Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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The Implementation of 5G in Nigeria

5G in Nigeria
On September 19, 2022, Ericsson announced that it had successfully launched 5G in Nigeria. The 5G hardware and software provider collaborated with Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) Nigeria to begin the first phase of deploying 5G technology throughout the country.

Phase one of the advancements has already started in certain parts of Lagos, one of the seven cities MTN aims to cover. Following this plan, MTN aims to roll out 5G networks throughout the country by the second half of 2022, to close the global digital divide.

The Continent’s Most Virtually Connected Country

Nigeria contributes to 29% of Africa’s internet usage and holds 82% of the continent’s telecom subscribers. This makes the country Africa’s most important information and communications technology (ICT) market.

According to a report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry contributed up to 14.42% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria in 2021. The commission accredits the growth to policy implementation, increased demand and investment.

The government of Nigeria (GON) views the ICT market as a key to the further development of the education, health care, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. The GON launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) in November 2019 to further diversify the economy from dependence on oil and gas. This program adheres to eight pillars including “Developmental Regulation, Digital Literacy & Skills, Solid Infrastructure, Service Infrastructure, Digital Services Development & Promotion, Soft Infrastructure, Digital Society & Emerging Technologies, Indigenous Content Development & Adoption.”

However, more than half of the Nigerian population does not have access to the internet. Those from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds have limited access to the internet, technology and ICT skills. This effectively creates a disparity in children’s education due to affordability, lack of infrastructure, perception of digital tech and already-present socioeconomic inequalities.

About 5G

According to the Ericsson website, “5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks, enabling faster connectivity and data transference.” It can use the same radio frequencies that smartphones, Wi-Fi and satellite communications currently use but with additional functions. The implementation of 5G allows reliable, accessible and secure real-time interactions between devices as well as efficient data processing at a higher capacity.

According to Ericsson, 5G is capable of aiding in economic recovery. Expectations determined that these new integrations in info and comms, wholesale/retail, public services and manufacturing will “contribute $13.2 trillion to the global economy by 2035.” Along with the internet of things (IoT) (how physical devices connect, exchange and store data), predictions stated that 5G digital technologies will reduce up to 15% of global emissions by 2030.

The Basics of Spectrum Trading

Spectrum trading applies the concept of property rights to radio frequencies. This ensures a more accessible market for users, increasing efficiency amongst businesses and companies which then invest back into new technology.

By relying on administrative assignments and increased accessibility, spectrum trading allows license holders to react to the rapidly changing markets. Some rights applied to license-protected spectrums include: how long it can be used, within what geographical area and what it can be used for.

In Nigeria, spectrum trading is under the jurisdiction of the NCC. Rules that the NCC set in 2021 outline requirements for eligible sellers and buyers by setting minimum spectrum-holding times and having “sound regulatory and financial standing with the Commission.”

In December of 2021, telecommunication companies MTN and Mafab Communications paid around $550 million for the licenses to distribute 5G in Nigeria. The companies received a deadline of August 24, 2022, to launch the service.

Complications with licensing consequently postponed efforts to develop 5G in Nigeria. At the start of August 2022, MTN had already prepared around 127 sites for testing. However, Mafab was still waiting for the proper licensing needed to distribute (both spectrum and Universal Access Service Licence (UASL).

Other challenges that have impacted the ICT sector include taxation at federal, state and local governments, several regulatory bodies, right of way (RoW) charges and damage to existing infrastructure due to cable theft.

Improving Connectivity for All

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is implementing a “digital economy policy” for Nigeria to enforce a sustainable digital ecosystem. The policies include improved data privacy and protection, increasing digital literacy for youths, enforcing reliable internet connections and integrating digital solutions for different industries.

The successful establishment of 5G in Nigeria would improve healthcare, food security, manufacturing and IoT. The upgraded network would allow healthcare professionals to provide better diagnostics and treatment with hi-tech machinery (EX: EKG machines), digital record archives and telemedicine. This allows for more affordable and accessible healthcare services for those residing in remote low-density locations.

Applications related to IoT will reduce manufacturing costs and accelerate the development of smart cities/smart grids to enhance productivity and create new revenue streams. Smart agriculture/farming supported by 5G could enhance crop and livestock monitoring systems, allowing precise identification of areas that need water, are prone to disease or require pest management.

Plans are in the works to launch in Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Kano and Maiduguri to fulfill MTN’s first phase in bringing commercial 5G to Nigeria. The telecommunications company aims to provide full national 5G coverage by 2025.

– Aishah French
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Denmark

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Denmark
The impact of COVID-19 is something many still feel across the globe. Each country had its own ways of handling the pandemic, but the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Denmark was negligible due to Denmark’s existing policies, the way the Danish government navigated lockdowns and an important cultural element: social trust.

Existing Poverty Rates and Social Welfare Programs

According to the most recent data available from the World Bank, the poverty rate in Denmark in 2019 was 0% for individuals who make $6.85 a day. When looking at the rate of extreme poverty in the country (less than $1.90 a day), the rate was 0.3%. Denmark’s poverty rates are so low because of the country’s social welfare programs.

These social welfare programs are what leads to quality living in Denmark. The country is No. 2 on the World Happiness Index, received No. 12 on the World Economic Forum competitiveness ranking in 2018 and has one of the lowest wealth inequality scores in the world.

Danish social policies apply to all citizens from cradle to grave, and some of them include paternity or maternity leave up to a full year, municipalities guaranteeing and paying for schooling and nurseries, tuition-free education for college students and generous allowances for families.

Dr. Peter Abrahamson, a sociologist at the University of Copenhagen, described the important element that allows all of these policies to be possible. “Everyone is working,” he said. These social welfare programs allow citizens to become part of the labor market, which helps pay for the high taxes that fund these programs in the first place.

Quick to Close, Early to Reopen

People saw Abrahamson’s statement in action with how the government handled the pandemic, reducing the potential impact of COVID-19 on the poverty rate in Denmark. Denmark’s population is relatively small (5.8 million compared to about 332 million in the U.S. in 2020) and it faced a relatively low death count. The country went into lockdown starting with the Danish Prime Minister ordering all schools, nurseries and universities to close on March 16 (Denmark implemented the order on March 11, a day before France placed the order).

Denmark also asked citizens to start respecting the pandemic protocols as soon as possible, and many embraced them before the lockdown began on March 16. According to a 2020 article from the National Library of Medicine, Denmark had a total of 9,311 cases and 460 deaths in May 2020, whereas other countries such as Switzerland, with roughly similar size and population, had already accumulated three times more cases and deaths. While other countries remained under strict lockdown, Denmark had already begun to reopen its society and industry, allowing people to go back to work.

In 2020, KPMG took a look at some of the financial measures the Danish government implemented in response to COVID-19 once businesses started opening back up. Some of these measures included compensation of 90% of the revenue that self-employed people lost with a fixed cap per month, setting aside 60 million DKK (Danish krone) to improve qualifications for the unemployed, extending unemployment benefits and subsidizing between 25% to 80% of a company’s fixed costs if company revenue was to decline significantly as a result of COVID-19 (the amount subsidized depended on the expected percentage of lost revenue).

Trust in the Government and in Others

The lockdown policies and quick reopening of the country would not have been as smooth as they were without the Danish people’s trust in the government and themselves. Trust is an important element of Danish culture and is what allows citizens to live their lives as they do. According to Christian Bjørnskov, a professor of economics at Denmark’s Aarhus University, a combination of trust, confidence in the government and others and strong economic developments are what makes Danes happy, not the social welfare programs. The Danes understand that the services their government provides are a contribution to their efficient labor market.

The Danes also trust their government to deliver what they need. Denmark’s Happiness Research Institute, for example, looks for what people and allows politicians to be able to deliver on that. As for the pandemic, Denmark applied the same type of trust between the government and the people.

According to an article from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), more than 75% of eligible citizens were fully vaccinated as of October 2021 and more than 60% of the adult population underwent testing each week. Testings were free to schedule as well, and citizens saw them as a way to keep others safe and to do their part rather than as an infringement of rights.

Through existing social welfare programs, clean handling of the pandemic and the social trust that exists between citizens and government, the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Denmark was able to be negligible. Based on previous data trends from the World Bank, one can assume that Denmark will continue to see very low poverty rates as the world adjusts to a post-pandemic world.

– Matthew Wikfors
Photo: Unsplash

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Foreign Aid to Palestine

Foreign Aid to Palestine
There is no escaping the fact that the West Bank has significant indicators of improved living conditions and infrastructure. Roads that were once rough dirt trails have been smoothed out over the past three decades. Standard childhood vaccination rates have reached nearly 100%. Boys and girls are attending school and reading at record levels.

Since the Oslo Accords in the mid-1990s, a treaty that was meant to deliver peace and a Palestinian state, significant sums of foreign aid to Palestine made possible many of these changes: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that between 1994 and 2020, funding to the Palestinians totaled more than $40 billion. 

Poverty-Affected Citizens

Due to the embargo on the Gaza Strip since 2007, which has caused a resurgence of hostilities and political divides, the Palestinian economy has suffered. A total of 2.1 million Palestinians—out of a total population of 5.3 million—need humanitarian aid. Parallelly, 80% of Gaza’s populace is aid-dependent.

A cycle of poverty, unemployment and food insecurity has mired people, which the rise in food and gasoline prices as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has exacerbated. In the West Bank, where more than 60% of the land is under Israeli control and home to East Jerusalem, Area C and H2, 800,000 Palestinians require greater access to basic amenities like electricity, water and health care yet there is still little prospect for education or economic opportunity.

Individual States

Between 1994 and 2020, Germany, France, Norway, the U.K. and Japan provided more than 20% of all foreign aid to Palestine. Along with their contributions to UNRWA, Germany and other European nations were anticipated to invest up to €80 million ($70 million) in water projects in Gaza in 2021.

The European Union

In 2021, the European Commission rapidly redirected €100,000 from current World Health Organization (WHO) initiatives to address the first emergency health requirements in reaction to the violence raging throughout Palestine and the high number of civilian deaths. The Palestinian Authority launched the COVID-19 immunization program on March 21, 2021, following the receipt of vaccinations from the COVAX facility.

With more than €2.2 billion, the EU and its member states are one of the largest funders of COVAX. Since 2000, the European Union has contributed more than €818 million in humanitarian aid to support the Palestinian people with their most basic needs.

The United Nations

U.N. organizations spent nearly $4.5 billion, including $600 million in 2020 alone, in Gaza between 2014 and 2020. Three-quarters of Gaza’s population are Palestinian refugees, who receive more than 80% of that funding through the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA, which also offers food assistance and health services, runs schools for some 280,000 students in Gaza.

The World Bank

The World Bank granted a $30 million Development Policy Grant for the Palestinian Territories to assist reforms in the areas of inclusiveness, transparency and the green economy on July 7, 2022. Additionally, the World Bank will give $7 million to Gaza’s most vulnerable populations.

While the Gaza Emergency Support for Social Services Project offers access to a variety of social services, short-term funding for services, and online work possibilities, 80% of recipients of a comparable intervention under the Gaza Emergency Cash for Work and Self-Employment Support fund contracts worth more than $500,000, demonstrating the effectiveness of this modality in fostering employment prospects for adolescents and women in particular.

The Arab Nations

Between 1994 and 2020, five Arab nations gave the Palestinians the majority of the $8.5 billion in Arab funding. Their abundance in oil and gas plays a crucial role in maintaining the welfare of Palestinians, which also increases their capacity to have an influence on the Palestinian cause. Saudi Arabia received $4 billion in donations during this time, followed by the UAE ($2.1 billion), Algeria ($908 million), Qatar ($766 million) and Kuwait ($758 million) as the top five donors.

Since 2012, Qatar has given Gaza $1.3 billion in aid for infrastructure, health care and agriculture. This includes the $360 million allocated in January for 2021 and the additional $500 million pledged in May for post-war rehabilitation. The money from Qatar also helps pay the wages of the Hamas leadership and supports needy families. According to the Palestinian Authority, $1.7 billion will go to Gaza, with it primarily going toward pay for the tens of thousands of government officials who had to leave their jobs in 2007 when Hamas assumed power.

Conclusion

Foreign aid to Palestinians came in a variety of forms and sizes, for a variety of reasons. These included crisis relief, development projects, budget support, donations to grassroots groups, loans and technical help. Regardless of the aims or types of help that Palestinians have received over the past 20 years, this aid has had a substantial impact on the country’s political, social and economic landscape.

Although there have been substantial socioeconomic improvements, more foreign aid in Palestine is necessary to promote the establishment of institutions necessary for a two-state solution and to fulfill Palestinian aspirations for their economy to be on the road to sustainable growth.

– Karisma Maran
Photo: Flickr

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Rebuilding Education in Myanmar

Education in MyanmarWith the junta taking control of schools, education in Myanmar is one sector that suffers greatly, particularly in rural areas where the military crackdown is the most violent. However, teachers and parents in these areas have found ways to keep their kids educated while still standing against military rule.

Military Rule

In February 2021, Myanmar’s Tatmadaw staged a coup and declared military rule, and claimed that the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) win in the November 2020 general election was illegitimate. The civil war and rife with humanitarian crises are still a part of everyday life in Myanmar. As of September 2022, over 2,000 civilians have been killed and more than 15,000 have been arrested. Adding on to the crisis, the kyat is also at an all-time low. Numerous workers and public servants have opposed junta rule through strikes and boycotts under the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). This has taken a toll on the availability of resources and public services across the country, but much of Myanmar’s population perseveres through this toilsome protest for the sake of democracy.

Threats to Education

In 2020, the government canceled schools and universities for a year due to the pandemic. Upon reopening last June, only 10% of students enrolled again, as many took part in the movement against a “military slave education.” The education ministry of the exiled National Unity Government supported the movement. On April 26, the group encouraged education staff not to return to university or school until the junta has been ousted.

In March 2022, the Myanmar Teacher’s Federation estimated that three-quarters of education ministry staff were participating in the CDM. Many have gone into hiding for fear of arrest – the junta has killed at least three teachers and five students.  Direct danger has also deterred parents from sending their children to school, with Save the Children stating that there have been at least 260 attacks on schools between May 2021 and April 2022.

More recently, a junta attack on a Township school in the Sagaing Region left 11 children dead and many others injured. The U.N. Secretary-General condemned this attack, stating: “even in times of armed conflict, schools must remain areas in which children are granted protection and a safe place to learn.”

COVID-19 closures followed by CDM strikes have effectively taken two years off children’s school lives. Although the military regime persists, communities are persistent in not canceling a third year of education in Myanmar by establishing new school systems outside the Tatdmadaw administration.

Efforts to Keep Kids in School

Myanmar’s eastern Karenni State has seen 170,000 people internally displaced, with the military combating resistance forces through airstrikes and artillery fire, according to The New Humanitarian. Amidst the violence, the Karenni Education Department is running 129 schools under an ethnic revolutionary organization and is currently educating more than 12,000 students. Despite a lack of funding and resources, the schools continue to persist in former government schools and churches. Volunteer teachers typically run the schools and and furnish them with tables and chairs made of bamboo. In areas without buildings, some schools even make do outdoors.

Similar scenes are unfolding in the northwestern Sagaing region, where the junta burned villages and killed civilians, but these schools stay open under the National Unity Government. A teacher at one of the 148 schools running in the Kani township claims that military attacks lead to teachers and students often having to hide in forests for days at a time. He says, “While we are fleeing, we cannot teach formally; we can only teach stories and poems to younger children,” The New Humanitarian reports.

With the Tatmadaw holding its power tight, Myanmar’s journey back to democracy will be arduous and bloody. However, citizens refuse to give up their fight and refuse to sacrifice children’s school lives along the way. This is exemplified by the actions of rural communities that are finding ways to protect education in Myanmar amidst mass boycotts and civil war.

– Imogen Scott
Photo: Flickr

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3 Organizations Fighting Cambodia’s Drinking Water Crisis

Cambodia’s Drinking Water CrisisCambodia is a Southeastern Asian country known for drastically decreasing its poverty rates from 47.8% of the population in 2007 to 13.5% in 2014. Despite a reduction in poverty rates, Cambodia suffers from a drinking water crisis due to a lack of sanitation. The consequences of this crisis are life-threatening, however, a number of organizations are fighting Cambodia’s drinking water crisis to maintain its climb to prosperity.

Cambodia’s Drinking Water Crisis

One in three Cambodians drinks water from a non-improved or non-reliable source. While the country has improved in sanitation, this improvement is primarily present in urban areas such as Phnom Penh, which is Cambodia’s capital. Basic sanitation in urban areas increased from 49% to 88% in 2015, but only 39% of the rural population has basic sanitation, and only 24% drink water from a clean, regulated water source. Children in rural areas are also two times more likely to drink from contaminated drinking sources than urban children. Seeing as how 61% of the Cambodian population lives in rural areas, it is clear that the majority of the population is suffering.

Moreover, eight in 10 Cambodians living in rural areas defecate in open bodies of water due to a lack of toilets, according to UNICEF. This open defecation leads to coliform and E. coli, which are both disease-causing bacteria, in drinking water. Sadly, diarrhea contributes to most of the under-five child deaths in Cambodia and can lead to stunted and impaired brain development.

Water.org

Starting its work in Cambodia in 2014, Water.org is a global nonprofit that brings clean water and sanitation to countries around the world. The organization uses microfinance, which is a service provided to those who usually don’t have access to banking or financial services. Water.org, through its WaterCredit Initiative program, partners with financial institutions willing to supply small loans to locals. These locals then use the loans to install toilets in their homes so they no longer have to defecate in open bodies of water.

The organization had a goal of reaching 300,000 Cambodians in three years, but they met the goal in two. Overall, in Cambodia, Water.org has reached 1.9 million people, disbursed 435,000 loans and achieved an average repayment rate of 99%.

Cambodians Community Dream Organization (CCDO)

Working in Cambodia for 15 years, the Cambodian Community Dream Organization (CCDO) aids villages surrounding Siem Reap through its Clean Water program. Through the program, the organization has provided ceramic filters as an alternative to boiling to save fuel, hygiene workshops to educate locals on the importance of hand-washing and over 1,500 water wells.

The most notable part of the CCDO’s work is its water well repair program. The CCDO does not believe in building wells and does not consider the future damages to the wells. Instead, they provide a program that works to regularly examine, replace or fix worn wells.

In addition to the Clean Water program, the organization has also installed 600 latrines since January 2014.

Clear Cambodia

Formed in 2010, Clear Cambodia is a local NGO that recognizes the consequences of E. Coli infections. The organization emphasizes how they are a program run for Cambodians by Cambodians. The organization has impacted 2,527,628 Cambodians through its projects.

Clear Cambodia is famous for fighting against Cambodia’s drinking water Crisis through their household biosand filters. Biosand filters are an adaptation to sand filters found in nature as the sand and gravel remove pathogens and other solids from water. Biosand filters can remove up to 98.5% of bacteria from contaminated drinking water. Clear Cambodia has provided 339,662 biosand filters to households and an additional 1,547 biosand filters to schools. In addition to these filters, the organization has also allocated 236,140 handwashing tools,  installed 11,206 household latrines, implemented 1,539 handwashing stations and provided 212 wells.

A Better Future

As Cambodia’s poverty rates decrease, its drinking water crisis does not seem too far behind. Cambodia’s government is committed to reaching 100% coverage of rural sanitation services by 2025, as evidenced by a bold 14-year plan drawn out in 2011. With organizations like Water.org, the CCDO and Clear Cambodia doing their part to fight the drinking water crisis, there is great optimism that the nation will make it through this challenge in good time.

– Blanly Rodriguez
Photo: Flickr

3 Charities Providing Earthquake Relief to Mexico

Providing Earthquake Relief to MexicoLocated in the southern region of North America, Mexico is among one of the most economically disparate nations in the world. This broad inequity is largely a result of the political and economic corruption that is commonplace within the country and has resulted in approximately 41.9% of the nation’s constituents living below the poverty line as of 2018. Unfortunately, a recent earthquake in Mexico has likely caused an increase in this number, but organizations are on the ground providing earthquake relief to Mexico.

Context

On September 19, 2022, an earthquake with a 7.6 magnitude hit Mexico’s central pacific coast. This date, in fact, marked the anniversary of two previous highly damaging earthquakes that hit Mexico City in 1985 and in 2017. Mexico has had a long history of natural weather disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and volcanic eruptions. These unpredictable disasters contribute to the high poverty rate within the country. Natural weather disasters are responsible for the destruction of crucial infrastructure and result in mass displacement.

The most recent September 19 earthquake, in specific, resulted in damage to hospitals, malls, hotels, homes, parking lots and highways. Major parts of the city also faced power losses. Though the area reported no immediate casualties, reports confirm that the earthquake led to the death of at least one person. Mexico is in need of immediate aid.

3 Charities Providing Earthquake Relief to Mexico

  1. Direct Relief. Direct Relief began operations in Santa Barbara California in 1948 as an organization dedicated to “improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies – without regard to politics, religion or ability to pay.” The organization provides aid to territories all over the globe, including Mexico. Since 2010, it has provided Mexico with more than $57 million worth of medical assistance, more than 1.2 million pounds of medical supplies and more than 22 million “doses of medication.” In terms of Mexico’s most recent devastation, Direct Relief is providing earthquake relief to Mexico by offering assistance and aid (both physical and financial) to local and federal response agencies.
  2. Red Cross. The Red Cross began operations in Washington D.C. in 1881 as an organization dedicated to “protecting human life and health” and offers a wide range of services across the globe. The Red Cross has a primary focus on disaster relief but also provides blood services and humanitarian aid during global conflicts while working to improve global hygiene through water and sanitation initiatives. Its specific work in Mexico relating to the September 19 earthquake includes sending out Red Cross teams to monitor all regions impacted by the earthquake. In addition to its data collection, 57 Red Cross paramedics are on-call in Mexico City, ready to support affected constituents.
  3. All Hands and Hearts. This foundation came about in 2005 with headquarters in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. All Hands and Hearts is an organization dedicated to “helping families recover faster after natural disasters through community and volunteer engagement.” All Hands and Hearts’ earthquake relief program in Mexico began after the September 2017 earthquake in Central Mexico. The team devised a five-phase plan to reconstruct schools and piloted several natural disaster education programs within the country, positively impacting more than 2,400 students. This program is still in progress providing earthquake relief to Mexico today.

Looking Ahead

While natural disasters are powerful enough to destroy infrastructure and displace thousands in poverty, it is crucial to remember the important work of organizations in the aftermath of these crises. Together, these relief organizations promise a better tomorrow for forcefully displaced Mexicans.

-Aarika Sharma
Photo: Flickr

The Movement for Gender-Based Asylum Justice: A Collective

Gender-Based AsylumGender-based violence plagues every country in the world. In some places, gender-based violence is a cultural norm. It is a deeply rooted way of life in which women, particularly, are subjected to physical and structural violence, with less access to economic opportunity and education. The dichotomy between gender-based violence as a private versus a public issue harms many refugees fleeing gender-based violence. Women are vulnerable to danger in their home country, along the migratory path and once they arrive in a destination country. Given that gender is not a standalone category for asylum in the U.S., women refugees are at great risk of being denied entry. The Movement for Gender-Based Asylum Justice is a collection of organizations and nonprofits whose goal is to solidify safety for refugees who are victims of gender-based violence.

Gender-Based Violence and Migration

In many countries, gender-based violence is so prevalent that it is the main cause of migration for women seeking asylum. The Northern Triangle made up of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador is a prime example of this. These three countries have some of the highest rates of feticide in the world and this violence is a primary cause for seeking asylum. The Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights evaluated over 200 women’s asylum claims and found that 91% reported fleeing unyielding abuse from individuals that their government was “unwilling or unable to control.” Those fleeing gender-based violence have more to face in the asylum-seeking process than other clear-cut asylum cases, such as religious minorities who are targeted directly and publicly. There are various ways for women to apply for asylum due to violence, but the U.S. asylum laws do not explicitly define these paths.

The Movement for Gender-Asylum Justice

The Movement for Gender-Asylum Justice believes that gender should be clearly defined as a category for asylum, similar to the protections offered based on race and religion. Made up of partnerships between Oxfam, the Tahirih Justice Center, the National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project and more, the collective reaches across specializations to holistically defend women refugees and their rights to asylum. The Movement has many publications focusing on research and media outreach, such as its report from “survivors, pro bono attorneys, refugee health care providers, and a former immigration judge” as to why gender should be considered an asylum category.

Looking Ahead

While there is some hope for the future of gender-based asylum with organizations like the U.N. claiming that gender is a valid category for requesting asylum, on the whole, women refugees are not fully protected. The decision to grant asylum on the basis of gender is still contested and inconsistent in the U.S. For women to be empowered to seek safety outside of their home country, the threat of being sent back cannot be as unpredictable and devastating as it is presently. The Movement for Gender-Asylum Justice is pushing for what has long been recognized as a need for the protection of women and girls to become standard.

– Hannah Yonas
Photo: Flickr

Poverty Reduction in Colombia

Poverty Reduction in Colombia
Colombia is a country located in Northwestern South America with a historically high poverty rate, exacerbated by the economic turmoil in the country during COVID-19. Inflation onset by the pandemic targeted Colombia’s primary industries, which included construction, mining and retail. These industries all fell by 27.7%, 15.7% and 15.1% respectively in 2020. Overall, the Colombian economy declined by a total of 6.8% in total as a result of the collective recession of major industries within the country. This resulted in Colombia’s GDP growth rate falling from 3.2% in 2019 to -7% in 2020.

With the apparent downturn in Colombia’s economy, issues such as unemployment and poverty became more prevalent in the country. This warranted concern as before the pandemic more than one-third of the population already lived below the poverty line in 2019 and Colombia ranked as one of the most unequal countries in the world in terms of income. Recent changes and discussions in Colombia’s government, however, promise a future of poverty reduction in Colombia.

The 2022 Colombian Presidential Election

Colombia swore Gustavo Petro into the presidency on August 7, 2022. Regarded as one of the closest elections in Colombia’s political history, Petro outwon his running mate Rodolfo Hernández by a 50.48% majority and made history by becoming Colombia’s first left-wing president. He looks to the goal of closing all inequity gaps within Colombia, including the wealth gap. Petro is actively working toward achieving his goal of economic reform in Colombia to counter the issue within the country.

Petro’s New Legislation

Projections have indicated that Petro’s proposed legislation will raise more than $11.5 billion annually to combat poverty in Colombia through two key actions. Firstly, the plan involves taxing the top 2% of Colombia’s highest earners. Petro stated that Colombian society should not view this action “as a punishment or a sacrifice,” but rather, “a solidarity payment that someone fortunate makes to a society that has enabled them to generate wealth,” The Guardian reported.

Secondly, Petro plans to implement an additional levy on energy and mining exports, sectors that significantly contribute to Colombia’s financial revenue. He aims to “add a 10% tax on some of Colombia’s biggest exports — oil, coal and gold — after prices rise above a certain threshold,” The Guardian reported.

Petro believes that these two major changes are the key to overall poverty reduction in Colombia. The proposal has received mixed reactions. Petro’s supporters are hopeful as they are happy to see his campaign promises come to fruition, meanwhile, others are skeptical, believing that Petro is too altruistic and is targeting the wealthy.

Looking Ahead

In 2019, Colombia’s wealthiest 20% “earned more than half of all income made” in that year, says Colombia Reports. The president’s proposal of taxing the wealthy will help to reduce inequality in Colombia and ensure a more fair distribution of wealth. This proposal will not only aid Colombians living in poverty but will also significantly aid with post-pandemic economic recovery.

– Aarika Sharma
Photo: Unsplash

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Efforts to Tackle Human Trafficking in Benin

Human Trafficking in BeninBenin is a country in sub-Saharan Africa bordered by Togo to the west, Burkina Faso and Niger to the north, Nigeria to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It has a population of 12.12 million. While in the last 25 years, many intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations have made significant progress in fighting human trafficking, it remains a pressing issue in Benin and around the world. Here are the most important facts to know about human trafficking in Benin.

The Facts

The U.S. State Department ranks the Beninese government as tier 2 in its assessment of its anti-human trafficking efforts. It assigns these rankings based on the country’s level of compliance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) minimum standards (tier 1 being in compliance, tier 2 out of compliance but making significant efforts to comply, and tier 3 being out of compliance and not demonstrating significant efforts to comply).

Because of insufficient identification and data collection, exact statistics on human trafficking in Benin are unknown. According to the U.S. State Department’s most recent estimate, however, the number of trafficking victims sourced or transported through Benin is 40,000 annually. Additionally, its central location makes it a common transit location in illicit trade routes throughout the region. The U.S. government estimates that criminals traffic 600,000 to 800,000 people annually across borders in West Africa.

Though some human trafficking victims in Benin are not Beninese citizens, the vast majority are. One UNICEF study estimated that 93% of Benin’s trafficking victims are internally sourced. Most trafficking victims in Benin are children. It is common for traffickers to leverage high levels of poverty and illiteracy as a way of coercing parents into sending their children away under the pretense of employment or education opportunities. However, traffickers also often involuntarily detain their victims under threat of violence. Traffickers in West Africa most often use victims for unpaid labor, but it is also common to use victims for sexual exploitation and warfare. UNICEF estimates that 46% of the Beninese youth population work and 86% of trafficking victims are underage girls, indicating a high level of sexual and labor exploitation in Benin.

Solutions and Progress

While human trafficking in Benin is still prevalent, the U.S. State Department reported that the Beninese government is increasing anti-trafficking efforts in the four most recent Trafficking in Persons reports. According to the 2021 report, it increased attempts to identify and protect child trafficking victims and made efforts to prevent trafficking in persons. Additionally, it created a child protection hotline, which provided more than 500 tips regarding child trafficking. Local Beninese people have also been indispensable in combating human trafficking by creating more than 700 “Village Committees” whose “function is to provide ‘social surveillance’ or social control of the activities and movement of the village’s children.”

However, it is crucial to remember the connection between rates of human trafficking and rates of poverty, illiteracy and the absence of adequate parental supervision. Reducing poverty and the amount of crime, and increasing the number of skilled laborers, may improve low-income parents’ abilities to send their children away for school and improve their livelihoods, which could subsequently help eliminate human trafficking. Some NGOs recognize this and are combating human trafficking in Benin by providing education, health care and employment opportunities to Beninese youth.

About Bornefonden

For example, Bornefonden, an NGO that runs Denmark, assists “60,000 children and youth in creating their own future in Togo, Mali, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and Benin.” Its services include contributing to essential needs in Beninese communities such as constructing schools, facilitating contact between Beninese citizens and health care organizations and constructing wells in villages with water scarcity. Bornefonden’s goal is to provide long-term solutions and operates by “working in a community for a period of 15-20 years, after which all facilities will be handed over to the local authorities and citizens of the local community.” Terres des homes, another NGO operating in Benin, provided just under 1,000 children with vital health care operations in Benin in 2021, including psychological consultation.

Efforts like these, though not explicitly dealing with the issue, are instrumental in decreasing the rate of human trafficking in Benin.

– Xander Heiple
Photo: Flickr

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Lending a Helping Hand: 5 Charities in Somalia

Charities in SomaliaThe Somali state officially collapsed in 1991, and the country has been prone to violence and conflict ever since. In 2021 alone, political tensions prevented essential human rights reforms while conflict-related abuses, insecurity and humanitarian and health crises greatly affected civilians. Journalists faced extreme prosecution by federal and regional authorities. Additionally, there was no system in place to ensure the protection of human rights. An armed group, Al-Shabab, was responsible for hundreds of civilian attacks and deaths. The violence, according to the United Nations, has displaced between 60,000 and 100,000 Somali people.

Impacts of the Conflict

The conflict has also caused an increase in sexual and gender-based violence, especially towards women, which often results in death. The U.N. reported that the government interfered in investigating sexual violence incidents. Children are also facing great abuses; the conflict is so dire that children are becoming injured, experiencing recruitment as child soldiers or even dying.

According to the U.N., more than 2.6 million Somalis are internally displaced, mainly due to the conflict. Persistent drought, flooding, locust swarms and the COVID-19 pandemic have all contributed to the exacerbation of this crisis. Humanitarian agencies are facing serious challenges in accessing the people due to violence, deliberate attacks on aid workers and physical restrictions due to extreme weather.

However, there are several organizations in Somalia that are working, despite these violent conditions, to provide relief and aid to the Somali people. Here are five charities in Somalia.

5 Charities in Somalia

  1. OXFAM International: OXFAM has been in Somalia for more than 40 years. It works with local communities and authorities, as well as civil society, to provide humanitarian assistance and implement long-term development initiatives. OXFAM specifically focuses on providing water, sanitation access, hygiene supplies and ensuring food access. The organization’s goal is to meet immediate needs, while also setting the foundation for long-term recovery and resilience efforts. By constructing water sources and water trucking to remote communities, OXFAM hopes to improve water access. Additionally, the organization is constructing latrines and funding cash grants for the communities to use. Finally, OXFAM advocates for Somali debt cancellation, as well as more inclusive gender and youth-related policies.
  2. ActionAid International Somaliland: Another one of the many organizations in Somalia is Actionaid International Somaliland — a global justice federation that works to promote social justice, gender equality and the eradication of poverty in Somaliland, a northern and independent region of Somalia. Somalia’s independence has never received formal recognition, meaning it is prone to conflict. In this area, Actionaid International fights for basic rights to food, land, education and life security. For several years, the organization has worked to promote increased food security. Its main objective is to “contribute to the improvement of living conditions of [the] most poor and marginalized communities in Somaliland” and “to improve food security and promote endogenous development in 21 villages, through the improvement of agricultural production, the development of new commercialization channels and the promotion of women’s entrepreneurship.” The organization hopes to increase agricultural and food production, improve the capacities and marketing skills of farmers for agricultural and nonagricultural products, improve the living standards of women and sustainably manage the use of natural resources.
  3. Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Somalia: ADRA is an organization in Somalia that works to promote well-being in four specific areas: WASH, Education, Livelihoods and Emergency. In the WASH area, ADRA improves access to safe, potable water for vulnerable communities. In the “Education” section, ADRA works to increase access to education for students of all levels. This also entails strengthening educational structures and resources for the efficient delivery of educational services. The “Livelihoods” section involves building community assets and establishing safety nets so that civilians can better withstand recurring disasters. Finally, the “Emergency” section entails providing immediate, multi-sectoral assistance to people experiencing crisis and humanitarian emergencies.
  4. MercyCorps Somalia: MercyCorps Somalia, another one of the key organizations in Somalia, has been providing relief in Somalia since 2005 but especially increased efforts given the recent COVID-19 pandemic and increasing violence in the country. The organization focuses on five main areas: humanitarian response and resilience, quality basic services, inclusive economic growth, youth civic and economic engagement and participation/trust/accountability. In the humanitarian area, MercyCorps helps Somalia prepare for and respond to crises by addressing needs like food, sanitation, water access and shelter. In the “quality basic services” area, the organization improves well functioning and other water facilities. To promote economic growth, MercyCorps develops and manages savings groups for displaced youth and women. The organization promotes youth civic and economic engagement by providing vocational training and supporting small businesses. This helps mitigate issues of poverty and unemployment. Finally, MercyCorps strives to improve communication between communities and the government.
  5. Somali Youth for Peace and Development (SYPD): Somali Youth for Peace and Development (SYPD) is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization based in Somalia. It works to promote sustainable development and peaceful co-existence. It works with three core objectives: peace-building, development and humanitarian action. SYPD resolves injustice with nonviolence, establishes projects to promote sustainable development, and provides emergency humanitarian relief. Its initiatives have occurred in 71 Somali districts, and it has successfully organized and implemented more than 100 projects. Additionally, SYPD has reached more than 1 million Somali people.

Despite the challenges that Somalia has been facing, these five organizations have had a significant impact. Through their work to aid Somalia, life has improved for many Somali people.


– Shiloh Harrill
Photo: Flickr