Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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How WATSAN in Rural India is Providing Clean Water

WATSAN in rural India
India utilizes underground water more than any other country in the world. In fact, nearly 25 percent of all water that the globe extracts is in India. Within this, 90 percent of those residing in rural areas use this groundwater as the sole source of replenishment. Problems such as open defecation and the high cost of filtered water lead to a lack of sanitation and access to clean drinking water in rural India. One company, WATSAN in rural India, is targeting this through the creation of a clay-based water purification system.

What is WATSAN?

Chandrasekaran Jayaraman founded WATSAN in India in 2009. A portmanteau of the words ‘water’ and ‘sanitation,’ WATSAN is working to provide clean water and sanitation systems through low, cost-effective methods to locations in rural and urban India. Its water purification devices have successfully fulfilled the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 6 and has further progressed the mission to provide potable water to all.

The Filtration System 

WATSAN’s water filtration system, the ‘CPO Natural Terafil Water Filter,’ works in a simple yet complex way.  WATSAN’s filters do not use chemicals to purify the water; instead, they rely on natural materials to do the job. Built from nano-clay particles, the Terafil candle contains pores that are smaller than harmful bacteria and microbes. When polluted water pours through the candle, the harmful bacteria and iron particles remain on top while the clean water continues passing through the filter.

WATSAN in rural India has installed unique water filters for those that fall below the poverty line. This ensures that everyone has access to their filter without any complicated assembly. WATSAN’s design also allows for easy storage, ensuring that their filters take up a minimal amount of space.

The Impact

Due to the continued consumption of polluted water, a multitude of waterborne illnesses infects many people living in rural India. WATSAN has crafted a specific formula to alleviate these issues. With its filtration system, WATSAN in rural India has been able to deliver clean drinking water to over 16,000 homes in just a single year. This has effectively eliminated the number of people who waterborne illnesses affect.

Specifically, 25 million people across India have been living with no option but to consume fluoride-saturated water over the accepted parts per million, leaving many susceptible to several illnesses. The Terafil Water Filter filters minerals such as fluoride out and ensures that the water people consume contains the necessary parts per million and prevents diseases such as skeletal fluorosis and severe diarrhea. This exemplifies how simple solutions can dissolve large-scale issues.

WATSAN alone has provided products to over 2.15 million households in over 18 states in rural India. Going forward, WATSAN has committed itself to providing over 100 million rural families with its products over the next three years. Overall, WATSAN is just one of many innovative companies giving back to communities in rural India through its commitment to sanitation and potable water. Although access to clean resources in India is a persistent problem, effective work is combatting this. The Terafil Water Filter is a perfect example of a simple solution with the ability to create change.

– Laurel Sonneby 

Photo: Pixabay

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Vietnam’s Health Care System

Vietnam's Health Care System
As Vietnam has grown and developed over the last two to three decades, so has its health care system. There is a decrease in the number of deaths due to health issues and an increased rate of vaccination through Universal Health Coverage (UHC). With much success for the UHC implementation, Vietnam’s health system has become a model to other countries. However, there is still a difference in the level of care between the rich and poor in Vietnam’s health care system.

Health Care and Hospital Systems

Business Monitor International (BMI) stated that health care spending in Vietnam in 2017 increased to 7.5 percent of gross domestic production, which is $16.1 billion. Meanwhile, experts forecasted it to grow 12.5 percent annually during a four-year period from 2017-2021, which would be approximately $20 billion according to KPMG. Public health care spending is expanding with social health insurance programs that projections determine will 58.1 percent of all health care spending.

Vietnam’s health care system is decentralized with the Ministry of Health at the central level. Meanwhile, the provinces, cities, districts and communities connect to the Ministry of Health. The four groups implement their own health policies and manage their own health care system and facilities. The Ministry of Health (central level) manages the health care system for the government as well as hospitals, medical education and research. Provinces and cities run hospitals, other health care facilities and health care-education programs with central oversight. Finally, health care facilities at the district and commune-level provide basic medical care with preventative services.

Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

Vietnam is a leader in implementing universal health coverage. This would cover medical and dental services as well as medicine and vaccines. The Global Monitoring Report on UHC by both the World Health Organization and the World Bank states that almost 88 percent of people in Vietnam have health coverage and 97 percent of the children received vaccinations. There is also a 75 percent decrease in the death of mothers through universal health coverage. Vietnam has reached health care goals (as recommended by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals) earlier as compared to other countries due to its strategy on using all that is available, including staffing and administration.

Public View and Poverty Gap

Vietnamese’s traditional viewpoint on health care services affects health care delivery. It is a common belief that larger health care facilities in big cities would provide better health care services through more specialized staffing and more robust technology and equipment. Therefore, people tend to overlook smaller local facilities in the countryside or in rural areas. This, in turn, is impeding faster and necessary care while incurring unnecessary, unknowing or avoidable high costs. Such a barrier would ultimately contradict the proposed health care strategy above.

Vietnam’s health governance body is working to change the public viewpoint on local community health by educating the public about the programs and charging local health offices to provide excellent care in order to build trust. Wealthy patients have better access and higher quality health care. As wealthy patients tend to live in big cities, they are closer to big health care facilities that are well equipped. Meanwhile, poorer patients often have to travel hundreds of miles from rural areas to reach better care. While private insurance gives patients primary and preventative medicine that would avoid high health care expenditures due to medical emergencies, wealthy patients have more opportunity to purchase private insurance for better care. Health care inequity leaves the poor at a disadvantage with higher chances for illness and a lower quality of care.

Support and Challenges for UHC

Vietnam’s universal health care is receiving support from the Working Group for Primary Healthcare Transformation. The group works to present and emphasize primary care services in provinces around Vietnam, as well as improve and expand those services moving forward. Harvard Medical School, a member of the group, helps with primary care structuring and management. Another member, Novartis, provides rural community health education outreach as well as technology and rural medicine education for health care professionals. For instance, Novartis’ Cung Song Khoe Program has provided treatment for many conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and respiratory disease, as well as education for local rural communities and health care professionals, totaling 570,000 people served in 16 provinces. However, there are still challenges that are holding back Vietnam’s health care system including a high number of smokers and adults with alcohol usage, as well as extreme air pollution and aging populations.

Despite drawbacks from public views, health challenges and the environment, Vietnam’s universal health coverage is holding strong and progressing with ongoing program evaluations, strategic planning, improved care quality and partnerships. Therefore, Vietnam’s health care system has also been growing and is standing tall among that of other well-mentioned countries. With that said, eliminating health inequity is the focus to improve Vietnam’s health care.

– Hung Le
Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts about Life Expectancy in Andorra

10 Facts about Life Expectancy in AndorraAndorra is a small principality nestled between Spain and France, with a population of 77,000 people. Famous for its ski resorts and status as a tax haven, Andorra also happens to have one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Here are 10 facts about life expectancy in Andorra.

10 Facts About Life Expectancy in Andorra

  1. Andorrans live to 83 years on average. According to the CIA, the country has the ninth highest life expectancy in the world. While the life expectancy of male Andorrans is 80.8 years, female Andorran life expectancy is 85.4 years.
  2. The culture of Andorra encourages exercise and physical activity. Andorra’s mountainous terrain has fostered a culture of physical fitness. Hiking, skiing and other recreational activities are commonplace in Andorra.
  3. Andorra has one of the best public health care systems in the world. Around 75 percent of outpatient medical care is reimbursed. About 90 percent of hospital expenses are reimbursed too.
  4. Infant mortality in Andorra is declining. According to UNICEF data, the current under-5 infant mortality rate in Andorra is 2.9 out of 1,000 live births. This is a significant improvement from the rate in 1990, where 10.8 infants out of 1,000 live births died.
  5. Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) is the leading preventable cause of premature death in Andorra. IHD is caused by a buildup in the arteries, which restricts blood flow into the heart. In the long term, IHD can lead to a heart attack. According to a WHO report, while tobacco usage and high blood pressure rate are going down, obesity is on the rise in Andorra as more people are consuming fast foods. Still, the majority of the population maintains a Mediterranean diet with the following staples: lean meat, vegetables and olive oil.
  6. The entire population of Andorra has access to an improved water source. However, the overall surface water quality does give rise to some concerns. In 2017, the Andorran Ministry of Environment reported that 86 percent of surface water in Andorra was of high quality, while 8 percent was of acceptable quality, 3 percent of poor quality and 3 percent of very poor quality.
  7. Every citizen in Andorra has access to improved sanitation facilities. Since 1996, Andorra installed four wastewater purification plants. The wastewater purification plants purify almost 100 percent of sewage in Andorra.
  8. The immunization rate in Andorra is very high. According to the WHO, Andorra has a general vaccination rate of 99 percent. Early childhood diseases such as measles, HepB3 and rubella are some of the most common diseases that Andorran kids get vaccinated for.
  9. The physician density of Andorra is 3.33 physicians per 1,000 people. This causes some concerns since this is a drop from 2010, which had 4 physicians per 1,000 people. In addition, the current physician density in Andorra is below the E.U. average, which is around 3.5 physicians per 1,000 people.
  10. Crime is nearly “nonexistent” in Andorra. There is one prison with a few dozen inmates, bringing peace of mind to citizens of the small state. Andorran diplomat, Juli Minoves, said it best in 2008: “I think that gives a lot of peace of mind to people. I think there is a psychological factor here, a feeling of safeness that people start to absorb from the moment they are born. Plus, there is a long tradition of democracy, of solving conflict in an amicable way.”

Lifestyle factors, a safe environment and access to excellent health care are the main contributors to an exceptionally high life expectancy rate in Andorra. A close-knit sense of community among Andorrans also contributes to a happy and healthy way of life in the European country.

– YongJin Yi
Photo: Flickr

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Understanding the Total Literacy in Kerala

Total Literacy in KeralaLiteracy has always been an important measure of development and a huge means to further progress through an educated population. People usually define literacy as the ability to read, write and comprehend information. This is important in even basic infrastructure improvements for a community, such as implementing road signs in order to lower road injuries and deaths. Literacy in India is improving rapidly. The most recent measure of literacy in India took place during the 2011 census. India’s 2011 literacy rate was 74.04 percent, an immense increase from the previous census, where the literacy rate was only 12 percent. But even more impressive, Kerala has the highest literacy rate of all the states and even has the label of a total literacy state. In fact, the total literacy in Kerala is 93.91 percent.

History of Kerala

Kerala is a fairly small state and largely rural, rather than being a center of commerce. Additionally, it does not have a high level of industrial development. However, Kerala rises above other states regarding development indicators like literacy, health outcomes and life expectancy. It is crucial to analyze and understand Kerala’s success so that the literacy rates can improve in other regions.

Kerala’s history as a region plays a role in its literacy success. Starting in the 19th century, royalty called for the state to cover education costs. While still a colony, Kerala implemented social reform in the early 20th century that allowed access to education for lower castes and women. Post-independence, socialist or left of center governments overarchingly controlled the state government and they made equity and social goals a huge priority.

Literacy Programs in Kerala

However, aside from these factors, one of the biggest contributors to Kerala’s total literacy is its literacy program, Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority. This is an institution that works under the state government and received funding from it, but operates autonomously. The values of this organization are clearly framed in its slogan, “Education for all and education forever.”

The program works on many levels, including basic literacy programs and equivalency programs. The basic literacy programs include a push to take Kerala to a full 100 percent literacy rate. These programs focus on regions and peoples who tend to have lower literacy rates, including urban slum, coastal and tribal populations. District-specific programs target localized issues, needs and a total literacy program for jail inmates. The equivalency program provides the opportunity for adults who did not go through all levels of primary and secondary school to take classes and tests which will bring them up to fourth, seventh, 10th, 11th, or 12th-grade literacy standards. The program also offers certifications and is constantly adding smaller, new programs in social literacy as different areas require attention.

The Goal

The goals of this program center around developing literacy skills through continuing education and offering opportunities for all who have an interest in learning. This ensures secondary education, providing the skills necessary for those learning to read and write to apply these new abilities in their daily lives and to conduct research on non-formal education. The organization and practices of the Keralite government in terms of improving literacy in their state are undoubtedly successful.

In the development field, it is easy for one to become bogged down in the failures. The total literacy in Kerala is a success story that should receive attention. This is the value of investing in development projects. There are concrete gains when development receives careful formulation and funding with the population in mind. There is much that one can learn from the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority and apply to achieve total literacy around the world.

– Treya Parikh
Photo: Flickr

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ICT and eHealth in Developing Countries

ICTS and eHealth in Developing Countries
Information Communication Technology (ICT) supports medical workers when physicians are absent. They manage patient records and keep accurate accounts in medical supplies and medication inventory. ICTs increase lab information management and create algorithms for effective treatment plans including the distribution of medications and immunizations. As a laundry list of medical conveniences, ICT in eHealth has a lot of advantages. Yet, the concept of eHealth in developing countries is more about connecting rural and resource-poor communities with specialists. So, how does ICT and eHealth in developing countries work?

Asynchronous Medical Exchanges

The obvious advantage is that health information is easily accessible, regardless of time, location or occupation. Asynchronous medical exchanges bridge physical and time-complying barriers between multiple personnel. This could be between a doctor and patient or doctor and specialists or all three. There are various forms of ICT (email, video conference and audio), all of which offer an array of services including teledermatology, telepathology and teleradiology, to name a few.

Maternal and child health care is of primary concern in many countries, and India has shown particular promise in women and children eHealth platforms.

Successful ICT Programs in India’s Mobile Health Initiative

The use of cell phones, home patient monitoring devices and other wireless devices closed the gap between India’s poorest communities and health care. The National Informatics Centre developed MCTS (Mother and Child Tracking System), which utilizes information technology (IT or ICT) to access a full spectrum of health services for pregnant women and children. MCTS operates on an alert-notification platform for medical workers. Services include antenatal, post-op and post-natal care for mom as well as guaranteed immunizations and check-ups for the first five years.

At the state level, eHealth programs like PICME (Pregnancy Infant Cohort Monitoring Evaluation) in Tamil Nadu, Arogyam in Uttar Pradesh and the 2018 Digital LifeCare initiative all provide working platforms for physicians to screen, manage and care for patients in resource-poor areas on or off-site.

The use of ICT in eHealth has impacted developing countries and progress, as illustrated in India, has occurred. However, reliable internet access is necessary for the successful implementation of ICT in eHealth. In addition, eHealth development varies by country and has unequal distribution among the poorest of countries.

Serbia has a population of 7 million with about 37 percent seeking health information online; only 33 percent have access to reliable internet. Similarly, Turkey has a population of 80.3 million with reliable internet access for more than half. Algeria, Guatemala and Zambia’s populations have less than 20 percent internet access respectively and Afghanistan only 5 percent. Many challenges threaten the successful implementation of eHealth, chief among them access to reliable internet.

A Digital Divide

If global society continues daily reliance on digital technology and services, resource-poor countries will be in the wake of information communication technology. Gaps in supportive infrastructure cripple developing countries’ chances of successful eHealth platforms.

Rapid technological advances over the last decade impede resource-poor locations’ ability to remain up-to-date with medical equipment and treatment plans, disallowing use of the technology. Likewise, unstable power supplies and insufficient or unreliable communication networks fundamentally limit the potential of eHealth integration.

A cross-sectional survey conducted in Brazil reported 81.4 percent of medical physicians believed EHR (electronic health records) response time was unsatisfactory. Eighty-six percent complained of technical difficulties and 35 percent had an insufficient supply of equipment in clinics—a direct result of insufficient funding.

Information Communication Technology is expensive and insurance packages, private party investments and individual donors or clients provide the majority of funding.

Deputy Director of the Digital Health Solutions Programme Skye Gilbert speaks caution and vigilance to collaborators when considering solutions for the digital divide, stating that “Being excluded from the digital domain will have more and more implications for someone’s health status…So the digital divide will become more and more tied to health equity over time.”

A Symbiotic Relationship

Overall, health improvement for resource-poor settings will not improve unless health technologies are accessible to all. The way in which ICT impacts eHealth in developing countries is quantifiable in that the countries with proper resources and pre-existing conducive technological platforms have measurable success in the implementation of eHealth programs. But for those countries struggling to fill in a widening digital gap, eHealth and, by consequence, people will always underrepresent and neglect public health.

Countries like Bangladesh, Paraguay, Qatar and Rwanda officially adopted eHealth strategies—four of 73 with eHealth initiative plans. Until medical information communication technology is accessible to everyone, health will only ever be a privilege for those able to afford it.

– Marissa Taylor
Photo: Flickr

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4 Facts About Hunger in Bulgaria

Hunger in BulgariaThe Republic of Bulgaria is a Southeast European country of 6.4 million people. The World Bank classifies the country as an upper-middle income nation that has been transformed to an open market-based economy from its previous planned and highly centralized economy. 

4 Facts About Hunger in Bulgaria

  1. Hunger in Bulgaria is Low: According to the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Bulgaria is 23 out of the 125 countries ranked. The GHI measures undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting and child mortality and Bulgaria’s score of 5.4 categorized its hunger level as low.
  2. SDG Progress: Although Bulgaria’s GHI ranking of hunger is low, the country is nevertheless seen as progressing slowly overall in achieving the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger. While the country has achieved the target for undernourishment and prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years old, significant challenges are seen to be remaining for several indicators, including the prevalence of obesity. 
  3. Limited Progress on Nutrition Targets: The 2022 Global Nutrition Report noted insufficient data to assess Bulgaria on all global nutrition targets for maternal, infant and young child nutrition. For those targets for which there was adequate data, Bulgaria was found to be “on course” in preventing the increase of only one measure—the prevalence of overweight children under 5 years old, which was 6.9%. There was also “some progress” on childhood stunting, which was at 7%. The country was “off course” for seven metrics and had no data on two. Low birth weight (9.6%) and anemia of women of reproductive age (23.6%) were classified as having seen no progress or worsening. The report calls these outcomes the “burden of malnutrition.” 
  4. Legislation: In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bulgaria passed the Bulgarian Foodstuff Act. The law regulated online and distance food sales, required registration of food supplements and food for athletes, gave the Ministry of Health control over the placement of infant formulas, follow-on formulas and foods containing additional minerals and vitamins, and addressed packaging waste. Since the preferred sale of food by small independent organic farms is via online food platforms, this was seen as a means to achieve “sustainable greening” of the local food industry.” The National Program for the Prevention and Reduction of Food Losses 2021-2026, among other intended outcomes, includes reducing food waste and loss, which is seen as contributing to food security and sustainable food production and consumption.  

The World Bank notes that although Bulgaria has been in the EU since 2007, it has not yet reached the average EU GDP per capita and is the EU’s poorest member state. Reforms and policies to address income and opportunity inequalities, as well as several other variables are seen as critical to achieving full convergence with EU levels. 

– Staff Reports
Photo: Flickr

Updated: August 21, 2024

Evergrande in Guizhou

Evergrande in GuizhouOver the course of 40 years, China pulled 700 million people out of poverty. Rural poverty “decreased from 55.75 million to 16.6 million” between 2015 and 2018. China had planned to completely end extreme poverty by 2020. The country’s agenda is one key driver; however, the effort from the rising private sectors has also been pivotal. China’s private companies have demonstrated innovative ways to tackle poverty-related issues. This article will introduce the case of one leading private company, Evergrande in Guizhou.

Private Investment

China has already had success with private companies working to eradicate poverty. E-commerce has been fiercely discussed on different stages both internationally and domestically for its role in poverty eradication. Alibaba has successfully exercised the strategy of promoting small business from remote and impoverished regions on its online platform to stimulate the commodity economy and end their poverty. In fact, Alibaba’s online sales platforms have helped more than 100 poor counties in China reach a sales record of $14 million in 2018.

In 2019, the United Nations Environment Program honored Ant Financial Services Group for its achievement in afforestation of 122 million trees in arid regions in China to improve their overall living conditions. This tech company also works to finance small businesses. Its Alipay platform provides online money transfer services, lending and investment funds.

Evergrande in Guizhou

However, differing from these online giants, Evergrande leads the real estate business in China. In 2018, the head of the company, Jiayin Xu, said the private sector should do more in poverty alleviation. In the same year, Evergrande won the trophy for its donation of $560 million, which also make them the number one organizational donor. That year, 68 percent of the money donated went towards poverty alleviation.

Absolute numbers of donations are not the only hallmark of Evergrande’s approaches in poverty alleviation. Evergrande has an obvious provincial focus on its poverty reduction projects. Evergrande started working in Guizhou, one of China’s more underdeveloped provinces, in 2015. According to the report, Bijie, Guizhou, received 51.9 percent of the total donation, which equals $302 million. In, Bijie, the number of people living in poverty has decreased by 5.94 million, dropping the poverty rate from 56 percent to 8.89 percent in the last 30 years.

Agricultural Reclamation

Besides the massive amount of financial input, the success that Evergrande in Guizhou has had in combating poverty demonstrates another key mark: a detailed and localized strategy. Evergrande’s research corroborates Guizhou’s traditional disadvantage in agricultural reclamation. Therefore, it developed various alternative measures.

Its plans were to develop Dafang County, Bijie City, Guizhou Province. The company had completed 103 projects targeted poverty by 2017. More than 180,000 local residents benefited from these projects. Through supply, production and sale integration, Evergrande helped Dafang county create 16,473 acres planting bases of economic fruits and 317 beef breeding farms. It also built 10,223 greenhouses and 22 cultivation centers.

China’s private companies have had impressive success in combating poverty. As a new player in the field, Evergrande in Guizhou demonstrated how a private company turns poverty alleviation into an economic opportunity for both local communities and companies. Indeed, the company has had a relatively short time in the field, but its role is no less critical than governmental help.

– Dingnan Zhang
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About Malaria in Thailand

Malaria in ThailandThailand is home to nearly 70 million people. The Asian country is known for tropical beaches, opulent palaces and lush elephant rainforests. This extravagant subtropical climate is perfect for tourism but also serves as a breeding ground for mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria. Symptoms of malaria range from fever, seizures and even death. 

5 Facts About Malaria in Thailand

  1. Around 45 percent of the population is at risk of contracting malaria. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 32 million people are at risk of being infected with malaria in Thailand. The country is filled with more than 46 million acres of thick jungle and rainforest. Many citizens live in these dense ecosystems, along with several species of mosquito. The most dangerous areas of transmission are border regions, like the borders with Myanmar and Cambodia. These regions have an abundant population of highly infectious female Anopheles mosquitoes.
  2. The wet season poses the highest risk. The highest risk of malaria in Thailand lies during the rainy season when mosquitoes are most active. The wet season typically occurs from mid-May to mid-October. During this period the presence of the mosquitoes that carry malaria parasites is much higher than other seasons. Of note, the rural areas of Thailand tend to be more affected while larger cities such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya do not experience a high risk of malaria even during the wet season.
  3. Malaria control mechanisms greatly reduce the risk of spreading the disease. Mass free distribution of materials such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) and the practice of indoor residual spraying (IRS) reduce the risk of contracting malaria substantially. By eliminating the transmitters, these insecticides are simultaneously eliminating the parasite. The WHO attributes Thailand’s advancement in preventing the spread of the disease to these materials and methods that have proven to provide powerful results.
  4. The Global Fund and UNICEF are helping. In 2010, Thailand’s funding for malaria control exceeded 7 million dollars. Funding has gradually increased year by year, mainly financed by the Global Fund and UNICEF. Thailand, a still-developing country, relies heavily on external aid to support health initiatives. Organizations like Global Fund and UNICEF are saving lives from preventable diseases like malaria through continuous aid.
  5. Cases and deaths of malaria in Thailand are declining. New malaria cases have declined since 2000 and continue to do so rapidly. There are less than 70 annual deaths of malaria in Thailand, which is almost a 90 percent reduction from 20 years ago. The nation’s successes in reducing malaria mortality are attributed to the increased funding for malaria control mechanisms, such as ITNs, LLINs, IRS and other forms of insecticidal materials.

These five facts about malaria in Thailand indicate a positive turn for the developing nation. Although, in rural areas, the disease persists with severity. With continued support from humanitarian aid organizations, Thailand can achieve minimal malaria cases with various control mechanisms.

– Hadley West
Photo: Pixabay

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A Timeline of Women’s Rights in South America

Women's Rights in South America
Women’s rights throughout the last century have achieved huge strides. All over the world, women have fought for the right to vote, to go to school and to express themselves. This timeline of women’s rights in South America explores the most pivotal moments for it during the past 150 years. Before even having the right to vote, women have launched movements, wrote publications and protested governments, all to ensure that others would hear their voices. 

Timeline of Women’s Rights in South America

1883: Elvira García y García pioneered the path for women’s rights in South America before feminism was a word. She created the girls’ school, Liceo Peruano, where she brought education to countless young girls across Peru. Through this, she tore down traditional gender barriers and inspired girls to obtain an education.

1919: Bertha Maria Júlia Lutz and another woman founded the League for the Intellectual Emancipation of Women, which was an organization aimed at addressing the inability for women to vote. This historic organization fought for voting rights and the right for women to work across Brazil without their husband’s authorization. Lutz relentlessly tackled key issues until obtaining the right in 1932. Further, she successfully worked to obtain international women’s rights at the U.N. Charter at San Francisco Conference on International Organizations in 1945.

1938: Julia de Burgos, a Puerto Rican writer, released a controversial collection of poetry on social justice issues. The poems discussed slavery, colonialism and women’s rights in South America; after the first publication, she went on to write about feminist theory. One main topic of her works was the idea that motherhood and womanhood were not synonymous. These works continued to live through the movement and eventually inspired American Latina Feminist creators like Mariposa, Andrea Arroyo, Luzma Umpierre, Rosario Ferré and Yasmin Hernandez.

1945: Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, or Gabriela Mistral, was the first Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature as a Chilean woman. She was also passionate about education, becoming a school teacher by the young age of 15. One of the primary ways she fought for women’s rights in South America was by ensuring that girls had access to quality education.

1946: Felisa Rincón de Gautier became mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, becoming the first female mayor of a capital city in the Americas. She fought for women’s rights in South America with a strong belief that all women should have the right to vote and have the opportunity to be active in politics. She continued to engage in the movement throughout her life, even at the age of 95.

1969: María Jesús Alvarado Rivera was the first modern champion of women’s rights in the country, as honored by The National Council of Women of Peru. Throughout her life, she fought for women’s rights in South America by educating the public on women’s suffrage. She too worked to ensure education for young girls across the country.

1999: All of these brilliant women’s activities prompted the Venezuelan government to develop a new constitution, aligning with a majority of the republics in the Western Hemisphere. It explicitly stated that all citizens, regardless of gender, have social, political and economic rights. The Assembly of Social Movements also recognized and addressed domestic abuse, sexual harassment and discrimination as issues.

Since the turn of the century, non-government organizations have fought to continue providing opportunities to strengthen women’s rights in South America. Countless women and allies across the continent have made huge commitments to gender equality. More women are involving themselves in these movements and organizations than ever before, which is not only a cause for celebration but also a victory for the women who dedicated a lifetime of activities towards improving women’s rights in South America.

– Asha Swann
Photo: Flickr

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Improving Water and Sanitation in Malaysia

Malaysia’s Improvements in Water and Sanitation
Malaysia is one of many developing countries on the rise out of poverty and into wealth and prosperity. Like many developing countries, Malaysia had to make adjustments to its way of life. One of those changes was improving access to clean water and hygienic sanitation. Today, improvements to water and sanitation in Malaysia have made the country a model for other developing countries working to ensure stable and healthy livelihoods.

Improvements to Water and Sanitation in Malaysia

Malaysia’s efforts to provide access to clean water and pipe systems can be seen in data that has been collected. According to The World Health Organization/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program, reports taken in 2015 show that approximately 92 percent of Malaysian people have access to properly managed water supplies and 82 percent have access to hygienic sanitation services. Compared to other developing countries, these numbers are better than expected.

To tackle issues in clean water and sanitation access, Malaysia joined Vision 2020 in 1991 under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, setting out with a goal to reach developed country status by the year 2020. In addition to solving Malaysia’s water and sanitation issues, the agreement set out to address many other issues as well, including climate change, societal division, financial challenges and needed improvements in technological advancements.

World Water Vision

Under Vision 2020 is the World Water Vision process, which was established by the World Water Council. The World Water Council is an international water policy think-tank co-sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Bank and several United Nations programs. The global project set out to implement extensive consultation and to incorporate innovative ideas in the creation of future technology to ensure water access for all.

On a more national level is the Malaysian Water Visioning process. Supported by the Malaysian Water Partnership and the Malaysian National Committee for Irrigation and Drainage, it carried out consultations to determine the proper distribution of water for food and rural development at the national and regional levels. It also implemented extensive water sector mapping and studies on gender disparities pertaining to water access and control.

Case Study: Orang Asli Communities

Although water and sanitation access has improved tenfold, some important groups are still in need of aid. These groups include the poor, immigrant families and people living in secluded rural areas.

To better understand the problem, a case study was done on the Orang Asli communities of indigenous people. Compared to other parts of Malaysia, their health issues are worse than average, infant mortality was double the national figure and parasitic infections were as high as up to 90 percent in certain communities. Most of these issues, if not all, were largely due to poor access to clean water and sanitation.

The Orang Asli and the Global Peace Foundation worked together to create the Communities Unite for Purewater (CUP). This came after carrying out extensive interviews, workshops and other interventions. CUP combats poor water and sanitation access through the installation of water filters and pumps.

As a result, Orang Asli people no longer have to travel miles to get clean water. The new water pumps draw water from wells and transport it into filtered water storage tanks. These are then distributed to each household through a pipe system. The Orang Asli people have stated that this significant change has made their lives much easier. There are also now less prone to diarrhea and fevers.

Moving Forward

Malaysia has come a long way to improve its water and sanitation systems, making it one of the most promising developing countries in the world today. Malaysia has used many innovative ideas and tactics to overcome its water and sanitation issues, including creating initiatives through partnerships, promoting education and doing extensive research. One thing Malaysia will have to work on while on its road to success is to pay better attention to poorer groups to ensure that they get access to clean water and sanitation as well. In order to strive for peace, there must be equal and fair treatment for everyone, regardless of social class.

– Lucia Elmi
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