Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Economic Development and Gender Equality in Croatia

Gender equality in CroatiaCroatia is a country with a strong tourism sector. This makes the country an ideal place for European trade and the ultimate tourist location, with the Adriatic Coast attracting millions of visitors annually. It has also been a member of the European Union (EU) since 2013.

Although Croatia provides universal health care and public education, social inequalities persist, especially between people who live in rural and urban areas. Women in Croatia often face underrepresentation in leadership, wage gaps and limited job opportunities.

Women in the Workforce of Croatia

In the past decade, the labor market for Croatian women has improved significantly, with many indicators nearing EU averages. As of 2023, only 19.4% of women in Croatia aged 15–24 were employed, compared to an EU unemployment rate of about 33% for the same age group. Among women in the later stages of their careers, the employment-to-population ratio was 47.5%, below the EU average of 58.0%.

There is significant pressure for Croatian women, especially those in rural areas, to conform to traditional gender norms; family and caregiving responsibilities primarily fall on them. Combined with the fact that Croatian women are more likely to work in nonstandard forms of employment and earn less than men, this remains a major factor in the gender employment gap. As of 2023, more than 1.7 million people were active in Croatia’s labor market, with the employment rate at 62.1% for women and 69.4% for men.

Croatian women are making waves in the job market, dominating fields like education, entrepreneurship and services. Notable examples include:

  • Danijela Kleskovic, named Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 in Dubrovnik.
  • Hajdi Cenar, CEO of Airt (a deep-tech startup) and an active figure in startup networks and the Croatian AI scene.
  • Michela Magas, awarded Innovator of the Year for her contributions to music technology solutions.

Gender Equality Strategy

The EU Gender Equality Strategy is a program implemented from 2020 to 2025, aiming to make Europe “gender-equal.” Its key objectives include:

  • Challenging gender stereotypes.
  • Ending gender-based violence.
  • Achieving equal participation across different sectors of the economy.
  • Closing gender gaps in the labor market.
  • Addressing the gender pay and pension gaps.

The program also focuses on boosting leadership, along with combating gender-based violence and protecting and supporting victims. In Croatia, gender equality is first guaranteed under the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia and then further discussed in the Gender Equality Act.

The U.N. Women’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia has introduced several initiatives to advance gender equality across the region, aiming to address discrimination, poverty and exploitation faced by women. One such initiative is the Women’s Entrepreneurial Expo, launched in 2021 in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The Expo has raised awareness of women’s achievements in entrepreneurship while fostering a vibrant community where women support one another. It has helped entrepreneurs build relationships, engage in peer learning, network, collaborate and explore opportunities for business growth. The initiative highlights women-led enterprises and promotes inclusive markets that empower and sustain women entrepreneurs.

Conclusion

Croatia’s social progress and economic growth are closely linked to the participation of its women in the workforce. While it has made significant strides in health care access, education and EU integration, the gender gap persists and limits women’s economic potential.

For Croatian women, closing the gender gap is crucial, as gender equality brings significant financial benefits. It drives community development, fosters innovation and boosts GDP by increasing the total value of goods and services. Advancing gender equality would empower women and contribute to broader poverty reduction and sustainable development.

By promoting women’s entrepreneurship and supporting policies that close wage disparities, Croatia can tap into the full potential of its population. This ensures that women are not just participants, but active leaders in shaping the nation’s economic future.

– Madyn Lewis

Madyn is based in Chicago, IL, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Innovations in Poverty Eradication in Gambia 

Poverty Eradication in GambiaWhile the Gambia may be the smallest country on the entire African continent, poverty remains the nation’s most significant challenge. In 2020, the national poverty rate stood at a whopping 53.4%. This poverty rate mainly concentrates on the rural areas, where the majority of the people living there are very poor. This affects around 76% of the entire nation. The vast majority of the poor in the Gambia are farmers, with 75% of the poor and 91% of the extreme poor having a farming occupation. The Gambia ranks 174th out of 194 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2022, due to its struggles with global poverty.

To combat the impoverished conditions that consistently attack the nation, many projects have started up to help Gambia combat its ongoing battle with nationwide poverty. Here are some of those projects and their innovations in poverty eradication in Gambia. 

The Inspiring-Young Stars Program

The Inspiring-Young Stars Program is a Gambian nonprofit organization that kick-started in 2016, with its mission to transform the lives of children through education and service. This program puts a big emphasis on education because it believes education can reduce the impact of poverty in Gambia, despite not directly solving the problem itself. 

The Gambia struggles to improve its access to education due to its limited resources. This includes a lack of funding for education, teaching facilities and teachers. This leads to a vast majority of Gambia lacking quality education, as only 11% of children aged 7 to 14 demonstrate fundamental literacy skills and 9% in numerical skills. Ghana’s education system contributes to its high dropout rate of 29% among Gambian children. Because the Inspiring Young Stars programs believe education can help reduce poverty, they emerged as one of the major innovations in poverty eradication in Gambia.

The Micro-Gardening Project

One of the Inspiring-Young Stars Program’s many projects, which is considered extremely crucial, is the micro-gardening project. This project brings together children from their community libraries, youth volunteers and Charter School students to learn how to grow and care for a garden. This enables the students to learn the skills necessary to maintain a garden for growing vegetables and crops. This project not only serves as a way to learn technical skills, but it also serves as a space for learning critical life skills for the future. 

Other Projects

The program also hosts other projects that give Gambian children access to resources to teach themselves and others fundamental literacy skills. 

While there isn’t much data on what the organization has accomplished overall, the Inspiring-Young Stars Program continues to do projects that involve the Gambian youth to help them learn vital skills. Overall, such projects that this program gets involved in provide an education to children and other youth volunteers for crucial life skills, despite the adversities they all face. Through such projects, it helps get the Gambian youth involved in efforts to reduce poverty, making in one of the significant innovations in poverty eradication in Gambia.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is the world’s fund for transforming agriculture, rural economies and more. IFAD invests in rural people, who are often the most vulnerable and the world’s poorest like those in the Gambia. 

To reduce poverty levels in the Gambia, IFAD has developed a strategy to accomplish this. Because a majority of Gambia’s poor are farmers, taking specific action to help these farmers will support them in various aspects. On the financial aspect, this involves increasing their access to markets. In doing so, it allows these farmers to support themselves financially. 

This also involves increasing the value of certain crops by increasing the value chain participants. By increasing the value of crops through such means, it helps make it easier for farmers to support themselves financially. Their efforts to support the majority of Gambia’s poor make this one of the many innovations in poverty eradication in Gambia through making strides to improve both Gambia and other impoverished nations worldwide. 

Throughout its efforts, it has helped many of Gambia’s poor, especially its rural farmers. IFAD has supported 11 programs and projects in the Gambia that have all cost an estimated total of $287.21 million. IFAD has supported more than 195,000 rural households in the Gambia that are experiencing poverty. IFAD’s time and efforts to support Gambia’s poor, especially its farmers, have made it one of the main organizations that have utilized innovations in poverty eradication in Gambia through its strategic plan and objectives.

Concluding Thoughts

Efforts for organizations like IFAD and the Inspiring-Stars Program have helped combat the Gambia’s battle with poverty, which has helped improve conditions in the country. Whether it is expanding education or even helping farmers support themselves financially, the efforts they have had an impact on reducing poverty in the Gambia. 

– Pramod Sesh

Pramod is based in Iselin, NJ, USA and focuses on Technology and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Aging in Silence: Combating Elderly Poverty in Comoros

Elderly Poverty in ComorosEmpty porches, quiet villages across Comoros mask a hidden crisis; countless elderly are slipping into poverty with few protections to catch them. However, recent reforms and community-led projects have offered a path toward dignity and renewal.

A Crisis of Aging Without Support

Comoros is a lower-middle-income archipelago of about 866,000 people. Poverty remains widespread; approximately 38% of the population lived below the $3.65 per day poverty line in 2024. This hardship is concentrated in rural areas, where elderly individuals often lack stable income, pensions or access to basic services.

There is no universal pension system. Many older adults continue subsistence farming into advanced age, often when health limits their work. With adult children migrating to Mayotte, France or mainland Africa, elders can be left isolated, reliant on intermittent remittances or community goodwill.

Remittances from Comorians abroad are a financial lifeline, contributing roughly 25% of gross domestic product (GDP). They offer crucial short-term support but cannot substitute systemic protection. Their distribution is uneven, especially among disadvantaged older women and those on remote islands.

Many older people in Comoros suffer from chronic illnesses such as hypertension, arthritis, diabetes and visual impairment, conditions that worsen without consistent access to health care. Mental health concerns, including depression and cognitive decline, are common among older adults, especially those living in isolation or without financial security.

Poverty impacts older women more severely than men in Comoros. Due to lower lifetime earnings, informal labor participation and gender inequality in property ownership, women are less likely to have savings or access to land or inheritance. Older women are also more likely to be widowed and live alone, making them more vulnerable to poverty and neglect.

Building Hope Through Social Protection

In 2023, the World Bank approved a $30 million grant to strengthen the country’s social safety net. The funds support cash transfers for the chronically poor, climate-sensitive public works and income-generating programs reaching more than 40,000 households. While not specifically for older adults, the program lays essential groundwork for broader inclusion.

A Vision of Inclusion

Comoros is at a pivotal moment: economic growth is projected to reach 4% by 2027, partly fueled by remittances, tourism and public investments connected to the Comoros Emergent 2030 plan. Yet without urgent, elder-focused policies, the nation risks leaving its seniors behind.

By weaving elders into economic plans through pensions, health care, community conservation and blue economy jobs, Comoros can recognize and repay the generation that nurtured it through adversity. Support from the diaspora, international donors and NGOs could align with government efforts to create a society where leaders can age with dignity.

With determined leadership and sustained investment, Comoros could transform elderly poverty from a silent crisis into a story of resilience and shared prosperity.

– Reign Lankford

Reign is based in Houston, TTX, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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From Loopholes to Legal Clarity: Child Marriage in South Korea 

Child Marriage in South KoreaUntil recently, child marriage in South Korea remained legal for teens as young as 16 with parental consent, making the country an outlier among developed nations. However, that changed when lawmakers amended South Korea’s Civil Act to set the minimum marriage age at 18 with no exceptions. While child marriage affects one in five girls worldwide, the South Korean child marriage ban demonstrates that decisive policy and public awareness can dismantle harmful traditions, safeguard youth and advance the global movement to end child marriage.

From Loophole to Legal Clarity

The revised South Korea’s Civil Act, specifically Article 807, now establishes 18 as the absolute legal marriage age. This change frees minors from the pressure to marry before adulthood. Previously, Article 808 allowed underage marriage with parental consent but lawmakers eliminated that exception to safeguard young people. These reforms challenge traditional values in which parents play a decisive role in early marriage arrangements, causing South Korean parents to consider the concerns that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child raised.

Marriages Beyond Borders: The Loophole Challenge

While South Korea’s child marriage ban closes domestic legal loopholes, a persistent concern remains in marriages arranged beyond its borders. Since the 1990s, international marriage brokers connect South Korean men with women from other countries. Some families exploit cross-border arrangements to wed partners under 18 abroad, and then return to register the marriage in South Korea.

This practice blurs the line between child marriage and human trafficking, pushing the boundaries of the child marriage ban in place. Brokers finalize matchmaking deals typically within nine days, giving minors and adults little time for informed consent.

As of 2007, 40% of Korean men in agriculture, forestry and fishing were married to foreign wives, primarily from China, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. Migrant brides face obstacles such as language barriers, economic dependency and cultural isolation, which make them vulnerable to abuse.

The Murder That Sparked Reform

A landmark case of abuse involves Thach Thi Hoang Ngoc, a 20-year-old Vietnamese bride, murdered by her mentally ill 46-year-old Korean husband only eight days after arriving in South Korea. The broker of the marriage failed to mention her husband had schizophrenia, causing a public outcry for officials to pay more attention to international marriage regulations.

“The general public in South Korea was shocked and outraged and demanded that the government take more proactive measures to strictly regulate international marriage practices,” Helen Lee wrote in a 2010 Law Library of Congress report.

In 2007, South Korea enacted the Act on Regulation of Marriage Brokerage Agencies which requires brokers to register, follow foreign regulations and provide written agreements between both parties to prove consent. The amended Act in 2010 imposes stricter restrictions and the Cross-Governmental Policy to Promote Wholesome International Marriage, which adds tighter broker rules and mandatory educational seminars for Korean spouses. Officials now conduct rigorous criminal and medical background checks to protect future spouses from dangers identifiable early on.

A Victory for Children’s Rights

South Korea currently holds one the world’s lowest teenage pregnancy rates—about two to three births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19. Even with these low figures, officials remain concerned about any link between the teenage pregnancy rate in South Korea and child marriage.

By enforcing Article 807, the child marriage ban in South Korea protects young people from early parenthood, helps ensure uninterrupted education and limits health risks associated with teenage pregnancy. The reform also advances Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 (SDG 5.3), the global pledge to end child marriage by 2030.

The Cultural Shift

Since the child marriage ban in South Korea, cultural standards surrounding arranged marriage have shifted. Once deeply rooted in Confucian traditions, matchmaking practices adapted to emphasize youth autonomy.

Rights organizations like Girls Not Brides note that child marriage in South Korea has been rare and often undocumented, linked more to gender inequality and trafficking than to mainstream cultural practices.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family celebrated South Korea’s reform as a step toward ensuring equal opportunities for all youth to pursue education, work, and personal growth.

Since lawmakers changed the legislation, cultural and familial approaches to matchmaking have shifted, and South Korea increasingly recognizes that personal choice to marry is paramount in marital decisions involving youth. As a 2022 study notes, “Young adults’ changing values, particularly concerning marriage, are among the key factors that have contributed to this phenomenon.”

Global Role in Ending Child Marriage in South Korea

The South Korean child marriage ban shows that even highly developed countries can harbor outdated laws, and that real change is possible with political will and public support. Local NGOs and South Korean citizens emphasize the need to pair strong legal protections with cultural change, using South Korea as an example of a successful complete ban on child marriage, barring parental consent as a factor entirely.

Nationwide awareness campaigns and school programs aim to promote the value of education, self-determination and self-advocacy in marital decisions. South Korea co-sponsored Human Rights Council initiatives aimed at ending child, early and forced marriage, addressing topics ranging from the consequences of child marriage to its occurrence in humanitarian crises, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For countries struggling with partial bans, South Korea offers a clear blueprint: set a clear minimum age, remove all exceptions and enforce the law consistently while updating legislation regularly. 

Looking Ahead

The child marriage ban in South Korea has focused attention on teenage pregnancy, education disruption and youth autonomy. The success of the laws and the government’s ongoing revisions ensure that minors will no longer face the same legal pressure or loss of agency in South Korea again.

South Korea’s journey from conditional allowances to a total ban proves that legal reform and public consensus can protect the formative years of life. It stands as a global role model for the global push to end child marriage and lower the teenage pregnancy rate worldwide.

– Nicole Fernandez

Nicole is based in Reno, NV, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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World Bank Support: Strengthening Agriculture in Sri Lanka

Agriculture in Sri LankaRecently, the World Bank has pledged to support Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, committing to a $1 billion initiative over three years. Of this, $185 million is allocated for solar and wind projects, $200 million toward supporting tourism through protecting cultural and natural assets and generating employment and another $200 million for regional infrastructure. However, one of the most important investments that the World Bank is making in Sri Lanka is the $100 million for agriculture to help farmers adopt new technologies and attract private capital.

Agriculture in Sri Lanka

To become a stronger player in the global food trade, Sri Lanka must improve efficiency in handling its top exports: mangoes, cinnamon, coconut and seafood. More robust systems are needed to ensure these products meet international standards and to reduce food loss. The World Bank is investing in Sri Lanka’s National Quality Infrastructure (NQI), a behind-the-scenes system that guarantees exported food is safe, traceable and up to code for global markets. To catch up with some of the higher-grossing nations worldwide, the NQI provides digital systems for tracking products, labs for testing and agencies for certification.

Sri Lanka is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, with less than $5,000 GDP per Capita. However, the World Bank’s investment will strengthen the country’s local industry, expanding economic opportunity and attracting private capital to support long-term growth. “This support from the World Bank Group is an investment in the people of Sri Lanka,” President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said. “It will help create jobs, support small businesses and open new opportunities across the country. We are committed to ensuring this partnership delivers real change for our communities.”

World Bank Backs Sri Lanka as a Trusted Global Exporter

The $100 million agricultural investment will help farmers and agribusinesses access markets, attract private capital and adopt new technologies. It will benefit more than 38,000 people, including 8,000 agri-food producers and is expected to gain $17 million in private financing. In 2017, agriculture provided a living for 2.1 million Sri Lankan households. It represented more than 26% of the GDP, which is only forecasted to increase with the World Bank’s assistance.

The World Bank’s support for Sri Lanka’s agribusiness aims to strengthen its position as a trustworthy exporter. Plans include reviewing laboratory systems and developing digital tools to improve efficiency. Indeed, these tools will streamline compliance processes for traders, speed up regulatory approvals and make product tracking easier. A strong NQI, a key World Bank focus, establishes clear standards and communicates them to producers and processing facilities, ensuring high-quality food delivery.

Conclusion

Ultimately, strengthening Sri Lanka’s NQI will raise the standard of agricultural exports and improve the quality of food imports, which is crucial for households struggling to afford nutritious meals. Though largely behind the scenes, lab testing, digital tracking and equipment upgrades reshape the country’s agricultural system. Backed by a sizable World Bank investment, these reforms promise to boost profitability in the sector while creating countless jobs, positioning Sri Lanka for a stronger, more resilient economy.

– Gregory Walker

Gregory is based in York, PA, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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United Nations Pilot Agrifood Initiatives To Combat Famine in Gaza

Combat Famine in Gaza

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is mounting, reaching Phase 5 of famine according to the United Nations’ Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (U.N. IPC). Distrust in aid sites is rising as the Israeli military killed 1,373 Palestinians seeking basic necessities between May 27 and July 31, 2025, alone.

Calls for the blockade to end have led to droves of civilian-led flotillas to end the siege and renew the flow of aid into the region. Aside from this, action taken by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has facilitated the freedom of Gazans to restore their food supply.

Cash-Based Assistance Plan

The FAO has invested in farmers to combat famine in Gaza by monetarily supporting their agricultural practices. The U.N. has successfully supported 200 farmers in the Strip through its pilot initiative. This scalable model can recover some of the population’s food production abilities from the ground.

The FAO covers the costs of the supplies and resources available, many of which are extremely unaffordable due to hyperinflation. By funding farmers to buy costly fertilizers and seeds, agrifood systems can successfully reduce unaffordability by cultivating crops, returning supply to their economy and providing a basis for rebuilding the region.

In addition to the need to enact this model on a larger scale, Palestinians are unable to cultivate land without clearing a significant amount of rubble. As only 4.6% of the land in the Strip was deemed arable by the FAO in March 2025, compared to the 42% usable before 2024, the threat of desertification could severely escalate the issue.

A combination of funding for farmers and funding for removing and disposing of rubble to propagate the land is therefore essential to combating famine in Gaza.

Debris Management Framework

According to an article published by the American Journal of Public Health, bombardment in Gaza has caused environmental degradation and a public health crisis. The debris of fallen buildings has spread asbestos and other contaminants, affecting water, air and soil health. A geospatial assessment from the FAO and United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) maintains that there is little space to “preserve livelihoods” because of the reduction of usable land.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has long guided debris management projects worldwide, providing technical documents to support rapid response during national emergencies. One such document highlights the “UNDP/Gaza rubble removal experience” in 2005, when the agency efficiently established a high-capacity rubble crushing site.

Removing highly contaminated and hazardous materials in accordance with the UNDP framework will help the local people meet environmental standards necessary to prevent toxic soil contamination. In addition to the FAO’s cash-based assistance plan for restoring food production, the UNDP framework can guide the revitalization of soil health to combat famine in Gaza.

Conclusion

The World Bank predicts that Gaza will not recover its gross domestic product (GDP) until 2038 under the current conditions. Simply giving buying power back to Palestinians is not a solution on its own. Ending the blockade now to allow essential supplies, like quality seeds, infrastructure and construction materials, is necessary to restart the agrifood sector and combat famine in Gaza.

– Aliyah Omar

Aliyah is based in Alberta, Canada and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Powering a Nation

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Powering a Nation Out of PovertyThe Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was named to reflect Ethiopia’s ambitions for national renewal and economic growth. As Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant, the expectation is to expand electricity access in a country where more than 60 million people lack power and millions more live in poverty. While the GERD often receives praise for its potential to alleviate poverty within Ethiopia, its potential to promote development across the entire Nile Basin does not get as much emphasis.

Building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

In 2011, Ethiopia announced its plans to construct GERD on the Blue Nile. The $4.8 billion dam, funded primarily by the Ethiopian people through government-issued bonds, quickly became much more than just a standard infrastructure project. With a planned power capacity of 5,150 megawatts, GERD promised to lift countless Ethiopians out of darkness and poverty – and into a better future. 

Ethiopia is among the world’s poorest countries, with 67.14% of its population classified as multidimensionally poor. It also has one of the largest electricity access deficits. As of 2022, only 55% of Ethiopians had electricity, leaving millions in energy poverty on top of economic hardship. This reality is not only a symptom of widespread poverty but a perpetuator of it.

Without power, two-thirds of Ethiopian children struggle to study after dark. Women and girls spend hours gathering firewood and cooking over open stoves, losing time to pursue education or work. And patients are deprived of lifesaving equipment and treatment. For exactly these reasons, GERD, with its ability to double Ethiopia’s energy output, is a beacon of possibility. It offers a concrete path to power, education and development to a nation long denied all three.

Conflict on the Nile

Miles downstream, however, many fear that the dam guarantees the exact opposite. Egypt, a country that relies on the Nile for approximately 90% of its water needs, sees the prospect of reduced flow as a threat to its very survival. While Ethiopia frames the dam as an existential necessity, Egypt insists it is an existential threat. 

These dichotomous perspectives lie at the heart of the Nile dispute, a centuries-old debate over who has the right to own and control the river. Unfortunately, the Nile has often been a source of division instead of unity. Ethiopia, Egypt and the other riparian countries have struggled to find a compromise when it comes to water allocation. Yet the needs of the different parties may not be as incompatible as they appear. 

Collaboration Over Conflict

In a study published in Nature, water resources expert Mohammed Basheer of the University of Toronto and his team argue that collaboration could leave the Nile Basin as a whole better off. If managed efficiently, GERD can help Egypt meet its water needs during times of scarcity while generating hydroelectric power for Ethiopia when river flows are strong. 

The study’s modeling shows that the GERD can serve to meet the individual needs of different countries, rather than making those needs mutually exclusive. Just as it can generate hydropower to spur economic growth and development in Ethiopia, the dam can also reduce irrigation deficits in Egypt, boosting agriculture and production in other water-dependent industries. 

Fostering Unity Through Music

Basheer and his team make a clear case for cooperation, but they are not alone. Though their medium is very different, The Nile Project – a musical and educational initiative – reaches the same conclusion: harmony is key to a prosperous future. 

Founded to inspire collaboration, The Nile Project brings together musicians from various riparian countries. The artists blend their languages and cultures, creating a unique sound and reminding audiences both regionally and abroad of the value in working together. By promoting the Nile as a point of connection rather than division, the organization helps build the cultural foundation needed for shared economic benefit. 

Building a Shared Future

Resolving conflict and reaching a compromise is often challenging, but by choosing cooperation, Nile Basin countries could see positive results. Expert opinions suggest that GERD is unquestionably crucial to Ethiopia’s development and with the right approach, it could be a key tool in the fight against poverty across the entire region. 

– Caroline Clark

Caroline is based in Needham, MA, USA and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Empowering Rural Women in India

Empowering Rural Women in IndiaSelf-Help Groups (SHGs) have been pivotal in empowering urban and rural women in India. India is a country where women often face a variety of injustices, including gender-based discrimination and norms, violence and lack of opportunity, which puts them at an economic disadvantage. Due to these circumstances, many women in the country are unable to lead independent lives and have to depend on family members or spouses for survival. Therefore, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) aim to empower poor women and bring them out of this dependency cycle.

Background

SHGs originally focused on “savings and credit groups,” which have since expanded to include health and nutrition-based initiatives, “improving governance and addressing social issues related to gender- and caste-based discrimination,” according to World Development.

One of the programs that has been especially influential for the upliftment of rural women in India has been the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), launched in 2013. This program specifically works towards achieving the SDGs, including “no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, providing quality education and promoting gender equality, all closely linked to the welfare of the most disadvantaged segments of society.”

A 2024 study revealed that greater involvement of tribal women in Self-help groups under the NLRM scheme led to positive impact on their political empowerment in the rural parts of the state of Jharkhand. The literature revealed that community engagement by these women led to increased networking across villages, higher levels of cooperation and the promotion of equality based on shared norms and values.

Credit Outreach Program

A more recent example is the Mega SHG credit outreach program in the city of Madurai, where the Indian Bank handed over a sanction worth Rs. 10 billion to more than 3,000 women SHGs in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Similar efforts were laid out under the program in the city of Bhubaneswar, where the outreach event delivered roughly Rs. 5.10 billion in loans to 9,961 SHGs. The event was organized under the pan-India initiative to extend formal credit access to women in Self-Help Groups.

This initiative marked a major milestone for the Indian Bank, which is credited with introducing the SHG-Bank Linkage Program in India, back in 1989, further aligning under the NRLM umbrella, as emphasized by the Department of Financial Services Secretary M. Nagaraju.

Positive Impacts

A World Development article found that SHGs had an overall positive impact on aggregate measures of women empowerment. This implied greater control over their incomes, over decision-making in the context of credit and greater participation within the community in general. Importantly, the article signified that SHG participation positively impacted the intrahousehold inequality between men and women.

Although these are important advancements for women in the Indian subcontinent, the article also cautions against assuming that women’s empowerment occurred in every realm. Despite the ascent, there are areas where SHG participation has yet to make a dent. For instance, women’s participation in asset and production ownership was still weaker. The article accounted for deep-seated gender norms as the reason, citing these societal norms are harder to change.

The Future

These examples of empowering rural women in India are not just words on paper. They signal a new era of transformation—one where women, especially those from rural communities, no longer suffer from centuries-old norms and economic dependence.

Through strategic implementation of these programs, the Indian government is not only investing in but also sowing the seeds for long-term social change. The journey is far from over, and challenges remain. However, the success of SHGs indicates how the combination of grassroots initiatives with policy support can create real change in society. While the road ahead is long, it lays the foundation for a hopeful future rooted in women’s empowerment, where every woman can live a life of dignity and independence.

– Vasudhaa Shakdher

Vasudhaa is based in Vancouver, B.C, Canada and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Updates on SDG 17 in Spain

SDG 17 in SpainIn June 2018, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved the country’s first Action Plan to achieve the 2030 Agenda, making various poverty-reduction initiatives possible both domestically and abroad. Seven years later, the Action Plan for Spanish Cooperation has evolved into an essential resource that will influence the country’s future foreign policy. At its heart is the last Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), number 17, which commits to building partnerships in an effort to meet the other 16 goals. Here are some updates on SDG 17 in Spain, and how the country uses partnerships to reduce poverty in an impactful way.

Positive Updates on SDG 17 in Spain

As countries have considered how to sustain such large-scale endeavors as no poverty and zero hunger, some have come to view localization of the SDGs as necessary for their impact to reach its fullest potential. Some of the strongest partnerships for achieving these goals are evident in Spain’s network of more than 600 local entities and stakeholders, all working on a community basis to achieve the goals on a national scale.

UIC, for example, a Barcelona university, holds an annual SDG conference inviting students to present research-based solutions aligned with the goals. UIC scored a win for SDG 17 with the creation of an Observatory for Sustainable Recovery in Catalonia, which, in December 2024, released a bioethics code for public authorities based on new research.

In 2024, Spain became the first country to undergo three Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in compliance with the UN, which indicate milestones in progress towards the 2030 Agenda and provide a guideline for other countries to reference when implementing the SDGs.

Spain has approved another Master Plan since its first one, as of July 2024, with a focus on foreign aid and cooperation. “We are one of the most serious governments in the world in rolling out the 2030 Agenda,” says Second Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Work and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz.

Legal Framework Plays a Central Role in SDG Initiatives

Spain’s 2024-2027 Action Plan traces back to previous policies, such as Law 1/2023 on Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity, that have laid the groundwork for the government’s contributions to Agenda 2030. “This new Master Plan is not a mere continuation of previous Plans,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno. “It…[ensures] that, through our cooperation actions, we are able to tackle the major global crises facing today’s world…” 

Law 1/2023 revolves around social, ecological and economic policy. The law affirms Spain’s compliance with the 2016 Paris Agreement, encourages alignment with the EU and legislates 0.7% as the portion of the country’s gross domestic product allotted towards foreign aid (Spain’s current allocation is 0.25% of its GDP for this purpose).

This is a significant step towards realizing Agenda 2030 on a global scale because currently, only four countries are achieving this figure. An important goal set by Spain’s new Action Plan is the assignment of 10% of its Official Development Assistance to humanitarian efforts. In 2024, the country’s ODA funding was worth $4.4 billion in 2024.

Spanish Partnerships are Paving the Way to 2030

In the past, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)’s partnerships with other European, African and Latin American governments have funded efforts related to promoting employment, education and humanitarian aid. AECID’s partnership with THAMM, a program launched in Egypt, held workshops in December 2022 through February 2023 for 96 participants to address employment instability and poverty as a root cause of irregular migration. Irregular migration occurs when emigrants leave their country without using the existing, proper legal framework. Disparities in training and access to steady employment, which impact marginalized women, children and the disabled, can cause emigrants to use less secure migration routes that can expose them to risk of human trafficking. In January 2023, Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno traveled to several countries within West Africa and the Sahel to address recent and irregular migration from these priority regions to Spain.

Spain’s August 2024 Strategy for Africa is a product of cooperation between Spanish and African governments, businesses and organizations and will include five overarching objectives and 100 courses of action to achieve them. The Strategy involves partnerships with Niger, Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau that will benefit impoverished groups in these regions.

Who Benefits? 

During the minister’s time in Guinea-Bissau, he visited the Simao Mendes National Hospital, where AECID is currently funding two projects. CIDEAL, a partner of AECID, has launched eight projects in Guinea-Bissau that provide training to vulnerable youth and support women in agriculture.

Similarly, Spain recently designated €180 million in funding to promote employment opportunities for Senegalese youth, and funded the 2024 Tierra Forme initiative to professionally train 500 young people.

Currently, Senegal is a top origin country of irregular migration to Spain, and efforts like Tierra Forme reduce the need for workers to look abroad for reliable wages. AECID’s partnerships with West Africa and the Sahel foster entrepreneurship, making vulnerable groups more resilient to disruptive life events that can cause poverty.

Strong Institutions for SDG 17 Spell Out Future Success

In summary, these recent updates on SDG 17 in Spain show how local initiatives to unify for the 17 SDGs are translating to long-standing, global solutions. While there’s much progress to be made in terms of being on track to achieve the goals by 2030, Spain’s commitment to social, ecological and economic policy for its local communities and foreign partners sheds light on a productive diplomacy that other countries can replicate.

– Isla Hansen

Isla is based in Spokane, WA, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Exploring the Gender Wage Gap in Eritrea

Gender Wage Gap in EritreaWomen earn less than men in Eritrea. This article explores the reasons for the gender wage gap in Eritrea as well as documenting implemented solutions. According to TimeCamp, factors include societal norms, gender roles, educational attainment and occupational segregation. A further discussion of each factor follows.

Societal Norms and Gender Roles

Eritrea is a patriarchal society where people see women as inferior to men. Men generally make the decisions in the household, while women handle the domestic affairs. Women who work in Eritrea generally work in agriculture, retail and services (i.e. domestic, informal employment, etc.), which tend to have lower wages. Due to this, women and girls in Eritrea are more vulnerable to falling into poverty.

The World Bank indicates the labor force participation is 72.3% female and 84.3% male. Of those, 83.6% of the females have “vulnerable employment,” in contrast to 65% of men. Vulnerable employment is a type of employment that is “least likely to have formal work arrangements, societal protection and safety nets to guard against economic shocks.” Individuals who have vulnerable employment are more likely to fall into poverty. 

Women’s participation in decision making in public and private sectors is relatively limited. Women occupy 22% of the seats in Eritrea’s 150-member parliament. This is lower than the average rate in other low-income economies.

Educational Attainment

Access to education is key in closing the gender wage gap in Eritrea. Illiteracy and unemployment rates had been significant among the women of Eritrea.  The number of girls attending school is lower than that of boys. The World Bank has reported that 48.2% of girls and 50.4% of boys complete lower secondary school in Eritrea. BTI reports that many girls drop out to avoid sexual harassment. 

Solutions

Eritrea’s government has policies and mechanisms in place to support gender equality, including wages. Eritrea touts several policies enacted that speak of gender equality and equal rights for women. Eritrea’s National Democratic Program, which laid the groundwork for the government upon achieving independence, was enacted in 1977. Part of its framework “assures women full rights of equality with men in politics, economy and social life as well as equal pay for equal work.”

In the area of education, Eritrea has made strides. Eritrea’s Ministry of Information touts its National Education Policy’s pledge to “eliminate gender disparity at all levels of the education system.” This policy was enacted in 2003. The Ministry of Information further indicates that women’s enrollment in primary, secondary, vocational schools and colleges has been rising. Of the nearly 15,000 students who took the Eritrean Secondary Certificate Examination in 2023, 49% of the students were female.

The percentage of girls that complete lower secondary school in Eritrea is higher on average than that of the Sub-Saharan region as a whole.  

Efforts have also been made to address the disparity in women’s participation in decision-making roles. According to the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP), Eritrea implemented special instruments to ensure that women are included in the decision making. Specifically, there is a requirement of 30% of participation in decision making on national, regional and local assemblies as well as community courts, sports federations, and land committees. 

– Danielle Milano

Danielle is based in Pineville, LA, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash