In Ethiopia, child marriage rates are among the highest in the world. According to Girls Not Brides, 40% of girls marry before their 18th birthday, and 14% marry before they turn 15. Rates of child marriage are the highest in the Amhara region and girls from poor households and rural areas are the most vulnerable. The Ethiopian government and organizations such as UNICEF are working to combat the issue, and as a result, the rate of child marriage in Ethiopia has declined over the past two decades.
Child Marriage Rates in Ethiopia
From 2005 to 2016, the percentage of women in Ethiopia that marry before their 18th birthday slightly declined. The rates of child marriage for under 15-year-old girls saw an even greater decrease. However, according to UNICEF, rates of child marriage increased once again in 2022 as a result of severe droughts. The drought, which killed livestock and brought famine, meant that parents were more likely to marry off their daughters in order to secure dowries that help to feed the rest of their family. In fact, according to government sources, child marriage rates increased by 119% in 2022 in the areas worst affected by the drought. These include Oromia, Somali and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNP).
Causes of Child Marriage
Child marriage and poverty are undoubtedly linked, and, according to Girls Not Brides, 58% of girls living in the poorest households in Ethiopia marry before they turn 18. However, a 2016 UNICEF report revealed that poverty is not the strongest driving force of child marriage in Ethiopia and that girls from richer families are also at risk.
Wealthy families often use child marriage to demonstrate social status or consolidate wealth, using young girls to obtain financial security for their families. In Amhara particularly, promising a young child in marriage is seen as a way to form alliances with other affluent families. Additionally, bridewealth payments are customary in Southern Ethiopia and are a vital form of income for many families.
UNICEF reported that gender and cultural norms are the most significant contributor to high child marriage rates. Ethiopian culture views girls as wives and mothers, placing a low value on female education. There is a stigma surrounding premarital pregnancy and the idea that girls are “impure” if they do not marry at a young age is widely accepted, with many parents believing that marriage between the ages of 15 and 18 is not early.
Many girls do not get to receive education because of these gender norms, but also because their parents fear that if they are sent away to secondary school they will be raped or abducted. There is a clear correlation between education levels and child marriage rates. According to Girls Not Brides, around 68% of Ethiopian girls with no education marry before they turn 18 compared with 13% of girls who received full secondary education.
Combating Child Marriage
The UNICEF-UNFPA Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage is a multi-donor program, launched in 2016, of which Ethiopia is a focus country. In 2020, the program identified 3,749 child marriages, and law enforcement subsequently prevented 2,051 of these, Girls Not Brides reports. One strategy it employs to decrease rates of child marriage in Ethiopia is keeping adolescent girls in education, and in 2018 a total of 73,771 girls remained in education as a result of the program’s efforts.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a setback for the program, however, it continued to operate and supported 5.1 million of 24 million children to continue education by way of online programs and radio.
Commitment from the Ethiopian Government
According to the 2019 UNICEF report, at the first global Girl Summit held in London in 2014, the Ethiopian government pledged to end child marriage in Ethiopia by the year 2025. In 2019, the president of Ethiopia presented the National Costed Roadmap to End Child Marriage and FGM/C 2020-2024. The Ministry of Women, Children and Youth created the roadmap with the support of UNICEF and UNFPA.
It is a five-year plan that outlines five pillar strategies to eliminate child marriage by the year 2025, such as community engagement with religious and political leaders; with the aim of increasing investment in young girls and their education. It works to reinforce the commitments made by the Ethiopian government in 2014. The Roadmap estimates that to achieve this goal, progress will need to be 10 times faster than it has been over the past decade.
The five-year roadmap will cost 2.72 billion Ethiopian Birr to implement, a figure which equates to around £40 million.
Elimination of Child Marriage
If Ethiopia achieves the 2025 target, the World Bank/International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) estimates that ending child marriage in Ethiopia could generate a 9.3% rise in earnings for women who marry early, and up to $1.5 billion in additional earnings and productivity for the whole country, according to Girls Not Brides. Currently, Ethiopia’s child marriage rates remain among the highest in the world, but there is hope that with the implementation of the roadmap, rates could decline and help the eradication of child marriage in Ethiopia.
– Lily Cooper
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About Child Marriage in Mali
5 Facts About Child Marriage in Mali
Looking Ahead
Mali is actively developing national action plans to eliminate child and forced marriage. For example, Mali set the minimum age of marriage to 18 under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Along with this, Mali is one of nine countries in Africa to sign the AU Campaign to End Child Marriage.
Also, Mali committed to a 5-year action plan in July 2021 at the Generation Equality Forum in France to advance efforts toward improving gender equality. The goal is to use a $40 million investment to develop both legal and social change to end various forms of gender-based violence including child marriage and FGM by 2026. First Lady Mali Keïta Aminata Maïga led a campaign entitled “Education for girls: a means to eliminating early child marriage” which advocates for keeping girls in school to help end child marriage.
The fight against child marriage in Mali gain globed traction after the European Union made an $18 million investment between 2019-2020 which is meant to go toward ending harmful and violent practices toward women. These funds have been funneled to various organizations that promote legislation on gender-based violence, institutions supporting government efforts, prevention methods, data collection agencies, social monitoring platforms and support services. Ultimately, this investment will help decrease child marriage rates in Mali.
Conclusion
While Mali has put forth massive plans to decrease child marriage cases, continual efforts must be made in order to address this issue. Facilitating access to education and promoting financial relief for Malians in poverty will be instrumental in eradicating child marriage in Mali altogether.
– Olivia Welling
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Child Trauma in the Caribbean
Grenada is a picturesque island nation at the tip of the Windward Islands region of the West Indies with a population of just under 125,000. Currently, the rate of poverty hovers around 38%, estimated by a Food for the Poor report. As a result of the high poverty rate and the legacy of colonial dehumanization, abuse is common in Grenada with 30% of women reporting mistreatment. In 2019, authorities charged a man with raping a 9-year-old girl, an instance in the 30% increase in sexual crimes against children that year.
The National Bureau of Economic Research found that poverty is a significant risk factor for neglect and physical abuse. Poverty can compromise parents’ emotional health, causing absences from home and a willingness to exploit to survive. Child abuse is a global problem, but one NGO is doing something about it. Here is how Reach Within is addressing child trauma in the Caribbean and Grenada.
Reach Within
Reach Within, a program by the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation, combats child trauma in Grenada. It works within the Grenadine community ecosystem: teachers, politicians, health care workers and clergy enact its programs. Community members learn through Reach Within programs how to provide trauma-informed care. Trauma-informed practices bring hope to homes for children, foster homes and to kids on the street. Reach Within’s “philosophical underpinnings” are the cycle of rebirth following a loss. In the words of a volunteer, the organization holds that “every child, no matter their history, can learn to access their inner resources.” Reach Within has developed three, high-impact, low-cost programs that give abused children a future of safety and healing.
Self-Regulation Program
This program works beyond traditional “talk therapy.” Some children do not respond well to talking about trauma, as memories of pain can be retraumatizing. Instead, the Self-Regulation Program involves movement therapy such as tapping, drumming, yoga and breathing. According to the “Science Behind PTSD” published by the Boston Clinical Trials, trauma hits the brain stem first, which is underdeveloped in children, leading to intense anxiety that higher brain regions cannot rationalize. Reach Within uses rhythmic movement to heal this trauma. Rhythmic, repetitive music and movement help mature the brain stem and reach the child’s inner resilience.
Caregiver Certification Program
Caregivers provide the stable human attachment necessary to repattern traumatized brains. Trained in the best methods of treating child trauma, caregivers learn the brain regions affected by trauma and how to reframe traumatic events to help regulate emotional experiences. Healthy attachment can be the result of therapeutic play and eye gazing that form a sympathetic, caring human bond. This bond is imperative to successfully overcoming adversity. Self-care is also central to Reach Within’s caregiver program and caregivers are “provided with support groups and retreats” to foster growth and sustainability in all members of the community.
Transitional Living Program
This Reach Within program targets youth who are phased out of living in residential programs. It provides young adults with educational opportunities, housing and emotional support to prevent abandonment and the furthering of the cycle of abuse. These youths become mentors to the community’s children, “informing their behavior in school, work, and the world at large.”
Increasing Its Impact Addressing Child Trauma in the Caribbean
Reach Within’s practices break cycles of abuse by using science-backed soothing techniques and continuing care into adulthood. This program is built into the community’s strengths and values so that healing children’s psychological wounds can be sustainable. Despite the hurdles of poverty and a government with few policies to limit child abuse, Reach Within has dug deep roots over the past decade in Grenada’s communities with a lasting legacy. It is looking to spread its practices to address child trauma in other islands in the Caribbean. And the results so far suggest that other countries could emulate Reach Within’s philosophy and neurodevelopment-informed programs to free children from the cycle of abuse.
– Caroline Crider
Photo: Flickr
How the Opioid Epidemic in Canada Links to Poverty
About Canada’s Opioid Epidemic
Throughout history, Canada has seen a prevalence of illicit drug use among individuals residing in the nation. Fentanyl, an opioid substance, is a significant contributor to mortality rates in Canada. In 2022, the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario accounted for a significant proportion of opioid-related fatalities, comprising 87% of the total number of deaths. In 2016, fentanyl was responsible for 68% of the 985 deaths related to illicit drugs in British Columbia, which marks a significant increase from 4% in 2012. During the first half of 2017, the province experienced a significant increase of 83% in fatalities related to fentanyl.
According to data from 2016, individuals between the ages of 30 and 39 accounted for 28% of opioid-related fatalities in Canada. There appears to be variability in certain jurisdictions based on age and gender. The provinces of Alberta and Ontario have reported a higher incidence of opioid-related overdose deaths among women aged 44 years and older as compared to younger men. Disparities in mortality rates could potentially be attributed to variations in death investigation protocols across different jurisdictions, methods employed for death classification, toxicology examinations or reported statistical data, such as instances of suicide.
An Important Life Story
Jason, a homeless individual residing on the streets of Toronto, Ontario, who is grappling with drug abuse, has been referenced by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. Jason’s account highlights how his consumption of crack and heroin led to a fixation on attaining a state of intoxication. Jason has lived on the streets of Toronto for two decades. Following the car accident that claimed the life of Jason’s 3-year-old sibling, his parents’ grief hindered their ability to offer Jason the necessary emotional support and guidance. During the funeral of his sibling, he resorted to smoking cannabis as a means of coping with his grief.
On this particular day, Jason began the habit of drug use as a means of coping with his emotional distress and feelings of fragmentation. The video concludes with Jason stating, “If you wake up every day thinking about making money, that’s all you’re going to do. If you want to consume crack, that’s all you’re going to get. Well, you know what, I want life.” The story of Jason revolves around his experience of suffering from emotional distress and frustration during his childhood, which unfortunately remained unaddressed, leading him to resort to drugs as a coping mechanism. Poverty impacts social support, confidence and hope, making individuals who already experience poverty more likely to slip into addiction and vice versa.
Harm Reduction Efforts
Canada has made significant progress in implementing opioid harm reduction strategies. The government has implemented measures such as SCS (supervised consumption sites), overdose prevention sites, drug testing programs and naloxone kits have been implemented to address the issue.
The federal government also granted a three-year exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for individuals aged 18 and above in British Columbia, allowing them to possess up to 2.5 grams of opiates. This is thought to reduce the number of individuals incarcerated for drug possession.
Since 2017, the Canadian government has allocated approximately $800 million to address the opioid epidemic in Canada. This includes the provision of funding for community organizations’ Substance Use and Addictions Program initiatives aimed at providing assistance to individuals who use drugs. The provision of temporary drug consumption spaces has been authorized by the government to enhance overdose prevention services, allowing provinces and territories to establish such facilities. The prioritization of mental health and addiction services is also a matter of federal concern.
The opioid epidemic in Canada presents a significant public health concern and is responsible for the loss of lives on a daily basis. The availability of treatment and community-based services is crucial for individuals grappling with addiction and mental health challenges. The timely provision of appropriate interventions to Canadians is crucial in preventing them from reaching a state of despair where drug remedies become the sole recourse for emotional distress. The allocation of funding by the federal government towards harm-reduction initiatives is a crucial step. Opioid overdoses are predominantly characterized by high rates of poverty, unemployment, lower education levels and median household income. Additional research has also identified poverty as a contributing factor to the risk of opioid overdoses. The opioid epidemic in Canada and poverty are intertwined and it is critical for the Canadian government to address this issue in ways that lower deaths and harm.
– Valentina Ornelas
Photo: Flickr
Period Poverty in Egypt
The Complex Causes of Period Poverty in Egypt
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reports that 34% of Egyptian girls surveyed did not know what menstruation was before starting their period. Of these, 74% were “shocked, afraid or cried” during their first menstruation.
Stigmatization of periods leads to inadequate education and unreliable information: people who menstruate are often ashamed or afraid to ask questions, seek care or leave home on their period. Many young people default to unhygienic practices like not bathing during menstruation, and this can result in infection and serious illness.
Those in poverty often cannot afford sanitary resources, medication or care during their period. Many girls from impoverished families miss school while menstruating. Skipping up to a week of school every month frequently forces them to drop out, putting them at risk in a country where 35.6% of people with no formal education live in poverty.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the poor struggled to attain the appropriate resources, education and care during menstruation. Many suppliers stopped serving hard-to-reach, remote areas and period poverty-focused initiatives decreased, according to Frontiers in Global Health. Increasing economic strain led many households to deprioritize menstrual health.
Working to End Period Poverty
The 2019 World Cup winners, the Enactus Cairo University student collective, present one possible solution to period poverty in Egypt: Rosie. Rosie is a social enterprise providing environmentally friendly, hygienic, affordable sanitary pads to rural Egyptian communities.
In addition to distributing their product, Rosie’s founders taught women in impoverished communities how to make the pads themselves, boosting their income and making them active participants in eliminating period poverty. To date, Enactus estimates that Rosie has positively impacted 6,372 people across its initiatives.
Shark and Shrimp took a different route. In 2019, this Cairo-based digital marketing agency became the first company in Egypt to offer all female employees one paid day of leave per month for their period. The move was controversial, as talk of periods is rarely so public. Still, it has received praise inside and outside Egypt’s borders as an important step in removing the stigma around menstruation.
Moving Forward with Hope
Menstrual health contributes to population health, sustainable development, gender equality and human rights – and people are starting to notice. Increasing numbers of women and communities in Egypt are combatting period poverty in innovative and sustainable ways. At the same time, organizations like Shark and Shrimp are taking the lead in destigmatizing menstruation once and for all. Egypt may have much further to go, but there is cause for optimism yet.
– Faye Crawford
Photo: Flickr
Poverty Reduction in Nigeria
Therefore, the World Bank has projected that the number of Nigerians living below the national poverty line will increase by 13 million people by 2025.
Income Inequality in Nigeria
There are several reasons for the high poverty rates in Nigeria, one of which is income inequality. The average income in rural versus urban Nigeria is incredibly unbalanced. In the past, agriculture was a key export in Nigeria. However, this industry is no longer financially flourishing, leaving those in the rural farmlands susceptible to low income.
Nigeria struggles with various factors that contribute to food insecurity. The most dominant is poverty, along with climate-related challenges that amplify the effects and hardships of poverty, such as drought and flooding. As a result, millions of Nigerians in rural marginalized areas experience extreme malnutrition and chronic hunger.
Currently, 80% of exports from Nigeria are oil, which only represents 1% of national jobs. This contributes to the shocking statistic that four out of 10 Nigerians live in poverty.
The Nigerian government is working to implement reforms that can promote poverty reduction and aid civilians to have a better quality of life. One such reform is the elimination of fuel subsidies.
The Aftermath of Eradicating Fuel Subsidies
Despite the thriving fuel industry, subsidies on petroleum have caused problems in Nigeria for decades.
Nigeria first implemented its fuel subsidies policy in 1977. The Nigerian government enacted these restrictions to provide a cushion from the 1973 oil crisis. However, what was initially intended for six months has remained for twenty-four years. As a result, the policy did not ease the burden of fuel prices but rather bankrupted the government. Fuel subsidies are 15% of the federal budget, more than education and health combined.
In 2012, the Nigerian government announced its plan to eradicate fuel subsidies, causing an uproar and protests over the new policy. In June 2023, President Bola Tinubu told the nation that “the fuel subsidy is gone.” Fearing the inevitable spike in gasoline costs, hundreds of people fled to petrol stations with jerry cans to prepare for the future.
The transition period appears to have poorly affected the public. For example, the petroleum market price increased by 200%. However, the perpetuation of subsidies appeared to be unattainable. Its elimination could pave the way for other initiatives that aim to alleviate poverty. This includes a budget increase for public services, health, transport and education.
Although widely unpopular among citizens, terminating the subsidies could promote a unified exchange rate, reduce corruption and allocate a larger budget for investing in long-term sustainable reformations.
External Support in the Fight to End Poverty in Nigeria
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Food Clique support communities in Nigeria that are most affected by poverty. Food Clique promotes poverty reduction for affected people through donations that fund nutritious food and free school meals. Alongside fighting hunger, these programs also encourage attendance and productivity, promote physical strength and build disease resistance.
Food Clique provides sustainable solutions to food insecurity, alleviating poverty in Nigeria. It also bridges the gap of poverty by helping communities gain access to nutritious meals and promoting long-term solutions. This work is critical because Food Clique aims to build a more food-secure nation and thus reduce the effects of poverty.
The British Red Cross estimates that as of 2022, 19.5 million people in Nigeria do not have enough to eat. However, with the tireless efforts of Food Clique and other nonprofit organizations, there is hope for progress.
Looking Ahead
In summary, poverty reduction in Nigeria has been a slow and complex process, and only now have major reforms beginning to take effect within the government. The removal of fuel subsidies and subsequent inflation impacted the poorest Nigerians the most. In the long run, however, these reforms could create new jobs and allow the government to fund other sectors, such as education and health, to reduce the impact of poverty in Nigeria.
– April Plenderleith
Photo: Pixabay
War Pressures Fuel Investment in Renewable Energy in Ukraine
However, the war in Ukraine has interrupted both nuclear and fossil fuel energy production globally. These pressures have increased demand for and investment in energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric. Fortunately, many different actors have sprung to action to accelerate Ukraine’s transition to renewable energy. In 2018, there were already 347 Ukrainian renewable energy projects underway, and projections at the time suggested the number could grow in the following years.
Why Ukraine Needs Renewables
Conflict due to Russia’s invasion has damaged critical energy infrastructure, causing outages for an estimated 9 million Ukrainians as of the end of 2022. This has put many Ukrainians at risk of losing access to emergency medical treatment, safe food and other basic necessities like heat and light.
A five-fold explosion of poverty has further exacerbated the energy crisis. Since the outbreak of the war, the amount of Ukrainians living in poverty has grown to about a quarter of the population, subjecting more than 7 million Ukrainians to rising electrical costs, city-wide outages and lack of food and water.
Biomass
Ukraine’s agricultural industry is consistently ranking among the world’s largest exporters of crops such as wheat, corn and seed oils. It generated $27.8 billion in total value in 2021. Thus, biomass is one of the most promising potential sources of renewable energy in Ukraine. A 2022 study estimated the total economic potential of Ukrainian agricultural waste alone has the potential to supply “16.3% of the country’s energy needs.”
Solar
Despite only constituting around 5% of Ukraine’s energy production in 2022, solar energy production is expected to grow from 2023 onward. Public interest in renewable energy in Ukraine has increased in 2023, and The Solar Energy Association of Ukraine has responded to meet localized energy needs in impoverished or destroyed communities by cooperating with SolarPower Europe and the German Solar Association for the Solar Supports Ukraine campaign.
With the help of foundations such as the Energy Act for Ukraine and the Repower Ukraine Foundation, workers and volunteers installed hundreds of residential solar panels in Ukrainian communities in 2023, bringing energy to hospitals and homes.
Hydroelectric and Wind
Hydroelectric plants generate 6.8% of Ukraine’s electricity, but plants such as that at Kakhovka Dam have been damaged by conflict in 2022 and 2023, reducing Ukraine’s hydroelectric energy output. Luckily, Ukrainian company DTEK is filling this deficit with the 19-turbine Tyligulska Wind Power Plant, which opened in May 2023.
Built at twice the normal speed for a plant of this size, and the first of its kind in an active war zone, Tyligulska produces enough electricity for 200,000 homes, with plans to expand the plant already in development.
Looking Ahead
Renewable energy in Ukraine has already proved to be a popular and reliable solution to the hardship imposed on the country by Russia’s invasion. Fortunately, Ukrainian companies and the government are embracing the potential of these cleaner, independent energy sources.
– Finneas Sensiba
Photo: Flickr
Period Poverty in Mozambique
Period poverty is an issue that affects many women and girls around the globe. In the Southeast African country of Mozambique, females are at increased risk of facing this issue — in 2014, about 63% of the population, or 16.7 million people, lived under the international poverty line, the World Bank reports. In response, several organizations are taking action to address period poverty in Mozambique.
What is Period Poverty?
Menstruation is a natural part of the female biological process. However, due to the grand cost of menstrual products, including underwear, sanitary pads/tampons and pain relief medication, many impoverished women and girls cannot afford to properly manage their menstruation.
Though little data and statistics exist regarding period poverty in Mozambique, the cost of pads and tampons in neighboring African countries gives a relative indication of the costs in Mozambique. In Zimbabwe, it would cost about $2 for a pack of the most affordable sanitary pads. To put things into perspective, the average monthly wage for a Mozambican is $11.84 in 2023. Considering that many people need more than one pack of pads during a menstrual cycle, this purchase can interfere with other necessary expenses.
The Impact of Poverty
From 2002 to 2014, Mozambique experienced progress in reducing multidimensional poverty. However, data reveals that between 2019 and 2020, that progress reversed. Households in Mozambique suffering from multidimensional poverty increased from 32% to 46% during this time. Due to rising rates of poverty, menstruating girls and women struggle to afford basic hygiene products required for the maintenance of their period. “Without proper menstrual hygiene in place, particularly in warm, humid climates throughout Mozambique, girls and women are at greater risk of infections with impacts on their physical and mental health and well-being,” the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says.
The Solutions
In the fight to resolve period poverty in Mozambique, in 2019, the Government of Mozambique and UNFPA provided “dignity kits” to more than 16,500 girls and women in Mozambique who cannot fund these resources themselves, according to UNFPA. A “dignity kit” includes menstrual pads, bath soap, multiple pairs of underwear, detergent powder, sanitary napkins, a flashlight, toothpaste, a toothbrush and a comb. UNFPA reports that it distributed 484,000 dignity kits across 18 countries in 2017.
Additionally, HELVETAS Mozambique has attempted to address menstrual stigma in the country. HELVETAS arranged a campaign in May 2022 called “Social and Behavioral Change for the Adoption of Good Management Practices for Menstrual Hygiene.” In collaboration with the Chiúre District Government, the event raised awareness of this topic in local communities. The initiative is important considering that “Poor menstrual hygiene management affects the dignity, mobility and confidence of girls and women, thus compromising access to education, health, hygiene and economic development and ultimately overall progress toward achieving gender equity and equality,” HELVETAS says.
Period poverty is a global issue affecting women and girls everywhere. And a vital component of positive progression is education. Hence, if all people, regardless of gender, are educated in every country about the issues arising from period poverty, the taboo and stigma surrounding it could decrease.
– Katerina Petrou
Photo: Flickr
Food Systems in Tasmania
These factors have exhausted local food systems in Tasmania, despite the island being a global choice for fresh, premium food products. In a regional study, the University of Tasmania found that “Quality food is too expensive to afford.” According to the Department of State Growth, Tasmania exports 82% of its food to outside nations or other Australian states.
Due to the island’s temperate maritime climate and biosecurity advantage, Tasmania boasts ideal growing conditions, opening substantial opportunities for local food systems to thrive. With more than a quarter of the land committed to agriculture, Tasmania prospects a robust and viable market for feeding its own. And through additional support, residents could benefit from healthy, nutrient-dense local foods, advancing the island’s food security and independence.
Tasmanian Food Security Council
In partnership with several organizations, the Tasmanian Government has outlined the insecurities of food systems in Tasmania, combining efforts to approach and reinvent the island’s food systems. The “Food Relief to Food Resilience Action Plan” and “Food for all Tasmanians” plans set forth strategies to address the island’s food systems, offering funding and programs to ensure “…every Tasmanian has access to sufficient, quality and nutritious food.” Since the initiatives began in 2018, the Tasmanian Government has committed $9 million toward the delivery of food relief across the State.
In addition, the 2023-2025 plan strengthens the previous budget, adding another $2 million toward “delivering food relief to Tasmanians who need it most, and this is alongside building food resilience for a sustainable future.” The Action Plan involves three main areas of support: sustainable relief, growing systems and building resilience. Through collaborative coalitions between the government, community organizations, and the food relief sector, various proposed and established programs detail the State’s efforts to institute sustainable and resilient food systems.
The school lunch pilot program “School Food Matters” exemplifies the council’s successful pursuit to support food insecure students, having committed an additional $400,000 to the $1.87 million. With the support of the Tasmanian Government, the program assists “school communities to promote and provide a school food service that is nutritious, affordable, safe and where possible, locally sourced and prepared by the school.” In the 2022 school year, the program provided 78,832 lunches, serving more than 1,600 students with healthy, nutritious lunches, according to a 2023 report. The program continues to develop and grow, relying on local food systems in Tasmania to ensure every student eats lunch.
Eat Well Tasmania
Eat Well Tasmania is a nonprofit organization working alongside the Tasmanian Government to build a sustainable and resilient food system through creative campaigns, advocacy and robust research. The organization champions local procurement as the principal solution, transitioning the State to be more self-reliant on its own food, which could inadvertently protect the island State against future threats or disasters.
Localizing food systems eliminates the island’s dependency on outside imports, improving food security by increasing access to local, healthy food. Studies also show that “every $1 million invested in buying Tasmanian-produced food could create up to $3 million of economic activity in Tasmania.” Pivoting to locally grown and produced food generates jobs while better equipping local communities to cope with future challenges.
In combination with the Tasmanian Government’s efforts and collaboration with local organizations, support for local food systems in Tasmania blossoms and aids positive food environments. Such measures and programs promote food grown and processed regionally, thus minimizing the transport distance and sustaining a local economy that provides a market for food to sell where it is grown. As the State continues to prioritize and invest in its food systems, Tasmanians could garner greater access to affordable local food that is nutrient-dense, thereby creating a positive economic impact and building resourcefulness and resilience in local communities.
– Emmalyn Meyer
Photo: Flickr
What to Know About Child Marriage in Ethiopia
Child Marriage Rates in Ethiopia
From 2005 to 2016, the percentage of women in Ethiopia that marry before their 18th birthday slightly declined. The rates of child marriage for under 15-year-old girls saw an even greater decrease. However, according to UNICEF, rates of child marriage increased once again in 2022 as a result of severe droughts. The drought, which killed livestock and brought famine, meant that parents were more likely to marry off their daughters in order to secure dowries that help to feed the rest of their family. In fact, according to government sources, child marriage rates increased by 119% in 2022 in the areas worst affected by the drought. These include Oromia, Somali and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNP).
Causes of Child Marriage
Child marriage and poverty are undoubtedly linked, and, according to Girls Not Brides, 58% of girls living in the poorest households in Ethiopia marry before they turn 18. However, a 2016 UNICEF report revealed that poverty is not the strongest driving force of child marriage in Ethiopia and that girls from richer families are also at risk.
Wealthy families often use child marriage to demonstrate social status or consolidate wealth, using young girls to obtain financial security for their families. In Amhara particularly, promising a young child in marriage is seen as a way to form alliances with other affluent families. Additionally, bridewealth payments are customary in Southern Ethiopia and are a vital form of income for many families.
UNICEF reported that gender and cultural norms are the most significant contributor to high child marriage rates. Ethiopian culture views girls as wives and mothers, placing a low value on female education. There is a stigma surrounding premarital pregnancy and the idea that girls are “impure” if they do not marry at a young age is widely accepted, with many parents believing that marriage between the ages of 15 and 18 is not early.
Many girls do not get to receive education because of these gender norms, but also because their parents fear that if they are sent away to secondary school they will be raped or abducted. There is a clear correlation between education levels and child marriage rates. According to Girls Not Brides, around 68% of Ethiopian girls with no education marry before they turn 18 compared with 13% of girls who received full secondary education.
Combating Child Marriage
The UNICEF-UNFPA Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage is a multi-donor program, launched in 2016, of which Ethiopia is a focus country. In 2020, the program identified 3,749 child marriages, and law enforcement subsequently prevented 2,051 of these, Girls Not Brides reports. One strategy it employs to decrease rates of child marriage in Ethiopia is keeping adolescent girls in education, and in 2018 a total of 73,771 girls remained in education as a result of the program’s efforts.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a setback for the program, however, it continued to operate and supported 5.1 million of 24 million children to continue education by way of online programs and radio.
Commitment from the Ethiopian Government
According to the 2019 UNICEF report, at the first global Girl Summit held in London in 2014, the Ethiopian government pledged to end child marriage in Ethiopia by the year 2025. In 2019, the president of Ethiopia presented the National Costed Roadmap to End Child Marriage and FGM/C 2020-2024. The Ministry of Women, Children and Youth created the roadmap with the support of UNICEF and UNFPA.
It is a five-year plan that outlines five pillar strategies to eliminate child marriage by the year 2025, such as community engagement with religious and political leaders; with the aim of increasing investment in young girls and their education. It works to reinforce the commitments made by the Ethiopian government in 2014. The Roadmap estimates that to achieve this goal, progress will need to be 10 times faster than it has been over the past decade.
The five-year roadmap will cost 2.72 billion Ethiopian Birr to implement, a figure which equates to around £40 million.
Elimination of Child Marriage
If Ethiopia achieves the 2025 target, the World Bank/International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) estimates that ending child marriage in Ethiopia could generate a 9.3% rise in earnings for women who marry early, and up to $1.5 billion in additional earnings and productivity for the whole country, according to Girls Not Brides. Currently, Ethiopia’s child marriage rates remain among the highest in the world, but there is hope that with the implementation of the roadmap, rates could decline and help the eradication of child marriage in Ethiopia.
– Lily Cooper
Photo: Flickr
How the Government Is Working To Improve Mental Health Care in Croatia
The State of Mental Health in Croatia
Statistics show that mental health in Croatia has declined since the end of the war in 1995. For example, a 2009 study noted that the period of transition following the war was marked by “a dramatic rise in the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, especially among soldiers.” Similarly, a 2010 comparative study of patients suffering from mental illness in Germany and Croatia revealed that the prevalence of war trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was significantly higher among Croatian patients, with 78% reporting experiences of war trauma and nearly 62% exhibiting PTSD. By contrast, only 6.8% of the study’s German participants reported experiences of war trauma and only 30% exhibited PTSD.
More recent statistics indicate that Croatia has continued to witness a significant rise in mental health conditions. For instance, a 2019 study by scholars at the Croatian Public Health Association and the University of Zagreb School of Medicine estimated that some 30% of the Croatian population was struggling with one or more mental health issues, with 50% of those conditions developing at 14 years of age. The study stated, “Mental disorders account for the largest and fastest-growing categories of the burden of disease in Croatia,” making clear that mental health is a key concern in improving overall health within the nation. However, in 2019, just 6% of Croatian females and 5% of Croatian males over the age of 15 reported consulting with a mental health professional.
Though significant, the figures from these studies highlight a need for even more effort toward ensuring the effective detection, diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in Croatia.
Community Care
On the bright side, the Croatian government has been introducing reforms that target the growing national epidemic of mental health conditions. Noting that factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and recent earthquakes have exacerbated the problem, in 2022, the government adopted the Strategic Framework for Mental Health. Outlining plans of action to be implemented between 2022 and 2030, the framework prioritizes mental health as a public health concern. It focuses on early detection and prevention of mental health conditions, increasing access to mental health care and improving the effectiveness of treatment.
Implementing community-based treatment and support programs is a key component of the framework. Furthermore, it emphasizes developing telemedicine services and providing care through “mobile multidisciplinary teams.” These initiatives are part of a larger effort, outlined in Croatia’s National Health Development Plan for 2021-2027, to make the country’s health care system more accessible, affordable and effective.
Croatia’s Young People
While community care is a focus of Croatia’s mental health care reforms, the Croatian government and the Ministry of Health have also recognized the need to focus on youth mental health services.
As of June 2023, UNICEF estimated that some 11.5% of Croatian young people between 10 and 19 years of age are struggling with mental health issues, and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 75% of mental illnesses in Croatia develop by the time individuals reach their mid-20s. To tackle this issue, Croatia’s Strategic Framework for Mental Health 2022-2030 emphasizes introducing mental health education and treatment into schools. This includes developing social-emotional learning programs to help young people better understand and express their feelings, as well as implementing peer support and counseling programs. Such reforms are part of the government’s initiative to destigmatize mental health in Croatia, ensure treatment for those who need it and reduce the development of mental health conditions.
Visible Progress
Evincing the Croatian government’s commitment to improving mental health care in the country, Croatia’s suicide rate per 100,000 people had already fallen from 12.31 in 2013 to 11.01 in 2019, according to the WHO’s Mental Health Atlas 2020 report. Additionally, the number of mental health workers per 100,000 people rose from 59.86 in 2017 to 67.84 in 2020. Such statistics demonstrate the visible success of early government interventions aimed at improving mental health care in Croatia. With the Croatian government’s continued efforts to develop the country’s mental health system, expand its services and reach more of the population, mental health care in Croatia can record more progress in the years to come.
– Matilda Davey
Photo: Flickr