The 3D printing approach, also known as additive manufacturing, is a method of creating three-dimensional objects by building up layers of material based on a computer-generated design or blueprint. Unlike traditional production processes that involve cutting or subtracting material from a larger piece, 3D printing, therefore, adds material, resulting in less waste. To print an object using a 3D printer, one must create the design blueprint on a computer and save it on a memory card. Then, one must insert the card into the 3D printer, which melts a plastic material called a filament to produce the desired object. This technology is improving the Kenyan health care system in several different ways.

Why People Are Using 3D Printing

In response to the need for medical and laboratory equipment in rural areas of Kenya, 3D printing emerged as a viable and efficient solution to address accessibility challenges in the country’s health care system during a humanitarian crisis. Engineers from Pennsylvania State University’s med-tech startup, Kijenzi (meaning “little maker” in Swahili), recognized the potential of using portable 3D printers to produce affordable medical equipment in Kenya.

However, they soon realized that accessing the necessary 3D printing design blueprints posed a significant obstacle. As a result, Kijenzi developed a virtual cloud system that enables doctors and medical professionals to access the files online, with approximately 400 parts available, which the machinery can print in 3D. Additionally, Kijenzi is training individuals across the country to use 3D printers to produce these medical devices, offering them livelihood opportunities.

The Benefits

The Kijenzi 3D printing system is now helping manufacture parts for dialysis machines, microscope parts, incubator latches, prosthetic limbs and various other medical equipment and devices. One of the high points of this 3D printing system is that one can use it to print on demand and as necessary, in what was once a lengthy and unpredictable importation process. As well as cutting down waiting times, the items that the 3D printing system manufactures are completely customized and are of a higher quality than similar items that hospitals would have imported previously.

By virtue of the 3D printing system, hospitals can now easily replace parts from broken or worn-out equipment which require urgent replacement, keeping many hospital departments running when they would have had to close previously. It has also saved certain medical machinery from obsolescence by allowing the reproduction of parts from digital blueprints rather than becoming discontinued from a larger factory’s catalog. The higher production volumes and turnover of items also allow the Kenyan health care system to provide medical equipment to countries like Somalia and Ethiopia in times of need.

The use of 3D printing in the Kenyan health care system is not free from its own set of limitations, unfortunately. The filament, which is the printing material, requires importing, which can be time-consuming as well as expensive. However, there is a high potential to overcome this obstacle — some have suggested that printing the filaments available in Nairobi could be a better option than imported ones. And using locally sourced filaments would reduce the overall cost of the 3D-printed equipment. Additionally, it would speed up waiting times for the import of filaments, allowing people to receive medical attention more quickly.

Looking Ahead

Overall, 3D printing has revolutionized the Kenyan health care system and has no doubt impacted the lives of many people in Kenya in a positive way. It has not only improved the efficiency of Kenya’s medical system but has created jobs and afforded people in Kenya a more secure and self-reliant medical service.

– Molly Wallace
Photo: Flickr

Since the establishment of the first cricket club in 1792 in Kolkata — the world’s second-oldest cricket club — cricket has come to be a key pillar of Indian culture. Fans see the sport as a religion in India: victories have resulted in public holidays (following India’s World Cup triumph in 1983), defeats elicit mourning and fans of the game revere the players in an almost worship-like manner. In 2011, India became the first nation in the world to win the World Cup tournament on home soil. Yet the sport remains predominantly male-dominated, historically excluding females from participating and even spectating matches. So how is Parivartan, a Mumbai-based program that focuses on engaging boys through cricket, helping reduce gender violence in India?

Domestic Violence in India

Although many aspects of society seem to be taking notable leaps forward, there has been little progress in alleviating gender violence in India. In fact, according to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India ranked 134th out of 145 countries for gender parity in 2018, down from 130th in 2017.

Although some structural changes have made a difference in politics and the business sector, with 83.3% of legal frameworks that enforce gender equality under the SDG indicator now in place in India, women still face a lot of discrimination in their day-to-day lives. At any hour, between 30 and 40 women are victims of domestic violence, and that is just the documented figure. Sexist views are part of Indian society, so much so that 50.6% of men and an astonishing 54.4% of women believe that there are situations in which justifications exist for a husband beating his wife.

One contributing factor to the elevated figures around gender violence in India is the custom of dowry. Beliefs and customs around dowries have resulted in the treatment of women as an economic burden. For this reason, a woman has to shell out a required sum of monetary compensation in return for bridal acceptance from the groom. Despite outlawing this practice of paying dowries more than 60 years ago, stories still emerge of marital property disputes that end in murder. India’s National Records Bureau reported that in 2020, on average, dowry-related conflicts led to the killing of 19 women, while 1,700 women committed suicide over “dowry-related issues.”

Parivartan

It is these behaviors that Parivartan, which translates to ‘transformation’ in English, is trying to highlight and erase from Indian society. A collaboration that began in 2008 between the Indian Office of the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) and Apnalaya, a small community-based NGO, adopts the model of the U.S. “Coaching Boys Into Men” program and receives funding from The Nike Foundation. Through sports, the program aims to build attitudes and behaviors that end gender violence in India. Young cricketers are encouraged to challenge their views on “eve teasing,” a term that serves to describe the popular and generally accepted ‘boys’ sport’ of sexually harassing women in the streets.

The coaches and mentors in the program act as role models to the younger boys, who in turn develop positive behaviors to take back and share with their community. The program focuses on the idea of empowering women through changing the behaviors of men – achieving gender equality is not possible without changes in men’s lives as well as women’s, as it is more often the men who are committing the violence.

The program runs in local communities and schools, thereby targeting boys from all social classes. The interventions in schools coached athletes from the middle to higher-middle level of economic strata, while the community-level projects takes place in the slums of Mumbai.

Research conducted through a questionnaire showed that the views of participating athletes changed over time. Despite the young age of many of the athletes, their views when starting the program tended to reflect that men are supposed to be “tough, unfaithful and unemotional.” By the end of the program, these perceptions had largely changed.

Looking Ahead

Apart from the ongoing efforts and trends in India, the idea that sport can serve to drive social change and encourage international development continues to gain popularity across the world, with projects such as Grassroot Soccer in South Africa and Fight for Peace in Brazil. This raises hope that one day, sports participation can play a major role is ridding society of gender inequalities and violence. 

– Almaz Nerurkar
Photo: Flickr

Gender-based violence (GBV) in Puerto Rico is endemic. In fact, in 2021, public officials responded to swelling rates of GBV during the pandemic by declaring a “state of emergency.” Governor Pedro Pierluisi condemned the long-standing machismo and discrimination behind this “social evil” and the “lack of action” in addressing it.

The declaration came after the Puerto Rico Gender Equality Observatory reported, in 2020, that the rate of femicide had increased 62% from the previous year. Alarmingly, more than 25% of those murders were classified as intimate partner violence.

While a nuanced issue, there is a clear correlation between domestic and gender-based violence and the experience of poverty. For example, the recent spike in femicides in Puerto Rico follows shocks like 2017’s Hurricane Maria and COVID-19, which have had a devastating impact on Puerto Ricans’ income and access to basic resources. As of 2018, 44% of the U.S. territory’s population was living in poverty — an inordinate percentage compared to the national poverty rate of about 12%. Poverty exacerbates domestic tensions as well as the circumstances that make it difficult for women to leave abusive homes, heightening financial insecurity and increasing the risk of continued exposure to violence.

Law 54

In 1989, Puerto Rico introduced the “Domestic Abuse Prevention and Intervention Act” to address intimate partner and gender-based violence. Commonly known as Law 54, the legislation designates domestic violence as a felony. Furthermore, it requires law enforcement to complete a comprehensive report on any domestic violence case, even when charges are not filed, in order to improve accuracy in recording domestic violence incident rates.

While Law 54 recognizes the seriousness of the problem, many cases of domestic and gender-based violence in Puerto Rico remain undocumented. For example, in most of the U.S., police departments report rape at “four times the rate of homicide,” according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Yet, in 2010, the Puerto Rico Police Department reported more than 1,000 homicides and just 39 rapes. The ACLU estimated that only about 1% of rape cases in Puerto Rico were reported that year, with the actual number being some 100 times higher.

The anomaly raised questions about the accuracy of reporting claims of domestic violence, adequacy of investigation and effectiveness in providing legal and social protection to survivors. In a 2012 investigation, the ACLU concluded that there was “dramatic under-enforcement of violations of protection orders” and “inadequate staffing of both specialized domestic violence PRPD units and specialized domestic violence prosecution units.” These and other challenges, such as a lack of coordination between investigators and prosecutors, have hindered progress in preventing domestic violence and protecting victims.

How GuardDV Empowers Survivors

Zayira Jordan developed GuardDV in 2018. A survivor of domestic violence, she wanted to use technology to serve other survivors and help ensure their physical and emotional security. The mobile application allows survivors to access “real-time information about the safety of their surroundings,” alerts them to potential protection order violations and provides a “panic button” for use in threatening situations. GuardDV uses three different kinds of technology. Active GPS and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) together make it possible to accurately identify the locations of survivors and offenders. Facial recognition ensures that an offender is always carrying the phone linked to their court-registered IMEI code, requiring offenders to visually log in to the app for random check-ins throughout the day.

How the App Works

1. After approval of a protection order, both the offender and survivor must install GuardDV on their phones.
2. Three parameters are set to activate automatic notifications if an offender violates the protection order. Trusted friends and family can join the survivor’s “Guardian Angel” support network and receive simultaneous notifications.
3. With GuardDV active, survivors can use the live map feature to avoid potential threats. If the offender violates the safety zone, the app immediately notifies both the survivor and their Guardian Angels.
4. If the offender crosses the first two boundaries within the safety zone, GuardDV alerts 911 and provides real-time location information to the survivor, helping them to avoid a high-risk situation. If the offender persists and breaches the final boundary, the app notifies the authorities to apprehend them.

Implementing smart monitoring through apps like GuardDV has proved to be critical for empowering survivors of gender-based violence in Puerto Rico. The app demonstrates how technology can help bring comfort and security to survivors, and accountability to offenders. Additionally, it offers hope for how technology can help prevent instances of gender-based violence for victims and survivors who remain in abusive environments, increase reporting and ensure efficient physical, emotional and legal protection for those who most urgently need support.

– Lucy Gebbie
Photo: Wikimedia Commons