Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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NGOs Empowering Women in Vietnam

Empowering Women in Vietnam
Like in many emerging economies around the world, women in Vietnam form the majority of the working poor, often earning less than men and having fewer high-income opportunities. In Vietnam, many disparities between men and women result from gender-based discrimination and the social acceptance of inequity. These can manifest in educational discrimination and pay discrimination.

Without equal resources and support, young girls lack the necessary skills and acceptance for their futures to move beyond vulnerable positions or “invisible” jobs such as homeworking and street vending. However, many organizations are working to promote equity for women in Vietnam, whether through government lobbying or independent support. Here are three NGOs empowering women in Vietnam.

The Asia Foundation

Working throughout the continent, The Asia Foundation has worked in Vietnam specifically for more than 25 years, partnering with local NGOs and governments to improve women’s livelihoods. This organization seeks to strengthen and improve women’s and girls’ economic opportunities and autonomy. It has advocated for more inclusive political atmospheres and worked to expand women’s rights. To expand women’s economic opportunities, it partnered with the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council to increase women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises.

With funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The Asia Foundation facilitated a mobile banking platform aimed toward low-income populations in Vietnam. In 2017, The Asia Foundation provided 333 girls with secondary schooling scholarships, school supplies, books, uniforms and bicycles. Through its expansive and integrated approach to empowering women in Vietnam, The Asia Foundation provides the tools necessary to help create an equitable future for women and girls.

Women’s Empowerment and Voice (WEAV)

This organization is unique among the three as it consists of Vietnamese Americans, including general members and leadership. Members’ work focuses on the improvement and inclusion of impoverished girls and women in a complete education. By providing the opportunities necessary to complete a college education, WEAV enables the potential for higher-paying careers and a wider variety of employment options.

In Vietnam, “[o]nly boys can expect to be educated at the primary and secondary levels,” according to the organization.” As a result, this organization funds scholarships for girls needing financial support to stay in school. Women’s Empowerment and Voice supports more than 100 women attending four different colleges in the Mekong Delta. Since WEAV launched in 2011, it had its first college graduate in 2015.

Additionally, it continues to increase the number of scholarships with each passing year. Its dedication to uplifting women in poverty or in financial need supports women and their families, lifting overwhelming economic burdens. WEAV provides futures by breaking down barriers of discrimination and socioeconomic disadvantages to empower women in Vietnam, allowing bright minds to shine.

CARE

In covering a wide variety of circumstances, CARE’s programs in Vietnam work to enhance women’s economic growth and prevent gender-based violence, including workplace sexual assault. Since its work in Vietnam began in 1989, eliminating gender-based discrimination and mapping strategies to eliminate poverty have helped underprivileged communities. A recent program that CARE formed called “Ignite” seeks to boost women-led entrepreneurship in Vietnam, placing these businesses at the forefront of their fields.

Despite the growth in women-owned businesses, numbers remain low and often unseen. Ignite hopes to improve visibility and support entrepreneurs in maintaining businesses. The program seeks to accelerate the growth of 50,000 enterprises and positively impact at least 340,000 entrepreneurs, of which at least 70% would be women. In order to stand against social norms disassociating women from business, CARE provides access to resources and support organizations ready to assist women, allowing for more equitable opportunities both within and outside of the workplace.

Looking Forward

Despite Vietnam’s economic growth and development over recent decades, social norms and financial inequality leave women with fewer opportunities and lower incomes than men. However, these three NGOs empowering women in Vietnam lay the groundwork for effective positive change.

With their support, women can hold more political autonomy and economic power, while other organizations and programs focus on alleviating financial burdens on families to allow girls a comprehensive education. As the Australian government partnered with The Asia Foundation, the United States and other economic powers have the opportunity to reflect such a partnership and increase funding toward poverty elimination and gender equity worldwide.

– Mikey Redding
Photo: Flickr

The Marburg Virus in West Africa

Marburg Virus in West Africa
Africa is a continent comprising of diseases and illnesses that affect many people’s lives. Notable examples of such ailments include HIV, malaria, Ebola and even COVID-19, impacting the lives of many impoverished communities of Africa. Now, a recent report of the Marburg virus in West Africa is starting to raise concern and officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) are scrambling to address the situation before it intensifies.

The Background

In August 2021, health officials from Guinea confirmed the first case of the Marburg virus disease in a deceased West African man. The patient, who started to develop the illness in late July 2021, went to a local clinic to seek treatment, where he displayed high fever, abdominal pain and external bleeding around his teeth. The man died less than two weeks later in the town of Guéckédou in Southern Guinea, which is in the same region where the Ebola virus broke out in 2014 and 2021.

What is the Marburg Virus?

Marburg is a type of virus that comes from the same family as Ebola and causes hemorrhagic fever in the individual who contracts it. Anyone infected is prone to experiencing internal bleeding, which affects vessels, organs and the body’s ability to regulate itself. Because of the severity of the damage, Marburg virus disease is extremely dangerous with an average case mortality rate of around 50%. In past outbreaks, fatality rates reached as high as 88%. The last noted presence of the virus was in 2008 with the last major outbreak occurring in 2005 in Angola.

Though Marburg has the potential to be very deadly, viruses that cause hemorrhagic fever are rare and are usually limited to areas with specific animals that host the viruses. In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that fruit bats carry the virus, meaning that a human can only become infected through prolonged exposure in caves or similar habitats. However, once the virus infects one person, the Marburg virus is easily transmittable through direct contact with another individual. The timeline in which a person will start to display symptoms can be anywhere between two and 21 days after infection Although only a single case was confirmed so far, the WHO found the need to declare an outbreak in West Africa due to how easily the Marburg virus can spread.

What are Health Officials Doing?

Due to the concern that the Marburg virus could trigger an epidemic in West Africa, the WHO is taking precautions to ensure that the virus does not spread much further. Since the discovery, Guinea has attempted to track anyone who interacted with the patient. The country is monitoring at least 172 people, ordering them to quarantine to prevent transmission. The WHO has also dispatched a team consisting of epidemiology and socio-anthropology experts, who are now on the grounds of the virus site and are assisting with the investigation of Marburg virus cases. Efforts are also going into improving cross-border surveillance. Since Guéckédou is relatively close to Sierra Leone and Liberia, the WHO is working with authorities to ensure the virus does not spread outside of Guinea.

Disease and Poverty

As it currently stands, there is no known cure for Marburg virus disease, though remedies are in development. Right now, the best way to treat someone infected with the Marburg virus is through supportive care and rehydration. Doing so will reduce the likelihood of the disease becoming fatal. With that said, this current situation in Guinea speaks volumes about the healthcare system in Africa and the specific vulnerabilities of Africa.

Africa is the most disease-prone continent in the world, yet most of its people do not have access to treatment that will help protect against these viruses. In Guinea, which is home to 13 million people, not even 4% of the nation’s population has received full vaccination against COVID-19. If people in West Africa have limited access to a globally distributed COVID-19 vaccine, the likelihood of them easily obtaining treatment for a disease like Marburg or Ebola is slight. For these reasons, officials need to prioritize addressing health inequities and improving access to healthcare in developing regions such as Africa.

– Eshaan Gandhi
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Tech-oriented Education in Indonesia

Youth Empowerment in Indonesia
The information technology (IT) and mobile technology sectors in Indonesia have flourished in the last few years, and the country is poised to dominate those fields in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. In order to meet the growing demands of such booming sectors, tech-oriented education in Indonesia has become a prominent national goal.

Education and Technology

Throughout the past 20 years, Indonesia has made great strides toward increasing the quality and accessibility of education. Although Indonesia still has one of the lowest national education expenditures per GDP in the APAC region, the increased spending since 2005 has had positive impacts on Indonesian students. Schools’ capacity and reach have grown, and education has become more and more available to youth in rural communities through educational outreach and education technology.

In fact, a 2018 Cambridge Assessment of International Education found that Indonesian students are some of the most technologically engaged in the world. As education and mobile technology became more accessible, young Indonesians sought both. The surveying that the Cambridge Assessment completed found that around 40% of students were in computer science courses, which would help prepare them to enter the professional world of technology.

US Assistance

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has worked to help prepare Indonesian students for employment in various fields. With regards to technology, USAID recognizes the growing IT sector in Indonesia and the potential for student success in related positions. Therefore, USAID created a plan called Accelerating Work Achievement and Readiness for Employment 3 (AWARE3) in which 25 vocational schools in Jakarta are able to maintain partnerships with local businesses and corporations.

Within these partnerships, there are opportunities for students to engage with current business structures and potential employers through work readiness training, internships and more. The partnered businesses also assist the schools with maintaining an up-to-date curriculum that will best prepare students to enter the professional world with regard to the specific industry or vocation.

USAID and the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture have goals for AWARE3 to meet by mid-2022. They hope to equip 250 or more teachers in Jakarta with resources to provide work readiness training for their students, and they aim for this training to reach areas all across Indonesia through distance-learning methods. The goal is to reach 4,500 students with the work-readiness curriculum via a remote learning platform. USAID has updated these goals based on the COVID-19 pandemic but hopes exist that the remote nature of these educational opportunities will limit the negative impacts of the pandemic.

Use of EdTech in Tech-Oriented Education in Indonesia

Indonesia’s Ministry of Education and Culture has worked with global organizations and foreign governments to implement several strategies and initiatives to broaden the reach and efficiency of its public education system. One of the most significant ways in which it has made education more accessible in Indonesia is through the use of education technology (EdTech). The World Bank, with help and funding from the Australian government, started the Improving Dimensions of Teaching, Education Management, and Learning Environment (ID-TEMAN) program in 2016.

This program works to analyze educational information from the Ministry of Education and Culture and push Indonesia to reach its full educational potential. The ID-TEMAN program is all about effectively using and appropriating the country’s resources, which are becoming abundantly technological. Indonesia is still working to provide more internet and mobile coverage across rural areas, which would expand educational opportunities through EdTech.

Bright Futures for Indonesian Students

As the world has seen in the past decades, and especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, everything is becoming increasingly efficient through the use of technology. This includes tech-oriented education in Indonesia, with more accessible remote learning in rural areas and initiatives to better prepare students for potential employment opportunities. Technology is the new way of the world, and Indonesian students are gearing up to successfully enter the workforce.

– Hayley Welch
Photo: Flickr

The Launch of Mobile Money Services in Angola

Mobile Money Services in Angola
Today, millions of people in the world face barriers in obtaining bank accounts from traditional financial institutions. Consequently, many have to turn to alternative sources to manage their finances. For many, mobile money services provide an ideal solution. Mobile money services enable people to withdraw, deposit and transfer money without a bank account. Today, Africa holds more than 55% of the world’s total mobile money services. In 2020, people from sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 43% of all new mobile money service accounts. Mobile money services break down barriers to access and the efficiency leads to more people using mobile money services. Mobile money services in Angola hope to encourage economic growth in the country and promote financial inclusivity.

Poverty in Angola

Angola stands as one of the most impoverished countries in the entire world. The World Bank Group reports that 32% of the entire population lives below the poverty line, with poverty affecting 18% of the urban population and 54% of the rural population. Furthermore, the unemployment rate in Angola is a stunning 31.6%. In addition, the country ranks 142 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index.

People mainly attribute these shocking statistics to government corruption and also the fact that the country is still recovering from its civil war, which ended slightly less than 20 years ago. Angola is the second-largest producer of oil in sub-Saharan Africa, producing nearly 1.37 million barrels of oil every day. Additionally, crude oil comprised about 88.% of exports in 2020. Angola has never attempted to diversify its economy away from oil to other products, which leaves its economy drastically fluctuating in an extremely volatile oil market.

Corruption is prevalent within the higher levels of government in Angola. Since oil is such a large part of Angola’s economy, politicians and the few elites in Angola reap the benefits. This is evidenced in the country’s Gini index score of 0.55, meaning income inequality in Angola is rampant. Nearly “20% of the population with the highest incomes receive 59% of all incomes,” yet the most impoverished 20% obtain only 3%.

In addition, the Angolan Civil War caused massive devastation in the country. Nearly 1 million people died in the conflict, and it caused massive damage to public infrastructure, including healthcare, schools, roads and bridges. This has caused rampant poverty, food insecurity, unsafe water consumption and inequality in education.

UNITEL Money

With Huawei’s technological support, “Angola-based mobile operator” UNITEL has created a mobile money service that allows users to make deposits, withdrawals, transfers and payments via mobile phone. Users of this service do not require a bank account. These mobile money services in Angola will be available in all 18 Angolan provinces.

UNITEL and Huawei have been working together over the past couple of years to use Huawei’s technology to develop UNITEL Money, which launched in August 2021. UNITEL aims to reach at least 3 million Angolan citizens through UNITEL Money. Nearly 14 million people in the country have access to a cellphone and 7 million Angolans have access to the internet. UNITEL Money will have a potentially strong customer base from which consumers will also benefit, given the poor financial state of many in the country.

The company says it plans to use its 6,000 contracted agents and 20,000 sub-contracted agents to ensure the success of UNITEL Money. People can make deposits, withdrawals and transfers with UNITEL Money at any UNITEL Money Store or using an agent, in a network of hundreds of branches throughout the country. With the help of agents, a UNITEL customer will be able to immediately and instantly send money to another customer to collect at a UNITEL agent closest to their location.

Over time, UNITEL says it plans to increase the functionality of its Mobile Payments system as well. Overall, UNITEL Money may potentially serve as a useful tool for those experiencing financial barriers in Angola, particularly unbanked people without access to traditional banking services and financial resources. Mobile money services in Angola will bring about financial inclusivity for marginalized and impoverished Angolans while igniting economic activity through ease of access.

– Matthew Port Louis
Photo: Flickr

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Helping Afghan Women Under the Taliban

Afghan women under the Taliban
In 1996, the Taliban took over Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. Almost exactly 25 years later, on August 15, 2021, the Taliban took control of Kabul once again. Women in Afghanistan fear what the new Taliban regime means for them. However, advocacy groups are helping Afghan women under the Taliban to seek safety and refuge.

The Climate in Afghanistan

In 2020, former President Donald Trump signed a peace agreement with the Taliban. According to this agreement, the U.S. agreed to withdraw its troops if the Taliban stopped attacks on Americans. In April 2021, President Biden kept that promise and announced that the U.S. would withdraw the rest of its troops by September 11. A month later, the Taliban started gaining control in the northern part of the country. By August, the Taliban seized control over all the major cities and conquered most of the land, aside from Kabul.

Shortly after, the government in Afghanistan collapsed as President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and the Taliban took over the capital. The Taliban control prompted nearly 250,000 Afghans to flee their homes in seek of refuge. During a press conference on August 17, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid promised “an inclusive government, security for aid agencies and embassies and women’s rights to work and go to school.” However, many Afghans are skeptical because of previous Taliban rule in the late 1990s.

The Effects of Taliban Control on Afghan Women

When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, women did not enjoy much freedom. The Taliban banned women from attending school or working outside their homes. Also, women had to wear a burqa, an article of clothing that encompasses their entire body besides their eyes and a male guardian had to accompany them whenever they left their house. Current female employees will not be able to have a source of income if the Taliban upholds previous restrictions once again. While the Taliban promised that they will respect women’s rights, many Afghans are uncertain of their promises.

The Progression of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan

Before Taliban control in 1996, Afghanistan was making progress in women’s rights. King Amanullah Khan’s reign, beginning in 1919, discouraged polygamy and did not require women to wear a veil. In 1964, women helped write a new constitution that gave them the right to vote and run for office. However, when the Taliban took control in 1996, it restricted women’s rights. Women could not attend school, work or speak in public. As punishment for breaking any of the laws, women suffered public lashing or stoning, which led to higher suicide rates among women. When the U.S. ousted the Taliban from Afghanistan in 2001, women again enjoyed rights like joining the armed and police forces as well as being part of the political process.

Despite the progress made, 90% of women in Afghanistan experience abuse in their life. The latest Taliban regime stated that it will respect women’s rights within the structure of sharia (Islamic) law. However, jurists, clerics and politicians interpret sharia law differently. These discrepancies allowed justifications for the Taliban’s previously harsh laws against women’s rights.

Help from Advocacy Groups

Despite the new ruling of the Taliban, advocacy groups from around the world are helping women in Afghanistan seek safety. One organization aiding Afghan women is Women for Women International. This nonprofit organization aids female survivors of war. It is currently collecting donations to help women in Afghanistan find safety, as well as a place to meet and stay connected.

The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security is lobbying the U.S. government to better protect Afghan women under the Taliban. Its Protect Afghan Women Project raises funds specifically to support at-risk female Afghan activists. Melanne Verveer, the institute’s director, co-wrote an opinion article in the Washington Post to push the U.S. government to create ways to better protect Afghan women. Verveer and her co-author, Tanya Henderson, lobbied the U.S. to get evacuation flights for women activists in Afghanistan and relocate funds for Afghan refugees.

Looking Ahead

Although the Taliban control is worrying for most Afghans, advocacy groups are finding various ways to help. These groups have a particular committment to helping Afghan women under the Taliban to seek safety and safeguard their rights in this chaotic time of uncertainty and political turmoil.

– Kyle Har
Photo: Flickr

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Aiding Impoverished Children in New Zealand

Impoverished Children in New Zealand
In New Zealand, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed 18,000 children into poverty, on top of the already large amount of children struggling with unmet basic needs. However, one organization, Share My Super, is working hard to change these statistics and reduce the number of impoverished children in New Zealand.

Impoverished Children in New Zealand

Against the backdrop of New Zealand’s 4.8 million population, more than 235,000 children lived in poverty before the pandemic’s effects. While reducing child poverty is one of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s signature goals, the country has only seen rising numbers of struggling children in recent years.

A recent study shows a 10% increase in child poverty due to the country’s pandemic policies, mostly impacting minority groups such as the Māori and Pasifika. The report lists several main reasons for child poverty in New Zealand including lack of government support, “unemployment and education disruptions” due to the COVID-19 pandemic and “inadequate income support for children.”

Share My Super

One organization, Share My Super, recognizes the detrimental effects of this issue and is working toward alleviating child poverty in New Zealand. Founded by Liz Greive, the organization functions by uniting citizens older than the retirement age of 65 and allowing them to share their leftover pensions with charities that are helping eliminate child poverty.

“I came to the conclusion that the most needy people in New Zealand, where real progress could be achieved, would be with children who were having a hard start,” Greive told The Spinoff, a New Zealand-based magazine. “I was well aware of the poverty that many people experience and how hard it is to raise a family when there is quite simply not enough money coming in.”

Share My Super hand-selects charities that it believes in and trusts for donors to donate to. The organization fosters relationships with these organizations and ensures that there is a variety of organizations, so people can choose to put their money toward immediate needs like shelter or food, or alternatively, they can put their money toward long-term solutions like mentorship or education.

Additionally, the organization receives 100% private funding. Therefore, the full donations go directly to the organization that the person chooses. Users also do not have to be at the retirement age to set up a donation — anyone can donate through Share My Super.

Impact

According to Share My Super’s 2020 Annual Report, the organization raised $294,296 in donations for charities through Superannuants, which refers to retirement-aged people donating their surplus pension through the organization. Share My Super also has benefits both ways: New Zealand’s children benefit and the country’s older population is also able to make a difference for the next generation. The organization also runs a blog detailing the tangible impacts of the charities on the country’s children so that the Superannuants can see the direct impact of their donations.

Although child poverty rates have been climbing in New Zealand, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations like Share My Super are working to help impoverished children in New Zealand through donations, uniting the older generations with the younger generations.

– Laya Neelakandan
Photo: Flickr

Fighting Poverty through Traditional Art in India

Traditional Art in India
For many communities, art serves as the basis of culture. Unfortunately, though, traditional art forms commonly disappear during industrialization as cheap, mass-produced traditional-looking art reaches tourist vendors much quicker than authentic, quality traditional art. India has experienced this especially hard, almost completely losing multiple forms of art. Fortunately, multiple NGOs, in partnership with the Indian government and UNESCO, are stepping up to defend traditional art in India while also fighting poverty through traditional art.

Banglanatak’s Art For Life’s Focus on Community

Banglanatak’s Art for Life program serves as one of the biggest art-focused NGOs in West Bengal, a region in India bordering Bangladesh. For nearly 17 years, Art for Life has focused on fighting poverty through traditional art, especially in rural areas. The program focuses on three key aspects to improve the situation of traditional artists: artistry education, connections to markets and exchange collaboration. In collaboration with the government of West Bengal, the Art for Life program has built craft hubs for artists to sell their products and performers to host shows in 15 West Bengal provinces, reaching nearly 12,000 beneficiaries.

Art for Life has made a major contribution to fighting poverty through traditional art in India. Nearly 10,000 artists have risen out of poverty through the program, a stunning success rate. When participating, artists have seen a two and a half times increase in their income, with many buying houses and dramatically increasing their living standards. The communities around these craft hubs have developed into major tourist destinations as well. This allows these communities to keep their traditional cultural heritage alive while bringing in tourists, a rare combination. Women artists especially benefit from this program, with communities with craft hubs seeing a doubling in the number of female artists.

As part of its program, Art for Life also supports cultural exchanges so traditional artists worldwide can interact and spread awareness about their practices in artistic communities. Recently, Art for Life participated in an exchange in the Czech Republic where Indian and Czech artists exchanged playing styles and appreciation for their respective cultures.

Saturday Art Class: Starting Artists Young

Another NGO focuses on young children in its drive to fight poverty through traditional art. Saturday Art Class fills the gaps in primary school where art class commonly does not receive funds or schools discard it in favor of maths and sciences. Including art in the primary school curriculum can have many positive effects in reducing poverty. Children become more creative, engaged and keener problem solvers when they learned this crucial subject in school. This can help children develop skills critical to reducing poverty, including entrepreneurial spirit and creativity.

Saturday Art Class has reached more than 5,500 schoolchildren across 46 partnerships since its founding in 2017. By supplementing the skills taught by public schools with the critical Social Emotional Learning brought by art, Saturday Art Class helps lift children out of poverty by giving them the soft skills they need to succeed. Additionally, by exposing children to art at a young age, some will choose to go into the traditional craft sectors that Art for Life promotes, ensuring a generation of traditional artists to come.

Both of these initiatives have made great strides in fighting poverty through traditional art in India. While Saturday Art Class focuses on the development of children’s artistic skills, Art for Life focuses on training and equipping current artists. By fighting poverty through traditional art, these initiatives are preserving India’s rich cultural and artistic heritage for generations to come.

– Justin Morgan
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Samoa’s First Female Prime Minister

Samoa's First Female Prime Minister
Nicknamed the “Cradle of Polynesia,” Samoa made history in its most recent election cycle. After a months-long dispute that took a court ruling to determine the winner, this island located in the central South Pacific Ocean named Fiame Naomi Mata’afa as Samoa’s first female Prime Minister. As head of the new Fa’atuatua I Le Atua Samoa ua Tasi Party, or FAST, Mata’afa won over Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, head of the Human Rights Protection Party, who was the prime minister for 22 years.

The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) held the office of Prime Minister for more than four decades, and now Samoa is looking at a new future with the FAST party and Mata’afa as Prime Minister. The FAST Party, created in 2020 as a response to the decades-long political domination of the HRPP. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa’s appointment as prime minister sparks an even larger conversation about Samoan women’s role in politics.

Mata’afa’s History

The Pacific region of the world has the lowest amount of female representation in government, and Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is hoping to inspire more women and young girls to involve themselves in local politics. Mata’afa’s upbringing contributes heavily to her passion for politics and women’s representation in Samoa. Mata’afa was born right before Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962, and her grandfather was very active in the Mau, a movement centered around gaining Samoa’s independence through non-violence.

Eventually, her grandfather would go on to become the first Prime Minister of Samoa. Mata’afa also saw influence from her mother who was a Pacific women’s rights activist and brought her daughter to many political gatherings. Her mother would go on to become a Member of Parliament.

To qualify as a political candidate in any capacity in Samoa, one must first be a matai – a respected title meaning chief. These titles cannot pass through inheritance, so when Mata’afa’s father passed away when she was 18, she went to court to claim her father’s title over the claims of others. Named Faime in 1978, Mata’afa became the chief over the Lotofaga village on Upolo, Samoa’s main island.

Men typically hold these titles, but young, unmarried women occasionally have them as well. Mata’afa’s political career skyrocketed following this and at 27, she became a Member of Parliament and has continued to hold this position ever since. Before her victory as Samoa’s first female Prime Minister, she made history when she served as the first female deputy female Prime Minister prior to the recent election.

The Context for Representation and the Election

“At the village governance level, women make up close to 36% of total Matai,” according to U.N. Women. Both women and men serve as ballot chiefs or Matai Polata. Before 1990, when all Samoan citizens gained suffrage, non-Matai could not vote. In 2013, a Constitutional amendment bill passed that required that women fill a minimum of 10% of parliament or five seats. This quota served to increase women’s representation in the Samoan government and people now know it as the 10% act.

Samoa’s most recent election, which ended with Mata’afa’s appointment, came at a time when only 9.8% of Parliament consisted of women. With a 51 person legislature, the HRPP and FAST parties tied with 25 seats each, leaving one independent elected. An additional HRPP-elected woman candidate filled a seat in Parliament to follow the 10% act. The sole independent then ended up voting with the FAST party, creating a locked 26-26 election.

The Samoan Supreme Court reviewed the election, ultimately deciding that the additional candidate that the HRPP party appointed was invalid. As a result, the FAST party candidate, Mata’afa, rightfully won the election to become Prime Minister. While many rejoiced in the celebration of Mata’afa’s victory and appointment as Samoa’s first female Prime Minister, Malielegaoi’s outrage surrounding the decision led to his refusal to step down as Prime Minister. Forcing her swearing-in ceremony to occur outside the locked doors, Malielegaoi even went so far as to lock Mata’afa and her supporters out of Parliament.

Looking Forward

Women’s rights in Samoa have evolved over the past few decades and now the country currently sees about “53% of the total public service” consist of women. In the private manufacturing sector, women also are a majority of the workforce and women own and run more than 40% of small businesses. Management and promotion opportunities for women in the Samoan workforce have also increased over time with chief officer positions and other top leadership roles that women hold.

Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is a role model for young Pacific women. Her political career has broken many barriers that women in the south Pacific region often face. Following in her family’s footsteps, she is working towards a better future for women in Samoa.

– Annaclaire Acosta
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

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Standardized English and Poverty

Standardized English and Poverty
Standardized English and Poverty can be attributed to the fact that English ranks as the most commonly spoken language in the world. English originated in England and then spread worldwide through colonization, the internet, print and the spoken word. Because it has spread through colonization, it has also become a marker of social standing globally. English was not always this unified language.

The Bare Beginnings

English has gone through many changes and evolutions throughout its time. Its letters come from the Roman alphabet with partial pronunciation from Anglo-Saxons. For a long time, many different English-speaking groups lived in England. After the conquests in the middle ages and moving the court seat to London, the new speaking norms came from the English of London instead of ancestral Wessex. Manuscripts underwent revisions to translate them in the dialect of London English. Through printing, this way of speaking spread nationwide. Language is constantly evolving, especially vowels, and many shifts occurred. This period also saw the rise of language purists against the perceived threat of different ethnicities and cultures.

British or American?

English contains two orthographies: British English and American English. Both have the same core rules but hold to some different spelling and terms. A great example of this can be seen in the television series, “The Great British Bake Off.” Aside from a change in accents, bakers use different words for the same thing. For example, a baker may say “sponge” instead of “cake.” Even the show has a name change in the U.S., from “The Great British Bake Off” to “The Great British Baking Show.”

These changes are due to time, distance and America’s colonization. The Englishmen who first came to America were poor and desperate for a new life. Therefore, a new dialect quickly formed in America based primarily on the linguistic styles of rural England. Over time, these dialect differences became bigger and bigger until they diverged officially into British English and American English.

Language and Class

Despite only having two specific orthographies, English sports a ton of different dialects. A dialect is a way of speaking specifically to a region or group. One example of this is AAVE or African-American Vernacular English. This dialect likely formed after the transatlantic trade of enslaved people from Africa, who mingled English with their native languages to form a new dialect. Many groups impacted by colonization, such as India and South America, experienced variations of this phenomenon.

Eventually, English’s various strains and dialects were applied to social class in industry-based societies. These linguistic variants are still closely related to questions of education and race in social stratification. Someone speaking AAVE demonstrates that they have less education and are therefore lower in class. Linguistic discrimination occurs when those who don’t use standardized English are barred from promotion for not appearing as educated or intelligent. At times, linguistic prejudice can even result in unfair legal rulings when particular vernaculars are discredited.

How It Haunts Us

The results of language colonization still exist today. India links English to education and class. Ever since Great Britain’s colonization of India, British culture is still considered high class. Skin-whitening products remain popular in India for this reason. Only 20% of the population speaking any English, and only 4% can boost fluency. Of the fluent speakers, 34% earn more money than those who are not. Fluent English-speakers enjoy more opportunities in jobs and education, which both factors heavily into poverty. Therefore, 96% of the population that doesn’t speak English suffer an immediate disadvantage. Fluency offers greater means to escape poverty. Many other countries and minorities harmed by colonization share this classist structure.

Towards Linguistic Equality

Many organizations, such as colleges, are growing increasingly aware of this linguistic class issue. In 2018, Yale Law School’s Environmental Justice Clinic mounted a legal fight against New Mexico’s Environment Department on the basis of language discrimination against native Spanish-speakers. The conversation increasingly revolves around making college a safe place for all dialects and opening the class barrier. Equalizing education access, especially in areas with sparse funding, offers the first step towards mending the classist language barrier. Additionally, advocates hope to stop discrimination through legal bills as well as encouraging more acceptance among the standardized English-speaking populace.

-Audrey Burran
Photo: Flickr

Togo Opens First Data Center in Lomé

Data Center in LoméIn July 2021, the African country of Togo took another step in its efforts of digital transformation and economic progress as it opened Togo’s first data center in the capital city of Lomé. The construction of the data center in Lomé began three years ago and was funded by a loan from the World Bank and the West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Project. The facility is part of the government’s plan for economic development and digital advancement. As Togo attempts to cement itself as a West African hub, Togo has risen about 50 spots in the World Bank’s “Doing Business” report in the last couple of years.

Poverty and Economic Development in Togo

Togo has made strides in growth leading up to 2020, but even pre-pandemic, past poverty levels were still high. More than half of the population has been living under the poverty line for years prior to the pandemic, according to the World Bank. The World Bank and the International Finance Corporation have lent the government a hand in improving conditions for its people by putting resources into the financial, energy, transportation and manufacturing sectors, which played a major role in Togo’s jump from 137th to 97th place in the Doing Business 2020 report.

Digital Transformation of Togo’s Economy

With investments into Togo’s digital economy and infrastructure, the country plans to grow in its wholesale broadband market and cheapen service costs for its people. The government aims for a complete structural reformation of the Togolese economy. In the hopes of job creation and modernization of key institutions, Togo’s data center was constructed as a part of the long-term investment into digital technology.

Hawa Cissé Wagué, the World Bank resident representative for Togo, tells the World Bank that the pandemic has displayed the necessity of increasing Togo’s digital infrastructure in order to improve services and economic productivity. So far, Togo’s data center and its development have mildly restored its reputation and its future looks bright as foreign investment ramps up with a number of prominent banks in the region choosing to operate and do business within Togo.

Impact of the Data Center in Lomé

The secure, quality and reliable nature of the advanced technology makes the investment into the data center significant in the long run for the Togolese economy. The locally stationed data center will directly impact the surrounding community by providing employment opportunities within the facility itself but it will also have a ripple effect and extend throughout the country, according to government plans. Distributed data centers offer lower transaction costs as well as convenience when it comes to digital regulations. The centers also come with lower geopolitical risks and are safer for data storage.

– Gene Kang
Photo: Flickr