Over the past year, the Scottish government has taken significant steps towards minimizing child poverty. The government’s recent initiatives come as welcome additions to the progress Scotland has made over the last decades in its fight against child poverty. Evidently, data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) demonstrates that the child poverty rate in Scotland over the past 20 years has fallen to 24% by 2016/2019. This figure fares well when compared to neighboring England, where the poverty rate fell to 31%.
The Scottish government’s recently released “Third Year Progress Report” exemplifies its significant devotion to eradicating child poverty. In particular, one figure stands out: over £978 million ($1.3 billion) was given as direct support to families with children in 2020-21, with £118 million ($160 million) of that as a response to COVID-19. That being said, the government is not hesitating to ensure that Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. Its commitment shows in four major initiatives: the Universal Credit Uplift, Scottish Child Payment,Best Start Foods and Minimum Income Guarantee.
Universal Credit Uplift
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.K. government installed a £20 per week Universal Credit Uplift. This measure helps those at risk of poverty or within poverty to cope and recover from the pandemic. The impact of Universal Credit on Scotland has been notable, contributing to a 6% rise in the last year for residents. To be exact, around 480,000 residents benefited from the measure.
The Scottish government decided to take it a step further. In November 2020 and August 2021, it pleaded with the U.K. parliament in joint correspondence with the other devolved nations to extend the Universal Credit beyond its scheduled expiration of October 2021. Scotland’s government proposed the extension of the Universal Credit to continue into the long run, citing the long-term ramifications of withdrawing the uplift so suddenly. The joint letter to the U.K. Parliament indicated this, as the Scottish government noted how cutting the Universal Credit Uplift would cut social security payments in Scotland on average by £460 per year by 2023/2024.
Scottish Child Payment
The Scottish Child Payment consists of an added-on £10 per week benefit. Ever since it began back in February 2021, it has proven to be one of the country’s most instrumental and groundbreaking initiatives as Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. In fact, the JRF labeled the Scottish Child Payment as “the lifeline children and their families need” in addition to serving as “the most progressive policy brought in since devolution 20 years ago.”
As of August 31, 2021, over 108,000 children have benefited from the Scottish Child Payments. The policy has the potential to reach around 133,000 children, according to Scottish Fiscal Commission projections. The payment targets low-income families with children under age six. It consists of continuous added-on financial support for families in receipt of qualifying benefits to aid with the costs of childcare.
On top of these phenomenal results, the Scottish government has great plans for this initiative’s near future. Its first extension consists of making the payment available to children aged 6-15 by the end of 2022. The second extension commits to significantly increasing the Scottish Child Payment. Ideally, with a full £20 payment achieved by the end of this current Parliament.
Best Start Foods
One of Scotland’s best-performing initiatives to ensure Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty is its Best Start Foods payments. The payments commenced in December 2018, and from then until May 31, 2021, contributed to exactly 179,575 families. Best Start Foods aids low-income families with children under age three to buy healthy food to maintain a sustainable living. Specifically, the payments consist of pre-paid cards made every four weeks which can purchase healthy food such as eggs, milk, fruit and vegetables.
In an interview with The Borgen Project, a Scottish government spokesperson elaborated on the August 1, 2021 decision to increase the Best Start Foods payment amounts from £4.25 per week to £4.50 per week. “For families with newborn babies up to one year old, payments increased from £8.50 to £9 per week. We are proud to say that these higher payments are now being paid to clients and as the latest official statistics show more than 85,000 Best Start Foods applications have been authorized providing low-income families across Scotland with payments worth £16.7 million. We are committed to making sure support is available so that every child in Scotland has the best start in life and are looking to widen eligibility of Best Start Foods later in the Parliamentary term.”
Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)
The last initiative demonstrating how Scotland is pushing to eradicate child poverty involves the advanced talks of a proposal for a Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). In a recent statement, Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison confirmed that the government is “committed to progressing the delivery of a Minimum Income Guarantee, which could be revolutionary in our fight against poverty… The policy is innovative, bold and radical.”
The following are key components of the proposed MIG:
- The plan solely targets those in low-income status.
- The MIG would cover tax reliefs, social security benefits, childcare and transportation services.
- Robison claims the scheme would not replace secure employment or keep wages down.
- The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), which forms the government’s steering group for the plan, suggests a “core entitlement” of £792 per month for any single person of working age or £1,224 for a couple. A further payment of £267 would exist for the first child and £224 for every additional child.
- The IPPR aims to implement the MIG by 2030.
Looking Ahead
Scotland has made remarkable progress over the past decades. However, certain statistics demonstrate the necessity for the government to not slow down in ensuring that Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. Currently, a quarter, or around 260,000, of Scottish children live in poverty, and some projections indicate that this figure could rise to 29% by 2023. That is why it is imperative for Scotland to continue full speed ahead on its mission to eradicate child poverty.
– Gabriel Sylvan
Photo: Flickr
6 Facts About Poverty Reduction in France
6 Facts About Poverty Reduction in France
Looking Ahead
These facts about poverty reduction in France have shown its success from 1970 to 2000. Yet, after the economic crisis in 2008, poverty levels rose. However, France is in the process of rebuilding the economy once more, using similar strategies that have worked previously.
– Sydney Littlejohn
Photo: Flickr
Everything to Know About Poverty in Turkey
Conditions seemed to improve for the disadvantaged in Turkey for a decade-long period through the early 2000s. When first elected, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan purported to lift the country out of the severe economic recession in progress at the time. Unemployment and poverty rates plummeted until 2013 when civil unrest roiled after the Turkish government’s violent response to the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. Foreign investments in Turkish government bonds fell from 25% in May 2013 to 5% by 2020. Now, Turkey is once again experiencing a poverty crisis. Here are five facts about poverty in Turkey.
5 Facts About Poverty in Turkey
Looking Ahead
The state of poverty in Turkey is in flux. The country continues to struggle with an economic and refugee crisis in the midst of a pandemic. With the support of the European Union and the World Bank, however, Turkish people in need will have the ability to combat poverty.
– Safira Schiowitz
Photo: Flickr
Can Flaxseed Oil Become a Tool to Combat Poverty?
Around 689 million people, or 9.2% of the global population, currently live in poverty with less than $1.90 a day. In 2017, Global Citizen reported that “at least half of the world’s population did not have access to essential health care.” Global connections between health care and poverty are distinctly universal, even in the United States. A study by the Institute for Research on Poverty further indicates that practically 70% of the U.S.’s uninsured experience poverty or are on the brink of poverty. Consequently, poverty and low-income status have links to a variety of negative health consequences due to poor sanitation, such as shorter life expectancy. One way to improve sanitation in areas with high poverty is to use flaxseed oil.
Poverty and Sanitation
Research shows that 673 million people continue to defecate in public, such as in city gutters, behind bushes or in open bodies of water; the impacts of poor sanitation are severely detrimental. Poor sanitation exacerbates stunting and contributes to the spread of diseases like cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. This issue is causing diseases such as intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma. Predictions have determined that poor sanitation causes 432,000 diarrheal deaths per year. Factoring in deaths from all of these diseases, countless people die every year in connection to poor sanitation.
A National Center for Biotechnology Information study found that there is a relationship between sanitation and types of floors. High levels of bacteria such as E. coli are more common in houses with dirt floors in comparison to houses with concrete floors. Proper floors and resources are a solution to this issue; however, concrete is expensive which means it’s hard for the poor to access it. This is where flaxseed oil comes in.
Flaxseed-Supported Floors
After Gayatri Datar traveled to Rwanda with her classmates from Stanford University, she wanted to address the prevalence of dirt floors as around 75% of the population had dirt floors, making people susceptible to certain illnesses. Datar partnered with Zuzow, one of her former classmates, and together they created “a flaxseed oil that, when poured over an earthen floor, dries to form a plastic-like, waterproof and sustainable resin that glues the surface together. The flaxseed is currently imported from India, but EarthEnable [Datar’s organization] is planning to harvest it in Kenya to keep the entire project more local.”
This flaxseed oil is a cheap and effective alternative to concrete floors. The flaxseed oil sealant costs between $2 and $5 per square meter, or around $50 per house, and residents pay it in either one sum or in six monthly installments. The cost is less than the $162 cost of the concrete floors used in Piso Firme, one of the first floor-replacement operations in Mexico.
Connecting Solutions
TECHO – a nonprofit organization – has been doing something very similar. It has “built one-room houses with hard floors, insulated pinewood walls and tin roofs for almost 130,000 families in Latin America since 1997.” All of this together has resulted in a “big drop in childhood incidence of diarrhea in these homes, down 27% or double the improvement Gertler measured for Mexican children whose dirt floors were replaced with concrete.”
Though simple, identifying contributing factors to poverty and poor health can be a meaningful step to increase the quality of life for millions. While EarthEnable and TECHO continue their work, they quite literally work to establish a stronger foundation for those experiencing certain forms of poverty.
– Noya Stessel
Photo: Flickr
DataKind Pro-Bono Data Analysis
People often say that this is the era of data; after all, data mining and extraction often prove essential for widescale business operations and more. Still, even as the demand for data analysts and data scientists rises every year, projects focusing on social change do not get the same advantages in this field as large private enterprises. Expansive tech corporations still hold most of the resources and information when using data analysis as a tool for operative efficiency.
However, many organizations seek to change this. One of them is DataKind, a volunteer-based organization dedicated to putting data in the service of others. The organization works on short and long-term projects addressing topics from poverty and access to services in developing countries to health care and education.
Why DataKind?
DataKind works with nonprofit organizations that have access to large quantities of gathered information and delivers high-quality analyses. These analyses help effectively streamline resources, creating new goals for NGOs and nonprofits so that more people can receive aid. In this way, DataKind has shifted the trends of big data and data analysis toward humanitarian projects.
CEO Jake Porway stated, “In 2010, we had the big-data boom, but the things that people would do with it seemed so frivolous — they would build apps to help them park their car or find a local bar. I just thought, ‘This is crazy, we need to do something more.’ ” After realizing that data analysis has a place in the nonprofit realm, Porway founded DataKind in 2010. Based in New York City, it originally had part-time data scientist volunteers working on short-term projects, but now the organization collaborates with more than a dozen international bodies such as the U.N.’s Global Pulse and the World Bank.
GiveDirect
GiveDirect is an organization that focuses on transferring money to the poorest communities in Kenya and Uganda. These funds can go into communities, helping individuals pursue their own goals. To identify which villages will benefit from this, DataKind stepped in to analyze data from satellite images. It identified which households and villages were the poorest in each region. A programmed algorithm detected the materials of individual homes; thatched or metal roofs can be an indicator of a community’s needs. This proved to be more efficient and less costly than a traditional census in these remote areas.
VotoMobile
This organization has a dedication to amplifying the voices of marginalized groups in West Africa by using mobile surveys in local languages. It targets remote communities’ main necessities, gathering insight on groups typically not represented in common censuses. DataKind enhanced data repositories and built interactive data models for VotoMobile to use for future data collection. With DataKind’s help, VotoMobile is now focussing on standardizing its surveys so they are easier to analyze and compare. When this stage is complete, VotoMobile will be able to take many more voices into account, prioritizing specific types of aid for rural villages in Uganda and Senegal.
The World Bank: Anti-Corruption Solutions
To effectively tackle poverty, it is necessary to root out corruption in development projects. In one of its most ambitious projects, DataKind collaborated with The World Bank, working with collected data from across the globe to identify possible corruption cases and create innovative solutions. It closely studied food prices, inflation rates, vis-a-vis surveys and phone data. Participants in this project have carefully mapped what variables are missing in the data. These strategies are not limited exclusively to future frameworks in data collection. They can also contribute to ingenious solutions for rampant corruption around the globe.
In the future, DataKind hopes to keep delivering new data-based solutions for international organizations and institutions, bringing new volunteers into the era of philanthropic data analysis.
– Araí Yegros
Photo: Flickr
Tackling HIV/AIDs in Botswana
Botswana is a country that people know for its relatively peaceful and politically stable environment; however, it also has a high prevalence of HIV. It has some of the highest HIV rates of any country in the world, which particularly affects Botswana’s women and children. This reality affects several factors contributing to Botswana’s society and economy, including a drastically fallen life expectancy, the death rate, the effects of the virus on the body and the age of those most affected. For more than 40 years, HIV/AIDs in Botswana has been prevalent resulting in a conflict between HIV/AIDs and economic success. Here is some information about it as well as how the country is tackling HIV/AIDs in Botswana.
HIV/AIDs in Botswana
In its article on the economic impact of AIDs in Botswana, the POLICY Project writes that the virus is “different from most other diseases because it strikes people in the most productive age groups and is essentially 100 percent fatal.” This directly impacts the economy by essentially removing people who would be productively contributing. The economic output then plummets because the loss of young, formerly able-bodied adults limits the workforce. The shortage of skilled, trained laborers impacts income distribution across economic sectors as well.
The life expectancy in Botswana has fallen drastically. Some estimates place it at 60 years in 1990, then 40 years in 2001 and about a projected 30 years as of 2010. In his memoir “When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa,” Peter Godwin explained that AIDs impacts the younger generation in particular. Due to the low life expectancy that the virus creates, there are villages where the oldest members of the community are teenagers. Projections estimated that two out of every five children would become orphans by 2010, subsequently requiring state aid.
The Effects of the Virus
There are several principal costs that many people associate with having AIDs. Direct costs or physical, financial losses include medical care, treatment drugs and funeral expenses. Indirect costs, or more long-term, possibly unforeseen financial losses include lost work time, care of children who have lost their families due to AIDs and time spent searching for and hiring new workers to replace those lost to the virus. These are costs to Botswana’s economy in general, as well as to individuals and their households.
The effects of AIDs on the economy are particularly apparent in Botswana, a country that many otherwise applaud for being a lower-middle-income country that has avoided several other economic downfalls in recent years. Nevertheless, on a microeconomic level, households with AIDs in Botswana struggle to acquire basic necessities such as healthcare, education, food and shelter. Loss of employment and particularly the loss of a family’s breadwinner can begin a downward slope into extreme poverty. This then expands outwards to include the macroeconomy where businesses and firms are understaffed and have to close. Botswana’s conflict between HIV/AIDs and economic success is clearly one of the country’s greatest to date.
Solutions
Botswana has made leaps in tackling its HIV/AIDs in Botswana; however, a “one-size-fits-all approach” does not target specific high-risk groups and means reaching far fewer people. Those most at-risk –men who have sex with men, sex workers, young people and women– require individual strategies to deal with the prevalence of AIDS.
The use of condoms and sex education have played major roles in attempts to control the epidemic. The Ministry of Health and UNDP educate teachers first, who then spread their awareness to their young students. Peace Corps volunteers to Botswana work with the government and with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to better respond to the AIDs epidemic. Volunteers work in small communities addressing and educating on AIDs, with a focus on the youth.
Though no one solution exists regarding tackling HIV/AIDs in Botswana, global and regional efforts work to weaken and reverse a painful national slide. Botswana stands to gain much from meaningful efforts focused on health and the economy.
– Grace Manning
Photo: Flickr
Maternal Mortality in South Sudan
In turn, when maternal mortality occurs, the risk for child mortality increases. Orphaned children are more likely to become subject to child labor. They also tend to have limited access to high-quality education and encounter more obstacles that prevent them from reaching their highest potential. Maternal mortality in South Sudan is an urgent issue not only because mothers die, but also because maternal mortality leads to the ongoing suffering of the children left without moms.
Causes of Maternal Mortality in South Sudan
First, studies have shown that many women do not receive professional assistance when giving birth. In Juba, the capital of South Sudan, only a quarter of the women go to a hospital during the time of labor. That low figure partially stems from a lack of South Sudanese trained in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH). With only one physician per 65,574 people and one midwife per 39,088 people, the country has a severe lack of professionals at hand. For this reason, mothers are forced to request assistance from non-certified individuals.
Poverty is a significant cause of maternal mortality risk factors. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4.8 million people in South Sudan, mothers included, suffer from food insecurity. Additionally, only 7% of the population has access to sanitation resources, which further prevents safe births. Poverty also influences South Sudan’s high illiteracy rate of 88% among women. In turn, that high illiteracy rate limits awareness of healthy birth practices.
Finally, communicable and chronic non-communicable diseases contribute to maternal and child mortality. Tuberculosis, a risk factor of maternal mortality, is high at 146 cases per 100,000 people in South Sudan. Second, HIV/AIDS is at epidemic levels in South Sudan. Finally, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are on the rise and elevate maternal mortality risk factors.
A Focus on Increasing Trained Labor and Delivery Staff
Several initiatives have been launched to reduce maternal mortality rates in South Sudan. One significant example is the Global Health Innovation Laboratory’s Maternal, Newborn, and Child Survival (MNCS) program. Launched in 2010, MNCS has worked to increase training for MNCH professionals throughout South Sudan. Importantly, MNCS trainees learn how to identify and prevent major threats that women face during labor. In its first two years, MCNS trained 732 healthcare workers who are now providing assistance in labor and delivery patients in South Sudan.
Also, in 2012, the Ministry of Health in South Sudan, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) and local nonprofits collaboratively launched the Strengthening Midwifery Service to train midwives and nurses. Additionally, three years later, the Ministry of Health also began partnering with the Canadian Association of Midwives and UNPFA to foster professional mentorships between midwives in Canada and South Sudan so they can exchange expertise with each other.
On the Path to Save South Sudanese Women and Children
Maternal mortality in South Sudan has been an urgent issue since the beginning of the South Sudanese Civil War. It puts both the mother and child at risk of death and may permanently jeopardize the future of a baby. Fortunately, the South Sudanese government and international organizations are working to improve that dire situation. With more professional help available to mothers, slowly, South Sudan is saving its women and children.
– Mariam Kazmi
Photo: Flickr
ProVeg International: Food Justice In Africa
The definition of food insecurity is “the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources” according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. All across the world, food insecurity remains an issue despite being essential for human survival. This violation of basic human rights has justifiably led to many movements, ideas and actions to cultivate better, more accessible food systems for everyone regardless of economic status. Ultimately, increasing food justice means reducing poverty, a mission that lies at the core of ProVeg International, a global “food awareness” organization.
Food Injustice in Africa
Food injustice permeates the continent of Africa as many African countries battle poverty. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, more than “100 million Africans were facing crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of food insecurity in 2020.” The Center highlights a rise of more than 60% in comparison to 2020, with an expectation that food insecurity rates will continue in this direction through 2021 and beyond. The rise in food insecurity rates is alarming and represents a worsening issue in the fight against hunger.
This food insecurity is coupled with Africa’s higher poverty rates. Hunger Notes reports that “according to the World Bank, in 2013, 42.3% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa lived on $1.90 or less per day.” This, it also notes, is a major factor in higher levels of food insecurity in African countries. The connection between poverty and hunger in the continent of Africa reveals why there are many efforts to aid and combat both rates of poverty and rising rates of food insecurity. Both anti-poverty initiatives and anti-food insecurity initiatives intersect to fight this pressing issue.
A ProVeg Approach
ProVeg International is a global organization fighting food injustice with increased food awareness and plant-based initiatives. Its branch in South Africa acts as a platform for these initiatives in the African continent. According to its website, ProVeg holds events and participates in political outreach and corporate engagement. All these efforts aim to raise awareness of the importance of accessible, healthy plant-based food. In addition to these activities, ProVeg holds challenges such as Veganuary, which is “a global campaign that encourages people to try plant-based [foods] for the month of January.” This approach of easing people in is important, as is encouraging those who have the means and accessibility to go plant-based to do so.
Using a plant-based approach increases access to affordable and healthy food for those who need it. Additionally, ProVeg encourages those who already have access to fresh grown foods to fully incorporate them into their diets. ProVeg highlights how “achieving food security for everyone means doing more to ensure that everyone has reliable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food in order to maintain an active and healthy life.” ProVeg International incorporates this message by highlighting how “an inequitable global food distribution system” disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable and impoverished people.
In this way, ProVeg makes it is easy to see the intersections of food insecurity and poverty, showing the importance of ProVeg’s plant-based initiative for achieving food justice. As rates of food insecurity rise across Africa, ProVeg’s plant-based initiative contributes to food justice and seeks to make healthy foods accessible. The role that ProVeg plays presents an important approach in the fight against food injustice.
– Sebastian Fell
Photo: Flickr
Pearls Africa Foundation Helps Girls in Nigeria Through STEM
Nigerian female programmer Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin’s love for computers led her to a life’s mission to help lift girls out of poverty through science, technology, engineering and math by teaching them how to code. Ajayi-Akinfolarin founded the Pearls Africa Foundation, which provides more than technological skills, giving girls tools to become financially independent.
About Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin
After graduating from the University of Lagos, Ajayi-Akinfolarin founded the Pearls Africa Foundation in 2012, leaving her job to dedicate all her time to the Foundation. a statistic indicating that less than 8% of Nigerian women had professional, managerial or technological jobs, a staggeringly low number, drove her to establish the Foundation. She wanted to give women and girls the opportunity to acquire the skills to change that statistic and lift themselves out of poverty. In 2018, she earned the title of CNN Hero of the Year in acknowledgment of her efforts.
The Girls and Women of Makoko
Lagos, Nigeria, has a thriving economy of oil, finance and manufacturing, however, the world’s largest “floating slum,” Makoko, is on a lagoon in the city within which 250,000 people live. The slum city rests on stilts and its residents use canoes for transport. Gentrification led to the displacement of some members of the slum community until many deemed it unconstitutional. Most people in Makoko, including women and girls, do not have access to regular food, water, electricity or education. Drawing inspiration from the aim of helping the girls of Makoko, Ajayi-Akinfolarin began the Pearls Africa Foundation.
Pearls Africa Foundation Programs
The Pearls Africa Foundation has 10 different programs to help girls learn to code, keep them safe and secure and prepare them for educational and career-oriented opportunities. The flagship program of the Pearls Africa Foundation is Girls Coding, which provides underserved girls with an education in computer programming and coding, including courses such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Python. This training prepares the girls to compete for STEM jobs and achieve financial independence.
Similar programs are Lady Labs, which teaches basic IT and technology skills and provides IT experience. Empowered Hands provides vocational training such as bead-making, fashion designing, hair styling, Aso-oke weaving and more. Pearls Africa actively searches for internship placements for its students and provides scholarship opportunities through its EducateHer program.
Its mentoring activity, Safe Space, gives girls a place to cope with and address psychological trauma from their daily environments. Mentors answer questions and guide young girls in areas such as sexual health and dealing with abuse as well as cultural practices. This allows girls to understand and address their mental health issues, heal from the impacts of abuse, receive career guidance and more. Safe Space holds workshops every month to help girls build life skills and become successful in their careers.
The Foundation also has three different outreach programs: Community Outreach, Medical Outreach and School Outreach. Respectively, these efforts involve a feeding program and donations, providing free healthcare assistance in Lagos and mentoring girls in secondary schools.
Each of the programs of the Pearls Africa Foundation provides young girls in Nigeria with the tools to lift themselves out of poverty and lead successful, fulfilling lives.
– Sana Mamtaney
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Mongolia
As more individuals receive their COVID-19 vaccinations, countries are beginning to loosen restrictions imposed due to the virus. Toward the end of July 2021, England relaxed its travel restrictions by allowing fully vaccinated travelers across the European Union and the United States to visit England without quarantining. Similarly, the U.S. currently plans to relax international travel regulations for fully vaccinated foreigners and citizens. However, not all nations are in a position to act as England and the U.S. have. Reporting an average of nearly 2,900 new infections every day, COVID-19 continues to make its presence known in Mongolia. Grappling with a declining economy and poor infrastructure, many Mongolian civilians have entered or remained in poverty since March 2020. Fortunately, organizations within the United States and abroad engaged in relief efforts to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Mongolia.
The Connection Between Poverty and COVID-19 in Mongolia
While Mongolia boasts fewer cases than Asian counterparts like India and Indonesia, trends indicate rising infection numbers and daily deaths. On March 28, 2021, the average number of new infections was 321. However, the number rose to about 3,700 new infections on September 25, 2021. To emphasize the rapid rates at which coronavirus is spreading in Mongolia, the U.S. Department of State assigned a level four advisory to Mongolia on July 6, urging civilians not to travel to the country.
One of the most devastating impacts of COVID-19 in Mongolia lies in its economic effects. The Mongolian economy suffered its worst hit since the 1990s with a 5.3% contraction in 2020, primarily due to reduced trade with China. This came from closed borders and low demand for fossil fuels, critical elements of the typically lucrative mining industry. Concerning the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Mongolia, between 195,000 and 260,000 more individuals fell into poverty due to the pandemic. The poverty rate also increased by more than 5%, from 28.4% in 2018 to 33.6% in 2020. Additionally, approximately 35.2% of suffering Mongolian households reported income decline and financial issues in 2020, indicating the pandemic’s widespread influence.
Poverty, COVID-19 and Children in Mongolia
Poverty affects children, as initial school closures and reduced capacity for childcare impacted more than 900,000 children under 18, who make up almost a third of the country’s population. Alongside reduced access to education, a UNICEF report highlights how physical abuse of children rose by 32.9% in Mongolia. A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information describes how increased rates of abuse likely reflect how the pandemic forced thousands of parents into unemployment and children out of school, leading to a significant connection between job loss and child maltreatment. Food insecurity also provided a challenge to children and families within the nation as surveys indicate that 62.1% of children endured weight loss because of inadequate access to vitamins and nutrient-rich food. Additionally, 20.3% of children experienced decreased frequency of meals.
Humanitarian Relief Efforts
While increased economic decline, child abuse and food insecurity represent the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on poverty, relief efforts highlight the positive collaboration between countries that helps lift Mongolians out of poverty. For one, Japan “extend $883 million yen,” or roughly $8 million U.S. dollars, to Mongolia earlier this month. The Japan International Cooperation Agency aims to equip the nation with cold chain technology, like refrigerated vehicles to transport vaccines, to ensure vaccine distribution.
Additionally, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the opening of capacity development centers in Mongolia in February 2021. Both virtual and physical, these centers will help eradicate poverty by bolstering economic development across Central Asia, the Caucasus and Mongolia. Certain organizations like the Asian Development Bank extended aid to specifically address food insecurity caused by COVID-19 in Mongolia. In October 2020, the bank administered a $410,000 “technical assistance” grant to combat supply distributions by establishing price monitoring systems and food emergency stock.
Despite challenges presented by the pandemic, Mongolia has proven to be resilient. Projections have determined that with the help of global aid, the economy should recover throughout 2021, and the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Mongolia could lessen.
– Riya Sharma
Photo: Unsplash
Eradicating Child Poverty in Scotland
Over the past year, the Scottish government has taken significant steps towards minimizing child poverty. The government’s recent initiatives come as welcome additions to the progress Scotland has made over the last decades in its fight against child poverty. Evidently, data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) demonstrates that the child poverty rate in Scotland over the past 20 years has fallen to 24% by 2016/2019. This figure fares well when compared to neighboring England, where the poverty rate fell to 31%.
The Scottish government’s recently released “Third Year Progress Report” exemplifies its significant devotion to eradicating child poverty. In particular, one figure stands out: over £978 million ($1.3 billion) was given as direct support to families with children in 2020-21, with £118 million ($160 million) of that as a response to COVID-19. That being said, the government is not hesitating to ensure that Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. Its commitment shows in four major initiatives: the Universal Credit Uplift, Scottish Child Payment,Best Start Foods and Minimum Income Guarantee.
Universal Credit Uplift
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.K. government installed a £20 per week Universal Credit Uplift. This measure helps those at risk of poverty or within poverty to cope and recover from the pandemic. The impact of Universal Credit on Scotland has been notable, contributing to a 6% rise in the last year for residents. To be exact, around 480,000 residents benefited from the measure.
The Scottish government decided to take it a step further. In November 2020 and August 2021, it pleaded with the U.K. parliament in joint correspondence with the other devolved nations to extend the Universal Credit beyond its scheduled expiration of October 2021. Scotland’s government proposed the extension of the Universal Credit to continue into the long run, citing the long-term ramifications of withdrawing the uplift so suddenly. The joint letter to the U.K. Parliament indicated this, as the Scottish government noted how cutting the Universal Credit Uplift would cut social security payments in Scotland on average by £460 per year by 2023/2024.
Scottish Child Payment
The Scottish Child Payment consists of an added-on £10 per week benefit. Ever since it began back in February 2021, it has proven to be one of the country’s most instrumental and groundbreaking initiatives as Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. In fact, the JRF labeled the Scottish Child Payment as “the lifeline children and their families need” in addition to serving as “the most progressive policy brought in since devolution 20 years ago.”
As of August 31, 2021, over 108,000 children have benefited from the Scottish Child Payments. The policy has the potential to reach around 133,000 children, according to Scottish Fiscal Commission projections. The payment targets low-income families with children under age six. It consists of continuous added-on financial support for families in receipt of qualifying benefits to aid with the costs of childcare.
On top of these phenomenal results, the Scottish government has great plans for this initiative’s near future. Its first extension consists of making the payment available to children aged 6-15 by the end of 2022. The second extension commits to significantly increasing the Scottish Child Payment. Ideally, with a full £20 payment achieved by the end of this current Parliament.
Best Start Foods
One of Scotland’s best-performing initiatives to ensure Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty is its Best Start Foods payments. The payments commenced in December 2018, and from then until May 31, 2021, contributed to exactly 179,575 families. Best Start Foods aids low-income families with children under age three to buy healthy food to maintain a sustainable living. Specifically, the payments consist of pre-paid cards made every four weeks which can purchase healthy food such as eggs, milk, fruit and vegetables.
In an interview with The Borgen Project, a Scottish government spokesperson elaborated on the August 1, 2021 decision to increase the Best Start Foods payment amounts from £4.25 per week to £4.50 per week. “For families with newborn babies up to one year old, payments increased from £8.50 to £9 per week. We are proud to say that these higher payments are now being paid to clients and as the latest official statistics show more than 85,000 Best Start Foods applications have been authorized providing low-income families across Scotland with payments worth £16.7 million. We are committed to making sure support is available so that every child in Scotland has the best start in life and are looking to widen eligibility of Best Start Foods later in the Parliamentary term.”
Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)
The last initiative demonstrating how Scotland is pushing to eradicate child poverty involves the advanced talks of a proposal for a Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). In a recent statement, Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison confirmed that the government is “committed to progressing the delivery of a Minimum Income Guarantee, which could be revolutionary in our fight against poverty… The policy is innovative, bold and radical.”
The following are key components of the proposed MIG:
Looking Ahead
Scotland has made remarkable progress over the past decades. However, certain statistics demonstrate the necessity for the government to not slow down in ensuring that Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. Currently, a quarter, or around 260,000, of Scottish children live in poverty, and some projections indicate that this figure could rise to 29% by 2023. That is why it is imperative for Scotland to continue full speed ahead on its mission to eradicate child poverty.
– Gabriel Sylvan
Photo: Flickr