Archive for category: Developing Countries

Information and stories about developing countries.

, ,

Human Rights in Vanuatu

Human Rights in VanuatuVanuatu is a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean slightly larger than Connecticut and home to fewer than 300,000 people. The nation gained its independence from France and the United Kingdom in the summer of 1980. Despite the several decades of independence, one can still see the strong influence that these European nations have on Vanuatu to this day. For instance, aspects of English common law and French law are heavily incorporated into Vanuatu’s own legal system. The protection of human rights in Vanuatu is sadly lacking in several areas, such as the protection of women against violence and discrimination, prison conditions and governmental corruption.

One of the many struggles that women are currently facing in Vanuatu is an inability to even get their voices heard. The nation has a 52-member parliament but no female representation. Violence against women is a frequent occurrence in Vanuatu. The U.S. State Department 2015 Report on human rights in Vanuatu states that while reliable statistics on this topic are nowhere to be found, police have noticed a growing trend of violence against women. In order for this to change, parts of Vanuatu’s culture will likely need to change. Women in Vanuatu often do not report incidents of violence either due to a lack of knowledge regarding their own rights or fear of possible backlash for their actions.

Corruption is another problem in Vanuatu. Generally, corruption can be quelled by making and effectively implementing laws prohibiting it, but Vanuatu is currently unable to implement the law. As a result, those who are corrupt are seldom held accountable. Transparency International is an organization that, according to its website, works “closely with governments, businesses and citizens to stop the abuse of power, bribery and secret deals.” The organization believes that the Vanuatu government must start and finance a national anti-corruption agency to combat this practice.

The human rights of prisoners in Vanuatu are not being sufficiently protected either. Thankfully, foreign donor funding has allowed for prisoner and detention center conditions in the region to improve, but they still have not met international standards.

Vanuatu clearly has much work to do to improve the protection of its people’s human rights.  A step in the right direction did occur in this past summer as Vanuatu participated in a Pacific Islands Forum review of the nation’s policies and programmes.  A goal of this initiative is to create a toolkit or checklist that the government can use moving forward to help it improve its protection of its people’s human rights. This review is just now coming to an end, so its impact remains to be seen.

– Adam Braunstein

Photo: Google

, ,

Human Rights in the Solomon Islands

Human Rights in the Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands is a beautiful group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean where some of World War II’s most intense warfare took place. The nation’s official tourism site says “Step back in time, the islands remain unspoiled.” The Solomon Islands gained independence in 1978, two years after it began governing itself. Today, more than 600,000 people live in this parliamentary democracy. When it comes to the protection of human rights in the Solomon Islands, the nation is fairly successful. However, important failures do occur, such as violence and discrimination against women and unreasonably long pretrial detentions.

Women in the Solomon Islands have struggled to gain a role in the nation’s political discourse. While there are no laws explicitly forbidding women or minorities engagement in the political process, antiquated cultural norms have made it challenging for women to get involved. The nation’s parliament consists of 50 members, yet only one woman. The government wants to fix this and has passed laws aimed to increase the number of women in politics, but so far nothing has been successful.

Violence against women in the Solomon Islands is also quite prevalent. According to a 2011 World Health Organization report, more than 50 percent of women in the Solomon Islands experienced sexual violence by a partner at some point in their life. Incidents like these are often underreported due to women having a number of concerns, such as fear of backlash and concern over breaking a cultural norm.

An inability to swiftly move detainees through the criminal justice system is another failure on the part of the government to protect human rights in the Solomon Islands. In fact, about half of the nation’s prisoner population is made up of pretrial detainees. The U.S. Department of State’s 2016 report on human rights in the Solomon Islands states that the average pretrial detention period lasts for about two years. The Solomon Islands needs to address this problem so that people are not effectively prisoners for an extended period of time before they have had a fair trial.

These are important failures, but it is also important to consider that the Solomon Islands has succeeded in many other ways. Prison and detention center conditions generally met international standards, free speech is well-protected and the most recent election was generally free and fair.

Recently, the Solomon Islands has even taken a step towards becoming a global leader in the fight against human rights violations.  The nation did so by condemning West Papua human rights abuses at the U.N. Human Rights Council.  Some of the human rights violations occurring in West Papua include arrest, torture and the killing of peaceful protestors.  The impact of the Solomon Island‘s statement remains to be seen, but no matter the result, it was a powerful action taken by the nation.

– Adam Braunstein

Photo: Flickr

,

Poverty Rate in Uzbekistan Significantly Lower in Recent Years

Uzbekistan Poverty Rate
Since gaining independence in 1991 after the fall of the USSR, Uzbekistan’s prosperity has grown by leaps and bounds. Located in Central Asia, just south of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan has become the fifth-largest cotton exporter in the world and is quickly growing its gold and natural gas industries. Its forecasted GDP growth for 2017 is seven percent, which is well above the 3.2 percent average of other Central Asian countries. In fact, Uzbekistan’s GDP has more than tripled since 2007. Despite these exciting changes, there is still much room for improvement, particularly concerning the poverty rate in Uzbekistan.

Lack of employment is a major issue for Uzbekistan, with 12.8 percent of its population living below the poverty line. Since becoming a sovereign nation, a time when Uzbekistan’s economy was in flux, the country has become dependent on its exportation of its gold and cotton products; however, these commodities are tightly controlled by the regime, with much of the profits lining the pockets of the wealthy leaders, leaving many average citizens high and dry. Job stagnation also hurts the poverty rate in Uzbekistan as the number of Uzbek citizens of eligible employment age has increased and industries with little room for growth dominate the country.

Because there is little money to be made in Uzbekistan, many people migrate or work abroad, usually in Russia or Kazakhstan. The citizens often face harsh repercussions including harassment from Uzbek security services and government interference with remittances. These poor economic conditions, along with restrictions on human rights and religious freedoms nearly thrust Uzbekistan into a civil war during the Andijan massacre in 2005, when hundreds of protesters were shot dead for demanding their president’s resignation.

In 2016, a new Uzbek president was elected to office for the first time in 25 years: Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Since taking office, Mirziyoyev has partnered with The World Bank in a five-year strategy to use a $100 million loan for the creation of 500,000 new jobs. The goal of the plan is to decrease the poverty rate in Uzbekistan and to help the country reach upper-middle-income status by 2030.

Although there is still more progress needed to improve the livelihoods of average Uzbek citizens, it is important not to understate the growth and development that has been at work in the country for decades. Since 2001, the poverty rate has been cut by more than half. These numbers, along with new leadership and the implementation of the stimulus package being proposed, give hope to the prospect of a wealthy and economically secure Uzbekistan.

– Micaela Fischer

Photo: Flickr

,

The 10 Worst Hurricanes of All Time

Worst HurricanesHurricanes, cyclones and typhoons all describe a similarly destructive reality. Terminology aside, each has made its mark on homes and history. Here is a list recounting the 10 worst hurricanes.

  1. Bhola Cyclone
    Bangladesh, 1970
    Death Toll: Estimated 300,000-500,000
    Although Bangladesh is prone to several cyclones in a season, the area was ultimately unprepared for a storm of this magnitude. The regions most affected were rural and had poor communication systems making storm warnings nearly impossible. Since the storm, warning and evacuation systems have been improved, saving hundreds of thousands of lives.
  2. Haiphong Typhoon
    Vietnam, 1881
    Death Toll: 300,000
    The storm devastated the region of Haiphong, Vietnam near the Gulf of Tonkin, a major seaport, halting the Vietnamese economy. Rice fields flooded with waters accumulating 9-12 feet.
  3. Typhoon Nina
    China and Taiwan, 1975
    Death Toll: 171,000
    Flooding inundated the Banqiao dam that had been constructed only 20 years prior. The flooding from storm surge and rainfall continued through the region as a result of the dam failure. An estimated 26,000 people died from flooding, 145,000 from epidemics, famine and water contamination. Government agencies examined the failure and began rebuilding 61 damaged dams after the storm to better prepare for the future.
  4. The Great Hurricane
    Barbados, 1780
    Death Toll: 22,000
    The Great Hurricane occurred during the American revolution and many European Naval forces were lost as they were stationed in the Caribbean. Eyewitnesses claimed the winds were able to carry large cannons hundreds of feet and stone buildings were blown down.
  5. Galveston Hurricane
    Galveston, TX, 1900
    Death Toll: 12,000
    The Galveston Hurricane was the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, killing 12,000 people, at least 8,000 as a direct result of storm surge. Although Galveston has never been restored as the thriving port it once was, the devastation there prompted interest in updating storm prediction technologies. Soon after the diaster, Galveston built its seawall spanning 10 miles of coastline to protect the city from future storms.
  6. Hurricane Katrina
    Gulf Coast U.S., New Orleans, 2005
    Death Toll: 1,200
    Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a category four hurricane causing catastrophic damage even before the levees broke protecting the lowest areas of the city. After the levees broke, flood waters submerged nearly 80 percent of the city. The Alabama and Mississippi gulf coast was also inundated with a 27-foot storm surge. Canada and Mexico deployed troops to bring supplies and help with rescue and evacuation efforts. The city has since rebuilt the levees and is currently in the process of improving drainage and sewer systems to accommodate greater flooding.
  7. Labor Day Hurricane
    Florida Keys, 1935
    Death Toll: 500
    Sometimes called the “Storm of the Century,” this was the first category five hurricane to hit the United States in the twentieth century. Residents thought it would miss Florida and make landfall in Cuba. Hundreds of World War I veterans had traveled to the keys as part of a work program during the Great Depression were caught in the storm by the time vans had been sent to save them. The Hurricane Warning Center had only been established in Jacksonville that year and was not prepared for how quickly the storm escalated.
  8. Hurricane Ike
    Cuba and Texas Gulf coast, 2008
    Death Toll: 103
    Estimates suggest that Ike is the second costliest storm to hit the United States after Hurricane Katrina as of 2009. Storm surge reached approximately 10 feet on Galveston Island. Although Ike was only category 2 when it made landfall in Texas, it had grown so drastically in diameter covering 425 miles northwest to southeast.
  9. Hurricane Harvey
    Southeast Texas, 2017
    Death Toll: 70
    The National Hurricane Center originally forecasted the storm to make landfall as a category 1 but it quickly strengthened to category 4. Victims are still recovering and in need of aid.
  10. Hurricane Andrew
    The Bahamas and Florida, 1992
    Death Toll: 55
    Hurricane Andrew ranks as the third costliest natural disaster in U.S. history after hurricanes Ike and Katrina and the last on the list of 10 Worst Hurricanes. There is controversy surrounding the exact statistics of Hurricane Andrew as there were several anomometer failures resulting in partial or absent data recordings. FEMA also reported that many damaged buildings had been improperly constructed.

History has shown that it is difficult to fully predict whether coming storms will outdo the 10 worst hurricanes. This hurricane season has been one of the most active since the string of storms that accompanied Hurricane Katrina in the 2005 season. Hurricane Irma has already devastated the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, parts of Cuba and Florida. There is no measurement to express the true loss resulting from these storms but there is hope in rebirth.

– Rebekah Korn

Photo: Flickr

,

A New Model for Education in Developing Countries

A New Model for Education in Developing CountriesIn most developing countries, the majority of children do not finish primary school. For example, only 50 percent complete fifth grade in Ghana, and less than half of them can understand a simple paragraph.

Programs working to achieve the Millennium Development Goals have had great success in increasing school enrollment in developing countries, but many still do not finish school. Obstacles to children completing their education include the difficulty of getting to school and paying for uniforms, books and examination fees.

Another significant factor is the opportunity cost. That is, when a child goes to school instead of working, their family is missing out on an opportunity to bring in extra income. Most of these children will work in agriculture or trade, not in the formal sector. Continuing past primary school does not provide any economic benefit for them or their families.

Education in developing countries tends to adopt traditional western ideals, focusing on literacy, math, social studies and science. For most children, however, these topics are irrelevant to their lives and do not help them improve their real-life circumstances. A new educational model called “school for life” focuses on building the students’ ability to improve their lives. The curriculum focuses on entrepreneurship, health education and empowerment.

Within the realm of entrepreneurship, the curriculum teaches financial management, market analysis and interpersonal skills. Students are also taught how to identify business opportunities and effectively turn them into a revenue stream.

Since many of these children live without access to proper healthcare, teaching them how they can protect their own health is crucial. Many common health issues, such as malaria, dysentery, respiratory infections and nutrition-related illnesses are preventable by simply making small lifestyle changes.

Rote learning dominates education in developing countries, which encourages memorization instead of creativity. The most powerful resource is empowered people, and education systems can unlock this asset for their country with this innovative approach to education. The “school for life” system promotes interactive exercises instead of lectures, so that students have an opportunity to practise desired skills and learn to think critically. For example, students may work on a project to improve the cleanliness of their school. This activity allows students to develop practical skills like planning, collaboration, delegation of tasks and leadership.

A pilot version of the “school for life” curriculum has been adopted in Escuela Nueva in Colombia. If schools switch the focus from improving standardized test scores to empowering students to improve their lives, education can become a powerful tool for lifting people out of poverty.

– Kristen Nixon
Photo: Flickr

, ,

Top 10 Facts About Landmines

Facts About LandminesLandmines are any type of container of explosive material than can be triggered when it comes into contact with a person or a vehicle. The explosive blast or fragments of a landmine are intended to incapacitate a person or vehicle.

10 Facts about Landmines:

  1. Landmines are generally buried 6 inches (15 centimeters) under the surface or simply laid above ground. Buried landmines can remain active for more than 50 years.
  2. Landmines come in two categories, anti-personnel landmines and anti-tank landmines. An anti-personnel landmine is designed to injure or kill a person, while an anti-tank landmine is designed to incapacitate tanks or other vehicles.
  3. Landmines were first created during World War I. While the original mines were anti-tank mines, anti-personnel mines were developed to prevent enemy forces from reusing or removing anti-tank mines.
  4. The random dissemination of landmines began in the 1960s. The U.S. dropped thousands of mines by plane during its nine-year bombing campaign of Laos.
  5. There are an estimated 110 million anti-personnel mines in the ground and another 250 million stockpiled across the world today. About 5 to 10 million mines are produced each year.
  6. The countries most affected by landmines are Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Iraq, China, Egypt and Laos. Mines are also a serious problem in Bosnia, Croatia, Georgia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Sudan.
  7. One person is killed by a landmine every 15 minutes. About 70 people are killed by a landmine every day. 26,000 people a year become landmine victims. A total of over one million people have been killed or maimed by landmines.
  8. The cost of removing all currently existing mines would be $50-$100 billion. Organizations like Minesweepers are dedicated to removing landmines across the globe. Overall, mine removal operations have resulted in the destruction of more than 2.2 million anti-personnel mines and 250,000 anti-tank mines.
  9. Landmines deprive some of the poorest people on Earth access to arable land, markets, schools, work and water. The existence of landmines can also prevent reconstruction, new development and the delivery of aid.
  10. Landmines place a burden on the health systems of developing countries. People hurt by mines need more antibiotics and need to stay in the hospital longer than other patients.

Landmines can be hard to detect and are often prevalent in areas decimated by war. This makes their existence especially dangerous to the poor and to refugees. While these facts about landmines can be distressing, great work by organizations like Minesweepers helps make environments less dangerous and the lives of the global poor safer.

– Brock Hall

Photo: Flickr

,

3 Benefits of the Xenoscope

3 Benefits of the XenoscopeOver 5 billion people in the world lack access to affordable and safe healthcare. The invention of the Xenoscope has changed the way laparoscopic surgeries are performed in developing areas of the world. The Xenoscope has benefited these areas in 3 ways:

Cost effective
The Xenoscope only costs $85 to make and is mostly comprised of cell phone parts. These devices sell for a few hundred dollars, compared to other equipment that can cost as much as $20,000.

The benefit of the low price is that if the Xenoscope breaks, it is easily replaceable. Rather than needing to pay for expensive repairs, users can simply buy a new one.

Efficient
The Xenoscope uses mostly cell phone parts, as well as an image sensor and LED light to capture images. The smartphone camera is able to capture high quality images of the abdominal cavity. This cost-effective solution efficiently captures the images needed to perform the procedure.

The Xenoscope is just as efficient in taking images as normal laparoscopy equipment. For example, the Xenoscope was first tested by using it in a procedure to remove Fallopian tubes. The patient recovered from the procedure very quickly.

The device also removes the need for disinfection of the scope between surgeries. This in turn reduces the cost of sterilization services.

Versatile
The most highly regarded benefit of the Xenoscope is its versatility, especially in areas with unreliable electricity. Many areas that have limited access to expensive equipment also have unreliable electricity, requiring a battery-operated piece of equipment. The Xenoscope can be used in hospitals with unreliable electricity as well as outside of a hospital environment.

Not only is the Xenoscope itself versatile and mobile, the equipment it is compatible with is equally as mobile. The Xenoscope can be used with most laptops or smartphones and does not require expensive imaging equipment.

The Xenoscope is a beneficial, low-cost tool that gives access to effective medical equipment to those that need it. Even though it was originally intended for laparascopies, its use has expanded to other minimally invasive procedures involving thoracic and peritoneal cavities.

– Rebekah Covey

Photo: Flickr

, , ,

The Effects of Automation on Developing Countries

The Effects of Automation on Developing CountriesThe world is on the cusp of another industrial revolution. This time, it is information technology that is dramatically altering the fundamentals of the global economy, displacing millions of workers in the process.

While technological disruptions have already taken a significant toll on developed countries—causing what Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee dub the “Great Decoupling” of wages from productivity—the effects of automation on developing countries are only beginning to be felt.

In the last three decades, information technologies produced high growth rates in many developing countries, as communication and transportation technologies facilitated economic globalization and tapped low-cost labor sources.

But in the future, continued technological advancement is expected to undercut even the lowest-cost labor in developing countries.

Last year, the World Bank estimated that roughly two-thirds of all the jobs in the developing world are due to succumb to automation.

While deindustrialization caused wage stagnation and inequality in developed economies, automation in developing countries will likely have an even worse effect. Lacking the wealth and educational infrastructures developed countries had, most developing countries will be hard-pressed to transition from export-led to service-based economies.

Instead, the coming technological revolution is likely to produce a reverse-outsourcing effect on developing countries. The countries with the best-educated and most competitive STEM workers will be the ones attracting the businesses that are going to design and develop the technologies that put everyone else out of work.

To compensate for technological disruptions, tech moguls like Mark Zuckerberg have suggested implementing policies like universal basic income.

While this platform may offer a short-term solution to the coming wave of unemployment, it will likely bankrupt governments and ultimately fail to uphold a long-term consumer-based economy.

In the developing world, specifically, universal basic income will explode budgetary deficits, which are in many cases already inflated from subsidizing industrial production and exportation.

Regardless of how cheap and efficient technology renders supply chains, without an employed and enriched populace, efficiently produced goods will find no new markets.

The only long-term means to mitigating the effects of automation on developing countries will be investing in human capital and educating high-skilled workers. Only when most workers are responsible for driving the driverless economy will the economy work for most workers.

– Nathaniel Sher

Photo: Flickr

,

Causes of Poverty in Moldova

Causes of Poverty in Moldova

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. Its gross domestic product per capita stands at only $5,200. Around 20 percent of Moldova’s 3.5 million people are poor. There are several causes of poverty in Moldova. Here are a few:

Limited agricultural investment
Poverty is more common among farming families. The country’s history can partly explain why this is.

When Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the government divided a lot of agricultural land into plots too small to be commercially viable. The small size of the plots–most under 2.5 hectares–meant farmers had to depend on manual labor instead of large, advanced machinery and technology. This led to inefficiencies and poor yields compared to the land’s potential.

Rural Moldovans continue to lack access to new technology, agricultural support services and financial services, which shackles them to a life of subsistence farming. With extension services, they could better contribute to agriculture’s share of Moldova’s GDP, which is around 14 percent.

Trade restrictions
A lack of agricultural investment is not the only cause of poverty in Moldova. Sometimes, families, businesses and entrepreneurs have goods, but they do not have reliable buyers.

Countries that Moldova would usually trade with have imposed strict sanctions or all-out bans on products from the small nation. Russia has repeatedly rejected Moldovan goods, such as wine, fruit and vegetables, by stating they do not meet its high quality standards.

This closed market took a toll on the Moldovan economy, which in turn trickles down to negatively affect citizens. Before the embargo in 2014, 90 percent of Moldova’s apples went to Russia. Now they are sent to other countries that buy them at lower prices.

Government corruption 
Corrupt oligarchs and politicians rob citizens of money. In 2015, $1 billion — or about one-eighth of the country’s GDP — was stolen from the country’s three largest banks. Around 40 people, including a former prime minister, either helped or benefited from the massive theft.

The capital city’s mayor, the transportation minister, the agriculture minister, the deputy economic minister, the environmental minister and other public officials face corruption or embezzlement accusations. The many officials facing these charges do not appear to have the general public’s best interest in mind.

Corruption in Moldova makes it difficult for people to succeed in business. Around 30 percent of all companies reported that public authorities requested bribes at least once per year to pass inspections, get permits, obtain utilities access or secure an operating license. The cost of electricity in the country is nearly double the price in the rest of the region, according to the GAN Business Anti-Corruption Portal. These oppressive practices stifle Moldova’s business environment and rank among the causes of poverty in Moldova.

Weak social systems
UNICEF reports that Moldova has a social protection system that comprises 15 benefits and services. But just one of these benefits is for the poor. Furthermore, money earmarked for the poor does not always end up in the right hands. A state report found that 17 percent of social assistance is used inefficiently and goes to families with high incomes.

Adding pressure to government financial resources is an aging population. Low wages, limited educational opportunities and poor job prospects push young Moldovans to leave their home country. Moreover, the birth rate is too low to replenish the population that is lost.

These factors create a disproportionate number of elderly people in the population. The high proportion of the country’s elderly is putting pressure on the country’s pension system.

The government is considering increasing the retirement age to lessen its financial burden, but there are not a lot of jobs for people to get. The labor participation rate was a mere 42 percent in 2016.

Causes of poverty in Moldova include limited agricultural investments, trade restrictions, government corruption and a weak social system. But, the government of Moldova is committed to helping alleviate poverty.

The government works with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to create microfinance opportunities for farmers, which supports agricultural investment and can increase farmers’ returns. IFAD has also invested in agro-processing to ensure farmers prepare their goods for domestic and international markets.

Moldova is also making progress in regards to corruption. Parliament passed a new law on prosecution in 2016. It helps in the fight against corruption by strengthening prosecutor independence and doubling salaries, so prosecutors are less prone to accept bribes.

More evidence of the government’s goal to reduce poverty is its “Moldova 2020” National Development Strategy. The strategy details how reforming the pension system and developing the labor market will contribute to poverty rate reduction. 

As the above examples demonstrate, leaders have set their sights on fixing the underlying causes of poverty in Moldova.

– Kristen Reesor

Photo: Flickr

, , ,

SpacerPAD in Developing Countries: Empowering Women

SpacerPADDespite the fact that menstruation is an experience shared by all women around the world, many parts of the world continue to stigmatize it and treat it as a taboo topic. Many cultures have even perpetuated destructive beliefs about menstruation, leading to a serious erosion in the availability of knowledge about menstrual health. These taboos are particularly pervasive in developing countries and have negatively affected women’s lives.

In an effort to combat the lack of health products for menstruation in developing countries, researchers Karin Högberg and Lena Berglin from the Swedish School of Textiles and the University of Borås, respectively, have begun creating a potentially revolutionary product. The SpacerPAD is a reusable, recyclable and quick-drying sanitary pad for use by women in developing countries who don’t have access to proper women’s health products.

The idea for the SpacerPAD in developing countries came to Högberg when she witnessed the significant obstacles that menstruation posed to women in Nairobi, Kenya. She described how women often resorted to using leaves, rags and sometimes cow dung to absorb the blood. Furthermore, because menstruation is such a taboo topic, many women, especially those in low-income and rural areas, don’t have the opportunity to use other washable hygiene products as they cannot be hung up to dry.

The SpacerPAD is currently undergoing testing that focuses on stopping leakage and potential bacterial growth and the ability to dry quickly in a lab at the Swedish School of Textiles. Once this testing is complete, the next step would be to produce a prototype and begin to distribute the SpacerPAD in developing countries.

In recent years, as the awareness of women’s health issues continues to grow, there have been more efforts to create an affordable reusable product as an alternative to the expensive disposable products available in most developed countries. Unfortunately, the stigma against menstruation and the belief that it is an unclean process is preventing women around the world from utilizing safe and clean hygiene products.

Additionally, while it is not intended for use in developed countries, the SpacerPAD researchers believe that it can be successful in the Swedish market where there is a lack of recyclable sanitary products.

Proper access to hygiene products is a human right and without it, millions of women around the world are suffering from health issues as well as humiliation due to the stigma.

– Akhil Reddy

Photo: Flickr