initiatives aim to help former child soldiers transition back into civilian life. Many of these programs follow a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) framework. DDR programs focus on removing children from armed groups and supporting their return to education, family life and employment opportunities.
In the Libyan city of Zintan, cooperation between local authorities and international organizations helped release and reintegrate 125 children and adolescents formerly associated with armed forces. These programs included psychosocial counseling, community activities and educational support designed to help children rebuild social connections
Community involvement could play a key role in reintegration success. Training sessions for teachers, social workers and community leaders could help address stigma and encourage communities to accept returning children. According to child protection organizations, reintegration programs that include community-based support and mental health services significantly improve long-term outcomes for former child soldiers.
Strengthening Child Justice Systems
Alongside reintegration programs, Libya has taken steps to improve its child justice system. In 2022, Libyan authorities partnered with international organizations to launch initiatives focusing on creating a more child-friendly legal framework. The program focuses on rehabilitation, skill development and reintegration support for children who encounter the justice system).
Strengthening legal protections could help ensure that children previously involved in armed groups are treated as victims of conflict rather than criminals. Access to social services, counseling and education programs could reduce the long-term economic and psychological effects of conflict on young people.
Reintegration and Poverty Reduction
Poverty reduction could help reduce the issue of child soldiers in Libya and the world. Armed groups recruit children who often come from communities facing unemployment, limited education opportunities and economic instability. Without alternatives, returning to armed groups can appear to be the most viable option.
Reintegration programs attempt to break this cycle by providing vocational training, life skills education and job placement support. By helping young people access employment opportunities and return to school, these programs contribute to long-term economic stability for individuals and communities
Looking Ahead
Efforts to address child soldiers in Libya demonstrate the importance of combining humanitarian assistance, education programs and legal reforms. While challenges remain due to ongoing political instability, reintegration initiatives provide a pathway for children affected by conflict to rebuild their lives.
Expanding these programs may not only support individual recovery but also contribute to broader peacebuilding efforts. By investing in youth rehabilitation and opportunity, Libya and its international partners are working toward long-term stability and a future in which children are no longer drawn into armed conflict.
– Jason Hill
Photo: Flickr
Community Health Services Sustain Health Care Access in Cuba
Authorities and community clinics have reorganized services to protect health care access in Cuba. This ensures the continuous availability of life-saving treatments, including oncology care, dialysis and maternal health, across rural provinces. It also maintains regular access to primary family care physicians.
Cuba’s widespread, free-at-the-point-of-use medical system plays a critical role in maintaining access to health care, particularly during periods of economic or energy disruption. The health system’s ability to function under these conditions reflects Cuba’s family doctor and primary health care model. This model is built on principles that protect universal care and strengthen community resilience for all people in Cuba. These key principles form the foundation of Cuba’s strategy for maintaining health care access during humanitarian crises.
Accessibility and Regionalization
These first two principles establish that health care access in Cuba is universal and should remain available regardless of geography, income or social status. Before Cuba’s post-revolution health care reforms, rural Cubans had little to no access to hospital care. Today, “polyclinics,” general medical care centers are found in communities across the country, giving people outside major cities access to health care on a scale not seen since before the Spanish colonization of Cuba.
During the current fuel shortages and electricity disruptions, maintaining accessibility has required reorganizing how doctors and staff deliver care across Cuba. As a result, five million patients, including those undergoing dialysis or chemotherapy, who require constant electricity and regular specialist care, may see changes to their treatment plans.
Hospitals have prioritized electrical power for critical treatments to ensure staff can continue treating the most vulnerable patients. Thousands of cancer patients require ongoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, procedures that rely on stable electricity. Local health authorities have responded by concentrating patients in facilities with reliable power generators and hospital beds so that treatments can continue uninterrupted.
The newspaper Girón spoke with Yamira López García, the provincial director of Public Health in Matanzas, about the situation. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining the operational capacity of all facilities within the public health system and expanding outpatient services so that “no patient will be left without the possibility of treatment.”
The paper also reported that radiotherapy, chemotherapy and dialysis remain available to patients and that authorities have established infrastructure for new admissions. These efforts demonstrate how the system seeks to preserve health care access in Cuba even as logistical conditions deteriorate.
Prevention
Preventive medicine is the central pillar of Cuba’s health care model. Rather than focusing solely on hospital treatment, the system relies on neighborhood doctors and nurses to monitor family health and identify risks early. The NHS has called for doctors to be reassigned to facilities near their residences to strengthen neighborhood clinics and reduce transportation pressures.
Specialists from secondary care institutions have also been temporarily deployed to community polyclinics to ensure local services remain operational. Because this regionalized network already exists, the system can redistribute medical personnel across local facilities without dismantling care. Clinics remain embedded within the communities they serve, helping maintain health care access in Cuba even when transportation and electricity shortages disrupt larger hospitals.
These visits allow health workers to identify patients who may require urgent care before conditions worsen, reducing pressure on hospitals and helping preserve health care access at the community level in Cuba.
Community Participation
Rather than imposing health care structures on communities, Castro’s system sought to integrate local populations and emphasize organized public participation. Health care delivery, for example, is not limited to professional staff but also involves collaboration among medical institutions, local communities and educational programs. To maintain universal health care access in Cuba, medical students have joined primary care teams in clinics and doctors’ offices.
As part of their training, students assist with household visits, patient monitoring and public health education. Their work expands the capacity of the neighborhood health system while allowing services to continue despite staffing and transportation challenges. This collective approach strengthens the resilience of local clinics. It ensures that community-based care remains a cornerstone of health care access in Cuba.
International Collaboration
Cuba’s health care strategy also includes international collaboration, with thousands of medical professionals participating in missions across Africa, Asia and Latin America. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, tens of thousands of Cuban doctors were working in more than 50 countries. Rather than recalling them, the Cuban government asked them to cooperate with host nations in combating the pandemic.
In recent months, many of those host countries have donated thousands of tons of critical aid, reflecting how international cooperation and reciprocal support can lead to better outcomes. The Nuestra América Convoy to Cuba is one such coalition aimed at delivering humanitarian aid based on “cooperation, respect for international law and U.N. values.” Arriving in Havana on March 21, 2026, the convoy is made up of volunteers from around the world and carries food, medicines and energy supplies.
Final Remarks
The energy crisis has tested every link in Cuba’s health care system. The resilience of community clinics and primary care networks demonstrates how strong public health infrastructure can protect health care access in Cuba, even under severe resource pressures. The polyclinic model supports universal accessibility and regionalized services, while prevention and community participation make clinics more adaptable under pressure. This approach offers a potential model for other low-resource settings facing similar shocks.
– Zoey Cruz
Photo: Pixabay