On June 1, 2022, the White House unveiled its Action Plan on Global Water Security, spearheaded by Vice President Kamala Harris. The White House aims to help achieve water security domestically and abroad, citing the connection between water and U.S. national security interests. In particular, five countries that need the water action plan will benefit from gaining access to clean water and reducing deaths.
Three Pillars
The White House said it views water security as “sustainable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as water to sustain ecosystems and for agriculture, energy and other economic activities.”
The water action plan focuses on three pillars to implement its goals:
- Increasing the U.S. role in attaining universal water security and ensuring sustainability without increasing carbon emissions.
- Encouraging sustainable practices for managing and building water resources and ecosystems to build economies and cooperation.
- Utilizing cooperation among organizations like the G-20 Summit and the U.N. to achieve water security.
While the plan did not specify nations, five countries that need the water action plan especially are Angola, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
Angola
Angola is a southern African country with a population of roughly 35 million. Only about half of Angolans have access to basic sanitation and clean water. In 2020, the U.N. reported that access to both had stagnated, hampering the efforts to achieve SDG 6 by 2030.
Malaria deaths account for over 11,000 deaths in 2020. In addition, Angola has one of the highest child mortality rates, with 71.5 of every 1,000 live births dying before age 5.
Water treatment is just one way to curb malaria and child mortality in the country. Investments from the water action plan could fund water treatment and basic sanitation services, especially in rural areas.
Somalia
Like Angola, Somalia is on the U.N.’s list of least developed countries (LDC). Clean water and sanitation services are not easily accessible in the eastern African country, as only 32% of the population used a sanitation service in 2020. In a country of roughly 15 million people, this amounts to more than 10 million people without that access.
Somalia is also amid a severe drought. The U.N. estimates that Somalia is heading toward the fourth year in a row without a successful rain season. This has devastated Somalia, with over 100,000 people relocating to find access to water.
The White House highlighted the link between global water security and national security. Somalia is a prime example: In 2014, at the height of its civil war, the terrorist group al-Shabaab used “water terrorism” to further the conflict between the citizens and the Somali government. By cutting off such a crucial resource, tensions flared, and anger toward the government grew, furthering the war.
Somalia could benefit from the water action plan’s funding to expand water access and treatment, which could have a resounding impact.
Ethiopia
Somalia’s neighbor to the west shares its water insecure status, as well as being one of 46 LDCs, according to the U.N. Ethiopia has been the focus of foreign aid for decades, stemming from the Ethiopian Civil War in the 1970s.
Ethiopia met its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for clean drinking water, the precursor to SDG 6. Since 1990, it has slashed the percentage of people without access to clean drinking water in half, with 57% of people having access to clean drinking water. This success comes from the government-run water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program.
Still, Ethiopia struggles with sanitation and waterborne illnesses, contributing to child mortality rates. According to UNICEF, the lack of treatment and sanitation of water contributes to 60% to 80% of communicable diseases in Ethiopia. In terms of child mortality, this level of water insecurity leads to 70,000 deaths of children under 5 years of age each year.
Uganda
Uganda is also on the U.N.’s LDC list. Uganda has stagnated on SDG 6, with only 55.9% of the population having access to drinking water.
Sanitation is one of the critical issues surrounding Uganda’s water crisis. In Uganda, 8.8 million people practice open defecation, contaminating the natural water supply. According to the nonprofit Water.org, 28 million Ugandans lack access to safe sanitation services, which plays a vital role in SDG 6.
The White House’s water action plan could help enrich existing aid programs through the U.S. Agency for International Development, giving 750,000 Ugandans access to clean water and providing resources to become open-defecation free.
Papua New Guinea
Though not on the LDC list, the Sustainable Development Report finds that Papua New Guinea still needs essential water services. Only 45.3% of Papua New Guinea’s citizens have access to clean drinking water, and only 19.2% have access to sanitation services. The U.N. reports that only 30% of the population can access soap and water at home for a hand washing facility.
According to UNICEF, 30% of the population use surface water daily. This likely correlates with illness and poverty among those who contract waterborne diseases.
Solutions
The White House Action Plan on Global Water Security could help these five countries in desperate need of aid to create stability and health through water and sanitation services. The World Bank estimates that global WASH programs and infrastructure would cost $35 billion to maintain each year, according to a White House report.
While more funding is called for, USAID committed to $1.2 billion in aid for three years to strengthen global water security. The water action plan is a step in the right direction and provides a starting point for these five countries and others to achieve water security.
– Emma Rushworth
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Poland Welcomes Ukrainian Refugees
Who are the Refugees?
The majority of the 6.5 million Ukrainians who have fled the country are women and children. This is because, under Ukraine’s martial law, men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. Fathers, husbands and sons have had to stay behind, resulting in many families being separated.
Not all refugees fleeing from Ukraine are Ukrainian. Students from African countries, Afghan refugees and Belarusian asylum seekers make up a sizeable portion of those who cross into Poland in the flight from violence, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC). When the EU announced temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, the IRC also urged that the same auspices be extended to non-Ukrainian residents and asylum seekers.
What Do the Refugees Need?
Refugees arriving in Poland are fleeing areas heavily inflicted by fighting with some having spent weeks living in bomb shelters and basements. Scared for their own lives as well as the lives of any loved ones left behind, refugees enter Poland in a state of acute distress and anxiety. On top of their concern for family members still in Ukraine, refugees must also deal with the stress of mapping out their future course of action with far fewer economic resources and social ties than they had in their home country.
Refugees’ main needs are health and medical services. At the beginning of the crisis, those making the journey across the border endured freezing temperatures and went days without enough food and water. “People are arriving across the border exhausted, hungry and cold,” said IRC Ukraine emergency response team lead Heather Macey to Rescue.
The government of Poland has installed numerous reception centers throughout the country in response. There, refugees can receive any medical attention they may need and recuperate for a few nights before finding shelter elsewhere in the country. The IRC has played a critical role in providing these centers with blankets and sleeping bags as well as necessary medical equipment.
Poland’s Open Door Policy
Poland has been quick to establish systems of legal stay, access to employment, education, health care and other social welfare for newly arriving refugees. Polish authorities have registered more than 1.1 million people with the Government of Poland and granted them with a state ID number that gives them access to these services, U.N. reports.
While the Polish government has accomplished much on its own, other international organizations like the IRC and the UNHCR have played a critical role in supporting government-led efforts, specifically in providing cash assistance and delivering emergency supplies. “[More than] 100,000 refugees have already received financial support from UNHCR to cover their basic needs, such as paying rent or buying food and medicine,” said Olga Sarrado, spokeswoman for UNHCR.
With the help of its partners, Poland has shown an impressive crisis response. It is important to remember however that the Russian-Ukraine war is ongoing, and the country is to expect even larger flows of refugees further into the year meaning that more support will be needed going forward.
– Lauren Kim
Photo: Flickr
International Partnerships Reduce Indo-Pacific Piracy
Past Collaborations
In 2008, after piracy surged, Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) — an anti-piracy operation — was formed to coordinate missions among China, America, Japan and India. This alliance aimed to prevent piracy and poverty in pirate-prevalent nations. Then, in September 2009, the U.S. and China ramped up their collaboration. In total, the Chinese Navy, with U.S. assistance, “rescued … 43 ships in 32 missions.”
The Gulf of Aden, however, is perhaps the greatest cooperative victory. Much of the world’s oil and food exports are transported through the gulf, making the Gulf of Aden a crucial economic pipeline. In 2010, a U.N. Contact Group approved the U.S. and China’s plans for mitigating piracy in the Gulf, supported by India.
Anti-piracy initiatives with this level of cooperation are much more effective than a single nation’s efforts. No country can handle the vast ocean alone. As a naval expert said, “ To catch a pirate, cooperation is key.” Cooperating to end piracy may also save the world up to $12 billion a year and help decrease global poverty, according to a non-profit’s 2010 report.
Recent Initiatives
China partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard to clamp down on piracy and prevent primarily low-income countries in the Indo-Pacific from experiencing pirate-inflicted economic damage. Meanwhile, Japan joined U.S. and U.K. naval vessels in 2021 anti-piracy drills, providing another guard against pirates.
More broadly, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, an alliance consisting of the U.S., Australia, India and Japan, recently planned several joint defense operations for mitigating Indo-Pacific piracy. In 2021, the alliance set a precedent where all four countries participated for the second consecutive year in over a decade.
American Funding
Piracy often begins in poverty and goes on to cause poverty, creating a loop. Put simply: poverty motivates potential pirates to steal. Rather than more minor acts of thievery, this often spirals into massive maritime violations. In the past decade, Congress considered funding vulnerable countries as a method of piracy prevention. Thus, in the past year, the U.S. provided $253 million for financial development in Somalia.
Furthermore, Congress passed the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, which would gradually dispense $425 million toward piracy prevention. By economically supporting the Indo-Pacific region, overall poverty decreases and residents are less likely to resort to piracy. Piracy and its adverse effects can diminish by continuing to facilitate anti-poverty programs in the Indo-Pacific and other vulnerable regions. Major world powers have shown that cooperation works. Their international partnerships reduce Indo-Pacific piracy and help ease global poverty.
– Ashwin Telang
Photo: Flickr
MAB Improves Visual Health in Malaysia
The Gurney Training Center for the Blind
The Gurney Training Center for the Blind is MAB’s vocational training school for those with visual impairment. This center provides both vocational training and rehabilitation services. The center’s vocational courses allow people with visual impairment to receive proper training in a field. Some of the vocational training courses include skills such as woodworking, massage therapy, telephony, industrial work and computer programming. The center also offers rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, counseling, casework, mobility training, communication and social skills, and recreational activities.
Taman Harapan Agricultural Training Center
The Taman Harapan Agricultural Training Center teaches skills for various farming and breeding methods. Other related courses offered include ones such as horticulture and craft making. Like Gurney’s, the center also provides rehabilitation services such as techniques for daily living.
Information Technology
MAB also provides training in how to use assistive devices and software. Additional services include the repair and replacement of this adaptive equipment. The organization also advocates for those with visual impairment by prompting employers and policymakers to provide Information and Communication Technologies facilities (computer labs, laptops, tablets, etc.) in the workplace.
Job Placement
MAB provides a job placement program to help its clients find stable work and improve the economic mobility of Malaysian people with visual impairment. MAB provides work placement by offering different resources, such as placing trained individuals into appropriate employment opportunities, helping with loans for assistive equipment needed for jobs, and working with the Department of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Human Resources to address employment matters.
Assistance to Blind Children Centers (ABC)
ABC Centers are several early intervention programs that provide essential services to children with visual impairment. These children are provided with physical training, basic living skills, preschool activities, recreational activities and counseling services. This center also aids parents by providing services such as education and counseling on visual impairment.
Public Transportation
Safety while riding public transportation is a recurring issue for people with visual impairment. In a broad collaboration with several government ministries, Nongovernmental Organizations and MAB, the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation in Malaysia installed directional tactile tiles on the Putrajaya MRT Line. These tiles give tactile feedback to commuters along the most efficient path from the entry point to the rail platform. The tiles also help indicate where an elevator or escalator is.
MAB improves visual health in Malaysia by promoting such inclusive designs and providing various services. With more efforts like MAB’s, people with visual impairment in Malaysia can integrate into a more inclusive society with improved opportunities for economic mobility.
– Max Cole
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Operating in Kosovo
5 Charities Making a Difference in Kosovo
Looking Ahead
From sponsoring youth sports and opening centers for reproductive health to unearthing landmines, these charitable institutions are truly improving Kosovan society. These philanthropic organizations are helping Kosovo achieve a brighter future with less poverty and fewer societal divisions.
– Michael Cardamone
Photo: Flickr
Humanitarian Aid to Somalia Amid Worst Drought
The Current State of Somalia
Somalia is currently in a state of climate emergency after experiencing “a fourth failed rainy season,” which plunged the nation into drought. This has caused conditions of mass famine, disease and displacement. After a recent trip to Somalia, Jan Egeland, Norwegian Refugee Council’s secretary general, describes the situation on the ground. Farmers had “lost all their livestock and crops,” children face severe malnourishment and parents beg for food and water to meet their daily needs.
Drought is not a new phenomenon in Somalia and has detrimentally impacted the social and economic stability of the country in the past decade. Since the beginning of 2021, the drought has forcefully displaced more than 800,000 people. With the most recent drought fostering a significant hunger crisis, the number of people experiencing crisis levels of hunger could increase “from less than five million to more than seven million in the coming months.” While drought in Somalia primarily fuels mass displacement and famine, it also generates “violent conflicts over water and grazing land, rising costs of basic goods and the destruction of crops and livestock herds.”
The intertwining of factors affecting food security in Somalia evidently worsens the situation. These factors include the COVID-19 pandemic, locust plagues and “continued recovery from previous droughts.” The Russian war in Ukraine also contributes to the state of food insecurity in Somalia as roughly “90% of Somalia’s wheat imports came from Russia and Ukraine.” The invasion has led to the blockage of grain supplies and a surge in food prices.
The US Response
To respond to this critical situation, the U.S. announced that it would provide $476 million worth of humanitarian aid to Somalia. Taking this most recent humanitarian funding into consideration, this would mean that the U.S. has provided close to $707 million in humanitarian assistance for people in Somalia in 2022 alone. This recent humanitarian aid sum is expected to allow USAID to accomplish several objectives to help millions across Somalia. These include providing:
The Implications
While financial aid is extremely helpful in dealing with the impact of drought, there remain significant funding shortfalls. As opposed to the $1.3 billion donated by international donors in 2017, so far, in 2022, the figure only stands at $500 million. USAID has expressed a pressing need for more international donors to help address the impacts of several climate-related catastrophes and food insecurity in Somalia.
The U.S. provision of $476 million in humanitarian aid to Somalia gives the country’s citizens hope for a better tomorrow. It remains critical for Somalia’s global partners to contribute to the widespread efforts to alleviate the impacts of the looming famine fueled by the recent drought.
– Claudia Efemini
Photo: Flickr
NGOs in Nigeria Fight Against Period Poverty on World Menstrual Hygiene Day
What is Period Poverty?
According to the American Medical Women’s Association, period poverty can be defined as “inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management.” The United Nations Population Fund also describes the “increased economic vulnerability” that women face when trying to afford menstrual hygiene products. In low-income countries, insufficient access to menstrual products or proper sanitation facilities can lead to young girls missing school or even abandoning education altogether, affecting their economic opportunities. More than 500 million people worldwide have inadequate provisions to manage their menstrual hygiene.
Period Poverty in Nigeria
In Nigeria, more than 25% of women do not have adequate privacy for menstrual hygiene management and access to menstrual products varies largely by region. For example, 37% of women in Kaduna State obtained menstrual products as compared to 88% in Lagos. In 2022, a pack of sanitary pads can cost $2.25, even though around 40% of Nigerians live below the international poverty line of $1.90 per person per day as of 2018.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated period poverty due to shortages in menstrual products and an increase in prices, which only worsened further with the Russia-Ukraine war.
For most of 2020 and 2021, the pandemic also prevented nongovernmental and humanitarian organizations from continuing their menstruation education initiatives in rural areas, but multiple campaigns were held in 2022 to celebrate World Menstrual Hygiene Day. Here are five NGOs that commemorated the day by campaigning for an end to period poverty:
Global Citizen x BeyGOOD Fellows
As part of the “We Can. Period.” project, international advocacy organization Global Citizen and Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD fellowship program hosted workshops on menstrual health for schools in Lagos, promoting awareness about period poverty. In partnership with UNFPA, the organization provided students with 100 free reusable sanitary pads as well as 60 yards of fabric to create their own reusable pads.
PadUp Africa
The nonprofit was founded in 2017 with the aim of destigmatizing periods across Africa, through sensitization campaigns on menstrual hygiene management. PadUp Africa held a ‘Walk for Pad’ rally in Abuja, their second time hosting the event. Attendees walked to show their support for federal policies to address Nigeria’s period poverty and provide free menstrual products in schools.
Aniedi Etim Foundation
The foundation, in partnership with the company Oriental Energy Resources, hosted workshops on sanitary pad usage and menstrual health as part of the Girl Child Menstrual Health Education Outreach initiative. The workshops were held in a secondary school at Akwa Ibom State, where the Aniedi Etim Foundation and Oriental Energy pledged to provide students attending the event with a one-year supply of free sanitary pads.
Plan International
The international humanitarian organization, which works to support children’s rights and equality for girls, arranged a hybrid event in Bauchi State, in partnership with the Kimberly-Clark company. The event featured panel discussions with students, government officials, development partners and journalists around the theme of “Menstruation Matters: My Period, My Pride.” The purpose of the event was also to call on the Nigerian government to provide free menstrual products for adolescent girls in order to reduce period poverty.
Tabitha Cumi Foundation
The Nigerian NGO aims to empower women in marginalized communities across the country. It hosted a training session at the Abuja School of the Deaf to empower young girls with disabilities to manage their menstrual health. The event also drew attention to the necessity of inclusive menstrual health programs that are adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. Its World Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Day commemoration was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Centre for Women Development. Company Procter & Gamble also sponsored the distribution of free menstrual hygiene kits and sanitary pads at the event.
A Look Ahead
While these events were hosted on World Menstrual Hygiene Day, the organizations, among many others, work year-round to advocate for better policies and facilities to end period poverty in Nigeria.
– Ramona Mukherji
Photo: Flickr
5 Countries that Need the Water Action Plan
Three Pillars
The White House said it views water security as “sustainable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as water to sustain ecosystems and for agriculture, energy and other economic activities.”
The water action plan focuses on three pillars to implement its goals:
While the plan did not specify nations, five countries that need the water action plan especially are Angola, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
Angola
Angola is a southern African country with a population of roughly 35 million. Only about half of Angolans have access to basic sanitation and clean water. In 2020, the U.N. reported that access to both had stagnated, hampering the efforts to achieve SDG 6 by 2030.
Malaria deaths account for over 11,000 deaths in 2020. In addition, Angola has one of the highest child mortality rates, with 71.5 of every 1,000 live births dying before age 5.
Water treatment is just one way to curb malaria and child mortality in the country. Investments from the water action plan could fund water treatment and basic sanitation services, especially in rural areas.
Somalia
Like Angola, Somalia is on the U.N.’s list of least developed countries (LDC). Clean water and sanitation services are not easily accessible in the eastern African country, as only 32% of the population used a sanitation service in 2020. In a country of roughly 15 million people, this amounts to more than 10 million people without that access.
Somalia is also amid a severe drought. The U.N. estimates that Somalia is heading toward the fourth year in a row without a successful rain season. This has devastated Somalia, with over 100,000 people relocating to find access to water.
The White House highlighted the link between global water security and national security. Somalia is a prime example: In 2014, at the height of its civil war, the terrorist group al-Shabaab used “water terrorism” to further the conflict between the citizens and the Somali government. By cutting off such a crucial resource, tensions flared, and anger toward the government grew, furthering the war.
Somalia could benefit from the water action plan’s funding to expand water access and treatment, which could have a resounding impact.
Ethiopia
Somalia’s neighbor to the west shares its water insecure status, as well as being one of 46 LDCs, according to the U.N. Ethiopia has been the focus of foreign aid for decades, stemming from the Ethiopian Civil War in the 1970s.
Ethiopia met its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for clean drinking water, the precursor to SDG 6. Since 1990, it has slashed the percentage of people without access to clean drinking water in half, with 57% of people having access to clean drinking water. This success comes from the government-run water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program.
Still, Ethiopia struggles with sanitation and waterborne illnesses, contributing to child mortality rates. According to UNICEF, the lack of treatment and sanitation of water contributes to 60% to 80% of communicable diseases in Ethiopia. In terms of child mortality, this level of water insecurity leads to 70,000 deaths of children under 5 years of age each year.
Uganda
Uganda is also on the U.N.’s LDC list. Uganda has stagnated on SDG 6, with only 55.9% of the population having access to drinking water.
Sanitation is one of the critical issues surrounding Uganda’s water crisis. In Uganda, 8.8 million people practice open defecation, contaminating the natural water supply. According to the nonprofit Water.org, 28 million Ugandans lack access to safe sanitation services, which plays a vital role in SDG 6.
The White House’s water action plan could help enrich existing aid programs through the U.S. Agency for International Development, giving 750,000 Ugandans access to clean water and providing resources to become open-defecation free.
Papua New Guinea
Though not on the LDC list, the Sustainable Development Report finds that Papua New Guinea still needs essential water services. Only 45.3% of Papua New Guinea’s citizens have access to clean drinking water, and only 19.2% have access to sanitation services. The U.N. reports that only 30% of the population can access soap and water at home for a hand washing facility.
According to UNICEF, 30% of the population use surface water daily. This likely correlates with illness and poverty among those who contract waterborne diseases.
Solutions
The White House Action Plan on Global Water Security could help these five countries in desperate need of aid to create stability and health through water and sanitation services. The World Bank estimates that global WASH programs and infrastructure would cost $35 billion to maintain each year, according to a White House report.
While more funding is called for, USAID committed to $1.2 billion in aid for three years to strengthen global water security. The water action plan is a step in the right direction and provides a starting point for these five countries and others to achieve water security.
– Emma Rushworth
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Global Population Changes are Affecting Poor Countries
Massive Changes in the Global Population
In certain parts of the world, primarily developed countries, population growth is slowing, life expectancy is increasing and general health is improving. The U.N. estimates that the average global longevity will be about 77.2 years by 2050.
Between 1950 and 2019, the global population increased between 1% and 2% annually and that number has dropped drastically to 0.1%.
This slowed population growth is offering an opportunity for developed countries to expand economically, because the working-age population (25-64) is growing faster than others, according to the U.N.
Some countries are experiencing massive migratory outflows due to poor conditions. Nepal, The Philippines and Bangladesh are seeing increased outflows due to the demand for migrant workers and Syria, Myanmar and Venezuela are experiencing a population decline due to violence and instability. Rapid and drastic changes in population concentration due to violence, instability, pandemic or fertility could make the fight against poverty very difficult because they could complicate the allocation of resources.
Population Concentration in Developing Countries
According to the U.N., India could be the most populated country by 2027, and along with Egypt, Ethiopia, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, The United Republic of Tanzania and the Philippines will comprise over half of the global population.
Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the only regions that could have a strong and consistent population growth for the rest of the century. The Pew Research Center estimates that within the next 80 years, the region’s population could triple. If small, low-income countries have extremely dense populations, allocating resources like education, health care and food assistance could be incredibly difficult. Many of these small countries also do not have the natural resources to support a rapidly growing population.
Changes in the Global Population and Fight Against Poverty
If the populations of low-income and developing countries continue to grow amid the generally slowing growth rate and the fight against global poverty could become much more difficult due to an all-around slowed distribution of poverty relief resources. The U.N. is advocating for better reproductive and child care resources for developing countries so that families can break out of cycles of intergenerational poverty.
This includes recent initiatives such as equitable vaccine distribution, funding for education and maternal health care. The U.N. is keeping a close eye on the eight countries whose populations could rapidly concentrate to monitor the necessity of aid.
Support for Developing Countries Amidst the Slowed Population Growth
While many international organizations are celebrating the fact that slowed population growth is leading to a general improvement in health, education and climate well-being, it is important to remember that significant changes in the global population could negatively impact low-income countries due to slowed distribution of resources.
The most important thing that developed countries and international organizations can do amidst changes in the global population is investing in proper family planning, health care, agriculture, education and economic support for developing countries.
–Ella DeVries
Photo: Flickr
Renewed UN Commitment to Reach Sustainable Development Goals
The COVID-19 Pandemic
Despite the success of many countries in reaching the SDGs over the last several years, they need to continue their progress to meet the goals by 2030. The COVID-19 Global Pandemic has certainly made addressing these issues more difficult. The U.N. recently held its annual High-Level Political Forum which lasted from July 5th until July 15th and was the first time that the group had met in person in two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic still exist and the socio-economic complications remain a top priority for the U.N. High-Level Political Forum. However, the main theme of this meeting was how a global community can quickly move past these issues to get back on track for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Summary of the Meeting
The main purpose of the meeting was for the countries in the U.N. to revitalize their agenda for ending the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that no country gets left behind in the recovery process. The U.N. will evaluate any country that struggles with the recovery process of the pandemic era for how social protection aid can increase its economic recovery speed.
Over 100 political delegates and 40 heads of state were a part of the discussion during the entire two-week period. The discussion revolved around each nation’s commitment to leave no country behind in economic recovery and in economic prosperity for the future.
Voluntary National Reviews
One of the biggest successes of the High-Level Political Forum meeting was the promise of 44 nations to conduct voluntary national reviews (VNRs) on their nation’s progress with the implementation of the SDGs to determine if they are on pace with the 2030 goal deadline. These national reviews are evidence of the U.N.’s commitment to reach the SDGs because dozens of countries will now be actively monitoring their progress and changing policy as necessary in order to stay on pace with these goals.
Calls for Progress
Another major aspect of the High-Level Political Forum was Pakistan’s Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal calling for the U.N. to update an emergency plan of action to assist poor nations with food production and economic supply chain issues, especially in the face of a global pandemic. Pakistan has played a key role in providing necessary action for struggling developing countries and proposed that the U.N. address the systemic issues behind the lack of food production in developing countries so that no one is left behind.
A Renewal For the Future
The meeting of the High-Level Political Forum was overall very optimistic for all of the countries in attendance. The promise to conduct national reviews and the advocacy for more emergency preparedness in the face of dire food shortages or economic turmoil are just some of the successes of the High-Level Political Forum. The U.N.’s renewed commitment to reach the SDGs by 2030 is excellent news for the fight against global poverty.
– Declan Harkness
Photo: Flickr
Sub-Saharan Urbanization Increases Gender Equality
Gender Divide
Africa’s gender disparities run deep. While African women work 50% longer hours than men, men make disproportionately more money than women. Furthermore, 70% of women are financially excluded. These financial gaps systematically subordinate women, moving the continent further from equality. The lack of female employment also disrupts economic growth and future development. Moreover, according to Global Partnership, gender-based violence affects women yearly and at high frequencies.
These issues, though, have not received attention for decades. Only now does sub-Saharan urbanization increase gender equality and present a promising solution.
Education Opportunities
In sub-Saharan Africa, urbanized areas have heavily invested in education and schools. Between 1970 and 2022, as urbanization increased, education synchronously also increased. Secondary school completion nearly doubled, and graduation rates grew.
Urban education, compared to rural education in Africa, is a considerable advancement. Schools in rural communities have a significant distance between them. In South Africa, transport distances are a structural barrier to rural education and are why only 18% of students attend school. Meanwhile, the quality of education is significantly inferior in rural areas — lacking curricula and structure. Overall, urbanization in Africa tightens both the quality and accessibility of education.
The impact of education is multifold. According to an empirical study in Africa, when women receive higher levels of education, they have higher-paying job opportunities. Furthermore, girls’ health education has led to decreased infections from HIV/AIDS and lower infant deaths.
Sub-Saharan African countries which have urbanized have empowered women’s education. Gabon, a highly urbanized country, has free and compulsory education. Gabon also has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa. This case study shows that as Gabon urbanized, education programs became more accessible and widespread. On the other hand, in Gabon’s rural areas, however, there is a culture of sexual abuse and a lack of teachers in schools.
Meanwhile, Guinea, a country with low urbanization rates, suffered from extreme gender divisions and disadvantaged women. The World Bank attributes this to a lack of female school enrollment. Overall, future sub-Saharan urbanization could increase gender equality.
Employment Opportunities and Diversity
Sub-Saharan urban areas typically offer women more job opportunities and economic independence. For instance, a rising tide of female entrepreneurs has dominated African urban areas. Women who migrated from rural to urban areas also saw increases in both income and empowerment.
Urban areas also exhibit a wider array of labor employment. Urban heterogeneity in Africa increases labor flexibility. Thus, urban women can become “market traders, miners, mechanics, managers and even Government Ministers” — unavailable careers in rural areas, according to Oxfam.
Due to urbanization, women can access similar economic professions to men. In rural communities, a career in agriculture was the dominant, if not the only, option.
Eroding Stereotypes
When more women had employment in urban areas, this decreased stigmatization of female stereotypes. One significant example of this is how, in recent years, many women were elected and placed in top-decision-making political positions. This helps normalize women in places of power and contests the still reigning African patriarchy.
With the third highest urban African population, the Congo implemented reforms to reduce barriers to female economic opportunities. By providing greater economic prosperity, urbanization erodes many stereotypes about women and facilitates political reform.
Areas for Reform
Though sub-Saharan urbanization increases gender equality in many dimensions, there are still many problems to address. Around 62% of people live in sub-Saharan African slums. Such slums have scarce education and unsanitary health quality, which disproportionately impact women.
Governments and urbanizing countries should focus on passing economic reforms that eradicate these slums. Meanwhile, powerful countries should invest in urbanizing Africa to ensure that, eventually, people can leave the slums. On the education front, sub-Saharan governments should focus specifically on girls-only schools to decrease violence from male students and further empower women.
As sub-Saharan Africa continues to urbanize, its female population could finally have a long-deserved sense of equality. After all, bridging the gender gap starts with education and economic opportunity — two of the largest facets of urbanization.
– Ashwin Telang
Photo: Flickr