Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Women’s Empowerment in China

women's empowerment in chinaWomen’s empowerment in China has been building since the advent of Chinese feminism. The liberty of women propagated in China during the May Fourth Movement Era since 1919. In contrast to the development of three-stage western feminism, women’s empowerment in China was initially promoted and advocated by a few famous gentlemen of early Marxism such as Da-Zhao Li and Du-Xiu Chen.

The legal and social status of women in China has greatly improved since liberty. An official census in 2010 reported that women made up 44.7 percent of the national labor force. However, a variety of current issues for women’s empowerment in China call for global support. Relatively high rates of female illiteracy and gender-selective abortion remain in rural areas. Due to the implementation of the “two-child” policy since 2016, employment has added pressure on Chinese women since they have to balance career development and family affairs.

Further, it was reported in 2016 that one-fourth of women in China had suffered from domestic violence. A few criminal issues such as trafficking, prostitution and arranged marriage also frequently occur in some areas.

Modern advocates of women’s empowerment in China oppose discrimination against females and endeavor to increase the proportion of women in the National People’s Congress and leadership groups at all levels. They also strive to enhance the average income level as well as the family status of women and to create an ideal public environment of equality between men and women.

The ratio of Chinese women in parliament was 24.3 percent in 2013. Many outstanding women have held senior political positions over the past forty years. Qing-Ling Song and Ying-Chao Deng are perhaps two of the greatest Chinese women of the twentieth century.

The goal for women’s empowerment in China is not merely to achieve political and workplace equality, but also achieve complete equality in social and family status towards all individuals.

– Xin Gao

                                               

5 of the Major Development Projects in Papua New Guinea

Development Projects in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is a vast, resource-rich country stretched across multiple islands in the western Pacific. Home to 8 million people, Papua New Guinea remains one of the poorest countries in the region, despite its rapidly growing economy. Long dependent on the export of rare minerals, Papua New Guinea is building large infrastructure projects across the country as well as enlisting foreign aid and assistance.  Here are five development projects in Papua New Guinea:

Motukea and Lae Port Projects

The government of Papua New Guinea is partnering with ICTSI, a port management company from the Philippines, to build a large port and logistics hub at Motukea island, just outside the capital of Port Moresby in the southeast. The Port of Motukea Project would move container traffic outside of the busy capital, and aims to turn the country into a hub for maritime trade in the region. ICTSI and the government are also collaborating on other development projects in Papua New Guinea including building a flagship new port in the northeast in Lae, the country’s second-largest city.

World Bank’s Urban Youth Employment Project

Papua New Guinea has one of the world’s highest rates of youth unemployment, especially in urban and poorer areas. The World Bank is supporting many development projects in Papua New Guinea, particularly a project designed to provide job training and employment opportunities for jobless young Papua New Guineans in the capital of Port Moresby. The project has trained over 15,000 people — 40 percent of them women — and has placed 35 percent of participants in full-time paid jobs since it began in 2011.

Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Sustainable Highlands Highway Investment Program

Papua New Guinea’s vast highlands region comprises the country’s seven landlocked provinces, home to around 40 percent of the population. The area is poorly connected to the coastal capital and is dominated by small-scale rural agriculture. The ADB is investing in a project to build a modern 2-lane highway crossing the province and connecting over 1,800 km of local feeder roads, providing a link between major urban centers and the hinterlands. The National Highlands Highway is one of the government’s flagship development projects in Papua New Guinea.

The European Commission (EC)’s Millennium Village Development Pilot Project

Papua New Guinea is still a country of subsistence farmers, with over 85 percent of the population depending on it as of 2015. In a pilot project running from 2011 to 2015, the European Commission targeted four communities, seeking to improve rural services and infrastructure in the country’s most rural areas. The EC chose four villages in three of Papua New Guinea’s poorest regions — the landlocked Highlands; Momase in the north, home to the second-largest city of Lae; and the Milne Bay islands in the southeast. The pilot project improved access to healthcare, education and job training, as well as investing in development projects across Papua New Guinea.

Ramazon Hydropower Plant Project in Bougainville

Papua New Guinea is investing in large hydropower plants to increase its share of renewable energy, as well as modernizing and renewing aging plants it already depends on. Norwegian engineering firm Multiconsult is partnering with the government on a new 3-Megawatt hydropower plant in Ramazon on the autonomous island region of Bougainville, as well as several other infrastructure development projects in Papua New Guinea including rehabilitating older hydropower stations at Yonki Dam in the Highlands and Warangoi on the island of New Britain.

Despite its diverse and challenging geography, Papua New Guinea is seeking to build infrastructure and power projects to drive economic development. Development projects in Papua New Guinea span from the capital to the country’s poorest areas, involving foreign firms and international aid groups in a cross-sector approach to development.

– Giacomo Tognini

Photo: Flickr

5 Significantly Important Development Projects in Cote d’Ivoire

development projects in cote d'ivoire
Cote d’Ivoire is a sovereign nation in West Africa that originally was a serious coffee and cocoa producer, but in the 1980s went through an economic crisis. After that, the main export is agriculture, and has remained so well into the 21st century.

Here are 5 development projects in Cote d’Ivoire that will vastly improve their economy and national well-being. Hopefully it will bring them closer to a fully-functioning, independent society.

1. Gender-Based Violence Project

In 2001, a political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire severely diminished the role of and respect towards women, leading to a large growth in Gender-Based Violence (GBV); in fact, the GBV affected around 67 percent of all female citizens. Used as a weapon of war, survivors and victims of GBV had to grapple with the harsh affects of trauma and medical conditions without a judicial system that held the criminals accountable.

The Emerging From Conflict-Multisector Support Project started in December 2007 and focuses mainly on filling the aid gap that 17,000 social workers and crucial employees in this sector created by departing. To accomplish such a feat, the nation established many service centers that offered an package of medical, psychological, economic and legal help for GBV survivors. The GBV section of this project used around $3 million, and the nation has felt its impact since: it rehabilitated 8 social protection services, 16 health centers, trained 300 social workers in GBV treatment and care, and created a referral and counter-referral system that created more attention for GBV.

2. Urban Water Supply Project

Approved in June 2016, the Urban Water Supply Project will drastically change the daily life of many citizens. Through 2022, this $50 million program hope to improve water quality, and increase water accessibility in select urban areas. The main focus of the project, the water supply component, will focus on constructing water treatment plants, boreholes and other ways to receive water. It will also work on constructing tanks and water transmission lines.

3. Emergency Urban Infrastructure Project

Specifically in the cities of Abidjan, Bouake and other selected cities one of the 5 development projects in Cote d’Ivoire aims to increase the quality of urban structures and infrastructures. Finished in 2010 with the cost of $50 million, the project focuses on scaling-up basic urban services. It also hopes to strengthen management capacity and and extend network services in cities as well.

4. Electricity Transmission and Access Project

In March 2017, the World Bank approved a $325 million development project in Cote d’Ivoire for the Electricity Transmission and Access Project. The project plans to increase to electricity for the population in 10 regional capital cities and rural areas. The government’s planned “Electricity for All” program will reduce costs from $250 to $2 per household.

5. HKB Bridge

Considered the biggest civil engineering project in Cote d’Ivoire, the HKB bridge plans to cross the Ébrié Lagoon which divides Abidjan in two. Until recently, the city had two bridges, but with this creation, 80,000 vehicles per day can now cross at a much faster rate. Originally, traffic jams would cause the journey to be near 90 minutes on the most routine days, but at 7km long and a price of $270 million, this will become a much quicker journey.

With these five development projects in Cote d’Ivoire, the country will be able to grow and continue its upward progress towards stable economic development.

 – Nick McGuire

Photo: Flickr

4 Projects to Improve Infrastructure in Kenya

infrastructure in kenyaIn 2016, Kenya became the country with the greatest number of large infrastructure projects in East Africa, accounting for 25.6 percent of the eleven projects implemented. Below are four projects for infrastructure in Kenya that will help improve the transport, real estate, shipping and ports and energy and power sectors.

Mombasa-Nairobi Railway

The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway Project started in 2013 and began building a new standard gauge railway line for transportation between the cities of Mombasa and Nairobi. The completed railway would accommodate both passengers and cargo. Passengers’ travel time between the two cities would be cut from more than ten hours to just over four hours, while cargo would be transported in less than eight hours.

The project is said to be completed in December 2017. This project will not only decrease travel time but it will cut the costs of travel. With 40 stations to be built between Mombasa and Nairobi, the project offers an opportunity to create 30,000 new jobs with this development of infrastructure in Kenya.

Tatu City Project

Over $500 million is being invested for the creation of Tatu City’s industrial park. This park will include residential developments, businesses, a technology park, parks and playgrounds, hospitals and health facilities, schools and light industrial and warehousing facilities. With the addition of these different forms of infrastructure, thousands of jobs will be created. It will also lead to an approximate five percent decrease in Kenya’s housing deficit through the creation of more affordable homes.

Lamu Port Berths

The goal of the Lamu Port Berths project is to build 32 deep sea berths, which are places where ships will dock, and shipyards for the port at Manda Bay. There have been two berths constructed so far with the third being completed in 2018. The first three are economically covered by Kenya’s government. The rest of the 29 berths will be covered by private sector investors.

In the process of building each berth, there has been supporting infrastructure projects completed to assist in the building. Port headquarters, a police station and an electric power connection and water reticulation network have been constructed.

Lake Turkana Wind Power Project

With a vision of “providing reliable, low-cost energy to Kenya”, the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project has finished the development of a wind farm in the Loiyangalani District of Marsabit County. Since this area has temperature fluctuations daily that change wind forces, it is the optimal place to build a wind farm to generate energy. The wind farm includes 365 wind turbines that cover 40,000 acres. In July 2017, the wind farm was ready to provide 310MW of low-cost energy to Kenya’s national grid. This is the largest wind farm project in Africa and will transmit 428 km from Lake Turkana to Susua.

Infrastructure in Kenya is improving each year as the country works towards the goal of improving the livelihood of its residents. Their efforts have improved railway transportation, public building infrastructure, shipyards and energy farms. Overall, a better Kenya will be the ultimate goal of these projects.

– Brianna Summ

Photo: Flickr

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The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Serbia

humanitarian aid to serbiaOver the last two decades, Serbia has rarely been mentioned in the news without controversy. Civil wars and independence movements have marred the reputation of this Balkan nation, giving rise to the need for humanitarian aid to Serbia for many of those years. Now, Serbia looks to leave that past behind and move peacefully and progressively into the future. In 2013 the European Council agreed to negotiations that would allow Serbia into the European Union; the talks began in 2014 and continue to this day.

Due to poor leadership and an increase in nationalism in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Federation of Yugoslavia began to disintegrate. Member states began to declare independence, and by 1992, conflicts began to break out all over Yugoslavia. For the next 15 years, the Balkans would be associated with political and cultural strife, creating a need for international assistance and eventually leading to the success of humanitarian aid to Serbia.

In 1992, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) began work in Serbia. The modern goal of the IRC is to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by conflict. The IRC assisted the people of Serbia though conflict until 2004 and has been a major indication of the success of humanitarian aid to Serbia.

In response to the migrant crisis that affected the Balkan region in March 2016, the Serbian government, European Commission, the IRC and other international and Serbian-based charities initiated a response to provide those stranded with humanitarian aid. The European Commission allocated €25 million in funding for the Serbian government to assist refugees and fund other humanitarian aid projects. Much of the money allocated for refugees has been spent on government-run reception centers. The goal of these centers is to track and assist the over 4,000 refugees in Serbia.

Refugee Aid to Serbia (RAS) is a charity located in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. This local charity works in conjunction with international charities such as NGO North Start and the International Women’s Club, to provide food, education, clothing and legal aid to those stranded throughout the country.

While the number of refugees in Serbia may seem small in comparison to other European nations, the impact on the local economy of Serbia has been significant. This is due to its smaller national economy and population.

– Nick DeMarco

Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Empowerment in Liberia


Liberia experienced 14 years of civil war between the years 1989 to 2003, which totaled in more than 250,000 casualties. After 2003, the country spent several years undergoing reconstruction and since then, progress has been made in achieving women’s empowerment in Liberia.

In 2006, Liberia became the first country in Africa to democratically elect a woman president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Along with Leymah Gbowee, the leader of the women’s peace movement, President Sirleaf quickly became a symbol for women’s empowerment in Liberia.

In an interview she gave in April 2017, Leymah Gbowee explains that the real beauty of the fight for women’s empowerment in the country is “in the number of young women who have seen a future beyond what they had” and in particular before the end of the war in 2003. She highlighted President Sirleaf’s role in raising an entire generation of young women to look themselves in a mirror and believe that they can achieve anything. Gbowee views President Sirleaf as the female version of Nelson Mandela, a real trailblazer for women’s empowerment in Liberia.

Through her organization, Gbowee Peace Foundation USA, Leymah Gbowee is working on promoting peace, security and reconciliation in the country, as well as lobbying for girl’s and women’s rights and leadership.

Women in Liberia are aiming to achieve equal political and economic rights. Despite having the right to vote since 1946, it is still a predominantly patriarchal society in Liberia. As such, most positions of authority are occupied by men. The disproportionate number of men in these positions can be explained by the lack of education girls and women receive in Liberia, as well as the high rate of child marriage, all which impact future opportunities for women.

As a result of efforts made to increase access to education and the personal development of girls and women, women represent half of the country’s workforce. The poverty level dropped by 10 percent between 2007 and 2010: according to the United Nations Development Programme, empowering women is central to fighting extreme poverty.

Many associations have been created by women, for women, in an effort to continue the progress for women’s empowerment in Liberia. One example is the Association of Women in Cross Border Trade, created in 2010, which teaches women how to manage their financial resources.

With continuous efforts by these organizations, the progress made for women’s empowerment in Liberia is sure to continue. In the words of Karin Landgren, the Coordinator of United Nations Operations in Liberia, “When women are empowered, nations are transformed.”

– Lea Gorius

Photo: Flickr

5 Major Development Projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina

development projects in bosnia and herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina returned to international news in recent weeks with the conviction and sentencing of Ratko Mladić. The former Bosnian Serb general was sentenced to life in prison for genocide and other war crimes of the early 1990s. These acts occurred during the wars following the breakup of the former country of Yugoslavia, of which Bosnia and Herzegovina emerged as an independent state in late 1995 following ratification of the Dayton peace accords.

Years of war and refugee crises in the early 1990s left the new country in need of extensive assistance from the international community. Despite considerable success in rebuilding and integration, many development efforts continue to be needed there today. Below is a summary of five ongoing development projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Banking Sector Strengthening Project

The World Bank is currently leading a $60 million initiative to increase the resilience of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s banking sector. The project comprises five phases and is set to be complete in December 2020. The project’s objective is to enhance the supervision, regulation and resolution capacity of the banking agencies already present in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s federal government.

Modernizing the banking sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina and bringing it to current international standards is an essential result for any future attempt by Bosnia and Herzegovina to apply for admission to the European Union (EU), an eventuality that could accelerate improvements in the Balkan nation’s quality of life. 

Employment Support Program

Parallel to the banking sector project, the World Bank is also funding a program to combat persistent unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The program began in early 2017 and will last through 2021. The program will focus on increasing the effectiveness and scale of governmental programs to place citizens into matching private sector employment. The program will include wage subsidies, job training and support for self-employment. It also has a component to improve management systems and information technology related to employment efforts.

EU-Sponsored Development Programs

Germany and the EU recently awarded $1.2 million in grants to a collection of development projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Among other objectives, these grants will fund technical support for entrepreneurs, particularly in metallurgy and agribusiness. According to the EU delegation to Bosnia, the grants are specifically intended to bring the nation closer to the European Union.

USAID Flood Relief Programs

Steep mountainous terrain covers the majority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, making the country vulnerable to torrential rains that caused extensive damage from landslides and flooding in 2014. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) responded to the disasters with dozens of small-scale grants for development projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

These projects included both infrastructure repair and direct assistance grants to affected farmers and communities. Repairs and upgrades included numerous drainage system projects and the rebuilding of municipal buildings that were damaged in the flooding.

Road Connectivity and Safety Initiative

Finally, the World Bank is also involved in an extensive $64 million program to improve road safety and the continuity of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s transportation network. The European Investment Bank co-financed the program, and it is also directed towards the eventual accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the EU.

The funds will finance the rehabilitation of a planned 178 km of roads, including tunnels and bridges. World Bank officials expect these projects to improve employment and commercial opportunities and to stimulate tourism and exports through the country’s access to the Adriatic coast.

These five, coupled with other development projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are helping to bring stability to this diverse nation after a war that started nearly a generation ago. If progress continues as expected, Bosnia and Herzegovina will meet their goal to join the EU and be fully integrated into the mainstream of Western Europe in a few short years.    

– Paul Robertson

Photo: Flickr

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The Battle of Aleppo and its Continued Significance in Syrian Civil War

The Battle of Aleppo
Beginning in 2012 and concluding in 2016, the Battle of Aleppo has been a major war of attrition in the fight against the so-called Islamic State as well as served as a major impediment to the Astana Peace Process. Often dubbed ‘Syria’s Stalingrad’, the city of Aleppo is still reeling from the social, economic, and political ramifications of the offensive since the ceasefire deal reached last year in 2016.

With the death toll currently standing at over 31,000, many individuals continue to face the threat of internal displacement, diseases, and other human rights violations.

Aleppo in the Syrian Economy 

Aleppo, an important city with a population of 2.3 million individuals, used to make up a notable part of Syria’s GDP in the past with its economic potential. Approximately, 60 percent of the city has been devastated — a significant proportion of that destruction being landmark cultural and heritage sites. As if infrastructure mistreatment wasn’t enough, the Battle of Aleppo was also infamously known for the rebels’ use of civilians as human shields and other forms of modern slavery.

According to the World Bank Group, the economic cost of the war comes to €200 billion so far. Over 1 million people were forced to flee the city — an influx to Europe that contributed significantly to the 2015 European Migrant Crisis. Consequently, since the beginning of 2017 alone, 300,000 people residing in Aleppo were forced to leave the city.

Humanitarian Aid

During the Battle of Aleppo, a significant number of humanitarian aid initiatives were spearheaded by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2165 was instrumental in ratifying the supply of aid to the country, particularly across border crossings and other obstacles.

In October 2017, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported casualties that amounted to the hundreds. Many schools and hospitals were destroyed in the crossfire of the combat against the Islamic State and other extremist groups in the country. Rural areas in the country faced especially damaging impacts since over 27 percent of Syrian homes were destroyed during the course of the Battle of Aleppo.

The U.N. has recommended that over $3.5 billion is needed to cover the social, economic and human costs of the Syrian Civil War. This figure means that Aleppo will hopefully be given a greater focus and priority in the future through the globe’s increased channeling of funding and resources.

Humanitarian aid is taking on a pivotal role in order to address the situation’s immediate needs. Russian military officers have delivered a batch totaling 1.3 billion tons of aid and, as a part of the initiative, 300 sets of food were also provided. Similarly, Iran also delivered humanitarian aid to rural areas of Aleppo with an aid convoy of 200 tons of food, clothing and medicine for affected civilians.

Aid Efforts 

Various aid organizations currently address water and sanitation needs by equipping households with water tanks as full supply has still not been restored in many communities. Moreover, UNICEF has delivered water to over 700,000 individuals in Aleppo and aids in the maintenance of water storage tanks in the city.

Currently, the reconstruction of the city and resettlement of civilians in the future remains top priorities for various stakeholders, as many returning civilians come home to a city in ruination. To date, over 332,000 individuals have returned to Aleppo so far.

Based in the city of Budapest is the humanitarian program of the Aleppo Project, which acts as a large collaboration between various refugees, students and experts. The organization is active in Lebanon and Turkey and works concertedly to restore the city to order. Their focus on the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is the establishment of a participatory planning system that will help continue the present post-crisis restoration of the entire city. Within the city, the UNHCR is providing returning civilians with items like protective equipment to help them regain control of their lives.

With the city of Aleppo continuing to act as a major epicenter of the Syrian civil war, safe passages and avenues are needed for the affected and the vulnerable to remain protected. At this juncture, sustainable aid is thus required in order to have an effective solution to the crisis and mitigate negative impacts.

– Shivani Ekkanath

Photo: Flickr

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Entrepreneurship Boosting Women’s Empowerment in Moldova

women's empowerment in MoldovaIn the Eastern European country of Moldova, women have a very peculiar place in society. Men revere and admire women in their society, but many men also hold traditional views which say that women should be the caretakers and the nurturers of the household. These views can stagnate women’s empowerment in Moldova.

Domestic violence is also an issue. About 22 percent of women in Moldova claim that they have been abused at the hands of a partner. This number can increase as the parties get older, according to a report by Promundo Global.

Like many countries, Moldova strains against a predominantly patriarchal society. There are women who own businesses, but they have to struggle to find resources. Women are often unable to obtain loans and lack control of their capital. In this male-dominated political society, women are not favored.

Despite these circumstances, there is hope for women’s empowerment in Moldova. The country has pledged to encourage gender equality. The biggest commitment is the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Highlighting the state of women’s rights is the primary purpose of CEDAW.

Another way the country has promoted gender equality is via the Women in Politics initiative. This initiative “works to increase women’s participation in Moldova politics and decision-making,” according to U.N. Women. It also supports women in media.

While women in politics and media are important, a big focus of organizations such as the World Bank is women entrepreneurship. Women-owned businesses make up 25 percent of all businesses in Moldova.

There is evidence that shows that productivity is higher when a business is owned by a woman. This is important for Moldova’s economy, as female-owned businesses employ more people, specifically women.

Women can generally outperform men in Moldova if they are given the chance to do so. In order for women’s empowerment in Moldova to be progressive, the restrictions that limit women need to be removed. The programs that are already underway are providing many opportunities to make that goal a reality.

– Dezanii Lewis

Photo: Flickr

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How Much Does it Cost to End Poverty?

How much does it cost to end poverty?

Today the world produces enough food for everyone on the planet. So why are more than a billion people still dying of hunger? Why is life itself tenuous for so many families while the eight richest people in the world have as much wealth as the poorest 50 percent of people in the world?

The answer is poverty. But poverty can be stopped, and this raises the question, “how much does it cost to end poverty?”

Poverty can be categorized as moderate, relative or extreme. Here we will try to define the cost needed to end extreme poverty. But first, what is extreme poverty? It refers to the state of the poorest people in the world. They are barely able to meet their minimal needs for survival, as they live on less than $1.90 per day, according to the World Bank.

But poverty is more than just very low incomes. It is hunger, high mortality rates, conflicts, a lack of education or health services and a lack of a future for hundreds of thousands of women, men and children.

Broadly, poverty affects most of the people in the world. In 2005, 71 percent of the world’s population lived on an income below $10 a day. To eradicate poverty is possible, but at what cost?

In his book End of Poverty, Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, provides one answer to the question “how much does it cost to end poverty?”

He argues that poverty could be eliminated by the year 2025 thanks to “well-placed development aids”. Investment in local farms to boost capital and productivity, education for both children and adults, enhancing access to health services and leveraging renewable energy resources are the best ways to end poverty.

So, how much does it cost to end poverty?

Jeffrey Sachs, as one of the world’s leading experts on economic development and the fight against poverty, stated that the cost to end poverty is $175 billion per year for 20 years. This yearly amount is less than 1 percent of the combined income of the richest countries in the world, and only four times the United States’ military budget for one year.

Ending poverty is possible and at a low cost. Now we just need ordinary citizens as well as multinational corporations to start meeting their responsibilities to help the poor and the left behind.

– Léa Gorius

Photo: Flickr