Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Cash Grants in Kenya: Elevating Poor Communities

cash grants in Kenya
If you have ever wondered what good remittances do for poverty reduction, a study done by the researching nonprofit Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) could help put things in perspective. Researchers at IPA evaluated the economic progress of Kenyan villages from 2014 to 2017 after families were given unconditional cash transfers or UCTs. The cash grants in Kenya were provided by a charity organization called GiveDirectly.

The results of the study highlight the potential UCTs have to financially elevate communities around the world. However, when dispersed without careful consideration, some aspects of cash transfers can be detrimental. Let’s discuss GiveDirectly’s trial and why it was successful in initiating great economic stimulation in Kenya.

The Logistics of the Study

The study took place in villages surrounding Lake Victoria in Siaya County, Kenya. To avoid a concentration of funds, researchers categorized villages by two groups: villages with high saturation and low saturation status. Random assignment appointed two-thirds of high saturation villages and one-third of low saturation villages to the trial. As an extra measure to confirm financial need, GiveDirectly only chose families residing in homes with a thatched roof; about one-third of households qualified.

GiveDirectly provided money transfers in intervals to a family member, totaling 87,000 KES, or 1,000 USD. Data was recorded through baseline and closing surveys taken by the participating families and local business owners. The surveys covered topics such as “household financial, physical, and mental well-being, business performance, changes in market prices, and the provision of local public goods.”

Cash Grants in Kenya: The Results

The increase of income stimulated a surge in spending from recipient families. For the most part, these expenditures occurred in the region. Business disclosed that 86% of their clientele were from local or neighboring villages.

The increased consumption had a spillover effect, as non-participant households also saw an influx of income. According to their report, GiveDirectly claims that having higher local enterprise revenues, “in turn, appears to increase the income of local untreated households, leading to higher spending on their part.” The grants created a pattern of earning and consuming that resulted in overall higher cash flow in the area.

Furthermore, participant households across the board showed “higher levels of psychological well-being, food security, education, and security.” Increasing their financial security had an overall positive impact on many other aspects of their lives.

Why it Worked

Before the 2014 study, UCTs previously given by GiveDirectly were also proven to generate economic stimulation in Kenya due to rising consumption and investments. To fully understand the results of this study, it is important to note a few specific factors.

First, GiveDirectly provided UCTs rather than conditional cash transfers, or CTTs. The World Bank defines CCTs as being “contingent on behaviors like school attendance and visits to health clinics.” These requirements do not come as easily to some families as others, especially those living remotely. In contrast, UCTs provide financial support to families without burdening them with specific requirements that they may be unable to meet.

The location also played a big role in the success of this trial. GiveDirectly chose families from an area containing a major national road that IPA determines may be one of the reasons for economic overspill. The IPA report also depicts Kenya’s traditional “harambees,” gatherings meant for community fundraising, as another cause for the balanced wealth distribution.

Moving Forward

The economic stimulation in Kenya proves the efficiency of tactful cash grants. GiveDirectly’s accomplishments in poverty alleviation are just a fraction of what is possible. Moving forward, if more funds are devoted to foreign poverty aid, it is possible for such results to be seen on a global scale.

– Lizt Garcia
Photo: Flickr

Trash for Cash in South Africa

Trash for CashAlthough “trash” and “cash” would not normally be used in the same sentence, Packa-Ching, a mobile recycling company coined the term “swap trash for cash.” It helps educate the communities of South Africa about the importance of recycling waste instead of throwing it away where it ends up in one of many landfills. By providing payment for the recyclable waste, the company is slowly changing the recycling behavior of many. Its goals are to alleviate both poverty and the carbon footprint of all who participate in the program.

South Africa and Poor Living

Many people in all areas of South Africa live in poverty. Upper and lower-bound poverty lines measure poverty. It depends on different factors such as food and basic living needs. As of 2015, 55.5% of people lived below the upper-bound poverty line and 40% of people lived below the lower-bound poverty line. Several groups of people are more susceptible to living in poverty. 90% of Black people in South Africa are poor. Only 33.2% of children in 2015 didn’t live in poverty and people with no education were more likely to be poor.

Unemployment Rates Are Everything

Furthermore, unemployment and poverty go hand in hand. As of 2019, about 28.18% of South Africans were unemployed. In comparison, the unemployment rate for the United States was 3.68%. 40% of people live below the lower-bound poverty line in South Africa and 28% endure unemployment. There is a huge need to find a solution that can help reduce both numbers. Although there are many mountains to climb to help lower the unemployment rate in South Africa, recycling is one small option that can help.

Additionally, there are many economic benefits to recycling. For example, in 2001, the United States had over $236 billion in revenue from recycling. Recycling can reduce unemployment rates by creating jobs, and also eliminates the cost of landfills. Although there is always room to improve, through good habits, Americans essentially trade their trash for cash and have seen an economic boost as a result.

Packa-Ching

Launched in August 2017, Packa-Ching is a business that provides mobile recycling devices to many areas of South Africa. Individuals in those communities can bring their recyclable materials to the mobile units. It swaps trash for cash and gets paid in an electronic account in exchange for recyclables. The electronic bank account eliminates any problems that would accompany dealing with hard cash. The mobile units make recycling easy and convenient. The company focuses on many of the poorer areas, which provides a small income to the community and also allows for an easy cleanup of trash that would otherwise sit in a landfill.

Salvage Scheme

Packa-Ching aims to present its plan to the youth of South African communities, helping instill good habits from early ages. With 95% of South Africans not participating in a recycling program, there is huge room for growth. So many of the communities have not had any successful recycling programs before. As a result, pollution and waste surround inhabitants. When an individual can see how important it is to recycle, as well as how easy it is, their behavior can spread to others. They exchange their trash for cash based on the current value of each material, which is taken away, leaving a cleaner city behind.

Packa-Ching’s mission paves the way for a more profitable future for the participants and a cleaner future for the planet. Through convenient mobile recycling pickup, education through schools and a monetary incentive for individuals to recycle, they make the entire process fun and easy. When it asks people to swap trash for cash, it is helping create positive habits, which can ensure a brighter tomorrow for all.

– Tawney Smith
Photo: Unsplash

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Are Fair Trade Product Markets Really Fair?

Fair trade productsIn a global marketplace full of exploitative producers and hungry consumers, fair trade product markets can seem like a welcomed compromise that allows exporters in developing countries to prosper from their resources. These initiatives usually involve goods exported from developing countries to higher-income trading partners, including coffee, tea, cocoa and handicrafts. In more socially conscious trading models, producers are compensated equitably for their products and held to higher environmental and social standards. However, the true efficacy of fair trade models is complex.

Price and Accessibility

Consumer attitudes and behaviors play a significant role in the pervasiveness of fair trade products. Buyers often report positive attitudes toward more ethically traded items but are not always willing to pay the inevitably higher prices. As a result, fair trade products are still a more niche commodity, making up less than 1% of the market. Ironically, the extra expense of these items often makes them less accessible to lower-income consumers in developed countries, creating connotations of elitism. Despite these setbacks, the demand for more ethical products is steadily on the rise.

Fair Trade Product Marketing

Despite many well-intentioned consumer attitudes, fair trade product markets frequently feature marketing strategies that conjure up imperialistic images. Rather than honoring the work of exporters as equitable trading partners, many marketing campaigns portray farmers as grateful and dependent on western purchases.

Transparency in Fair Trade Certification

In products marked as fair trade, the certification might only apply to the product’s raw materials, rather than the full process of production. This means that a shirt made with fair trade cotton could have been manufactured in a sweatshop. Naturally, this lack of transparency can mislead consumers and dilute the meaning of the certification.

Economic Impact of Fair Trade

The efficacy of fair trade as a poverty management tool is up for debate as well. Although fair trade marketing is centered on empowering those in producing regions and reducing poverty, the effects are not as straightforward as many well-intentioned consumers might hope. A 2014 study theorizes that these practices are somewhat effective, “although on a comparatively modest scale relative to the size of national economies.”

Often, the poorest workers are spared the prosperity from fair trade product market practices. A study that observed coffee mills in Costa Rica between 1999 and 2014, explored the impacts of fair trade systems on household incomes within the region. Researchers found that farm owners and skilled growers reap most of the benefits. Unskilled laborers receive no benefits other than the economic spillover of an increasingly prosperous coffee-growing region.

Many requirements of the fair trade certification are inaccessible for growers with fewer resources. Smaller producers might struggle to pay the fees associated with becoming certified fair trade producers. Similarly, producers struggle to attract large corporate trading partners who have no interest in paying the extra cost of sourcing materials equitably. NGOs like Maya Traditions, which helps Guatemalan artisans sell their products on the international marketplace, aim to make entrepreneurship accessible to small producers in developing countries.

The Verdict

The efficacy of fair trade systems is the subject of a great deal of criticism. While fair trade products like coffee, tea, and cotton are worth investing in, the benefits are imperfect and not accessible to all producers or consumers. Some activists advocate for a ‘direct trade’ system, in which consumers can buy goods directly from growers while paying growers sums closer to retail prices. However, the direct trade model comes with its own set of challenges and infrastructural changes. Nonetheless, establishing a system that allows producers to reach more advanced development from trading their crops is challenging but is certainly worth investing in.

– Stefanie Grodman
Photo: Flickr

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The Resurging Tech Industry in South Asia

Tech Industry in South AsiaAs recently as a few decades ago, the pursuit of worldly education and career in Western countries was a badge of fame for South Asians. India, Pakistan and other South Asian nations could not offer the same level of job opportunity as the West. Therefore, many people in the educated class chose to emigrate in hopes of a wealthier lifestyle. Two factors contributed to this trend – the lack of opportunities at home and the increased quality of life abroad. At one point, over 80% of the graduates from India’s most prestigious university, IIT, used to pursue opportunities abroad.

As a result, the tech industry in South Asia fell to a baseline, sustaining itself without thriving. However, a phenomenon is occurring that has been dubbed a ‘reverse exodus’. Many of the South Asian professionals that emigrated to the West have returned to their mother country. This mass-return of individuals to their home countries is causing a boom in the industries that traditionally experienced what is known as ‘brain-drain’ (the loss of skilled professionals to emigration).

These five factors are integral to understanding the resurgence of the tech industry in South Asia.

5 Factors Causing The Resurging Tech Industry in South Asia

1. One of the major reasons behind the reverse exodus is for family. Parents that had once wanted their children to grow up in Western nations are returning to South Asia after a strong development in the education sector. Allowing children to grow up alongside a larger, more connected family creates a stronger bond than when oceans separate families. In addition, the parents of these emigrated high-skilled tech professionals are aging. The choice is to “bring them there or return home.” Oftentimes, the family will choose to return to their mother country to care for their aging parents.

2. The rapid development of South Asian opportunities pulls professionals back home. Rich with a younger population well-versed in global technology and a large market for labor, South Asia’s economy is on the cusp of a boom. This is recognized not only on the global economic scale but by the individuals choosing to return as well. In an interview conducted with a returnee, Ram, he notes that “there were opportunities in India – India is growing”. Ram already has a family and was advancing in his career steadily. However, the economic opportunity offered to him if he returned home was a stronger pull than anything in the West.

3. Industry specific zones are springing up, allowing clusters of innovation and clusters of returnees from the West. One example of this cluster effect is the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone in India, where medicinal technology is being innovated and discovered at a rapid rate. Medical and technology professionals from the West that returned to this sector find themselves surrounded by a silicon-valley type industry cluster. They also find clusters of similar-minded people. Returnee Ram meets people from Chicago and other US cities: “in the community of people (…) it’s like a mini-US”.

4. Capital for businesses is now readily available in South Asia. After the economy surged forward, jobs became widely available. Funding was plentiful for those that wished to start their own businesses. The IT industry hosts a yearly gathering in California for individuals who might want to return to South Asia. Companies like Intel, Amazon and Yahoo have started to attend the job fair. These potential opportunities for job growth pull many of the interested population back home. The job market and capital is potentially more accessible than in the West.

5. Government support is present for those that want to return and pursue a higher standard of living. Ram noted that entrepreneurial activities are “open to everyone”, fully accessible to anyone that wants to try their hand. The government streamlines the process so that “if you come and expect that you’re going to open your own company in a few weeks,” it’ll happen. Though there may be a more established support system in the West, the clear government support for individual development in South Asia is one of the strongest factors causing many to return.

Though the South Asian region continues its development as a result of the high-skilled professionals returning home, there is still substantial work to be done to retain the talent. Government support, economic opportunity, and familial support are all strong initial pulls. However, the issue of brain-drain won’t be fully resolved until there is sustained regional development. Focusing on industry development must be a mainstay for countries in the region in order to retain their talent and continue the growth of the tech industry in South Asia. Hopefully, through a region-wide commitment to development, South Asia will fully recover from the past losses of brain drain and develop into a hub for the global technology industry.

– Pratik Samir Koppikar
Photo: Flickr

Wakanda Today: Black Panther Inspires Africa

Black PantherWhen Black Panther graced the big screen in 2018, it altered the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans marveled at the rise of T’Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman. He claimed his birthright amid civil dispute and protected his people from colonization. Fans from every background admired their new hero and shouted “Wakanda Forever” upon leaving the theater.

In the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s death, Black Panther’s influence moved to the forefront of public conversation. At the same time, Marvel fans mourned the loss of their beloved hero and debated possible replacements for the title character, Black Panther-inspired Africa, to reassess its development strategies. Wakanda might be a fictional country, but the World Economic Forum claims it represents a technologically driven and socio-economically responsible vision for Africa.

An Ideal Africa

Wakanda embodies the United Nations 2020 Sustainable Development Goals as it presents an Africa with gender equality, no hunger, no poverty, good health, well-being and clean energy sources. While Africa cannot thrive on the fictional substance of “vibranium,” the World Economic Forum believes it can realize Wakanda’s “4.0 Globalization” by investing in its people, industries and governments. Here are three ways Black Panther is inspiring Africa’s development.

Youth Employment Opportunities

Like Black Panther, African communities see younger people as a developmental asset. T’Challa believed in youth, like his sister Shuri, and the African Development Bank Group does as well.

A 2019 study by the African Development Bank Group found 420 million unemployed young people in Africa, making them a valuable, untapped resource. The World Economic Forum suggested that Africa create over 130 million jobs for young people, doubling the number of opportunities currently available to spur economic growth across the continent. Indeed, the working-age population could increase productivity in industries, ensure economic prosperity and lower poverty rates.

Government Support of SMEs

Wakanda’s economy rivaled that of the most developed countries in our world. Again, “vibranium” will not stabilize African economics as it does not exist. However, the World Economic Forum believes that creating government-backed investment funds might ensure Africa’s economic prosperity.

African governments seem to be getting on board with this plan. They are investing in technological businesses as well as smaller SMEs, like startups. African governments already invested in SMEs within the agricultural industry, like FaLGates rice farms. They also funded healthcare SMEs, like Jamii Africa’s micro-health insurance group.

The World Economic Forum believes that investing in smaller companies could recycle and increase the African nation’s capital. The capital might never meet Wakanda’s gold standard, but it will improve Africa’s poverty rate and stimulate technological advancements.

Protecting Public Interests

Black Panther depicted an idealized version of politics. The film presented T’Challa as a leader who valued his citizens’ feedback and acted on their best interests. However, our political world does not always operate in this way, and corruption often surfaces.

The World Economic Forum claims that one-fourth of Africa’s GDP goes to “disguising” corruption. It suggests that governments become transparent about their programs and practices. Like Wakanda, African governments are fighting corruption and putting their people’s needs first. They are supporting medical programs and clean energy projects.

Black Panther projected a bright future for the African continent: one without poverty, disease or corruption. It also gave hope to a new generation of comic book fans. Chadwick Boseman’s passing once again prompted fans to cry, “Wakanda Forever.” However, Africa’s youth employment opportunities, SME investments and public interest projects will help it realize Wakanda today.

– Kyler Juarez
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Uighur Forced Labor in the Fashion Industry

Uighur Forced LaborSourcing from Uighur forced labor is so prevalent in the global fashion industry. Human rights groups have estimated that as many as one in five cotton products sold worldwide is outcomes of the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang. More than 30% of U.S. apparel imports from China. This means your clothes probably come from the region. Thus, incarcerated people may have partially produced them. Uighur forced labor links to supply chains around the world. Governments and companies bear a social responsibility to uphold international labor standards.

Difficulties with Regulation

Uighur forced labor is difficult to regulate. This is because brands may unwittingly be promoting the conditions of incarceration and cultural erasure. Brands may indirectly benefit from the use of Uighur workers outside Xinjiang through potentially abusive labor transfer programs. Cotton is routed to neighboring countries before arriving in the United States. This obscures the supply chain’s traceability. Leonie Barrie is an apparel analyst at the international analytics firm GlobalData. He speaks to this point of why eliminating Xinjiang cotton proves difficult and says, “we’re talking about multiple touchpoints along the supply chain.”

Information inconsistencies further complicate sourcing. False claims hinder activists who push for change from accurately linking brands to the factories. For instance, with Adidas, “one factory in Xinjiang has a giant billboard of Adidas on their premises,” explained Danielle Cave, a deputy director at ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre. Yet, Adidas denied having ties to the manufacturer. This obscurity with corroborating the statements of brands and manufacturers is a long-existing problem. Auditors and activists who combat issues of labor exploitation in the fashion industry have to face this issue.

Still, brands themselves prove reluctant to enact the full-scale changes necessary for living up to their ethical manufacturing commitments. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute published a report naming 83 brands that had “directly or indirectly benefited from the use of Uighur workers outside Xinjiang through potentially abusive labor transfer programs as recently as 2019.” The list included popular American brands such as Adidas, Calvin Klein, L.L. Bean, Zara and Uniqlo. When these companies responded to the claims, few explicitly confirmed whether they used Xinjiang cotton. Instead, they redirected towards their participation in organizations that promote ethical fashion.

Redirecting the Conversation

An example of brands redirecting the conversation is Nike’s reaction to The Washington Post’s story. The story was on a supplier Qingdao Taekwang Shoes Co, and their apparent use of forced Uighur labor in a central factory for Nike products. A spokesperson for Nike did not deny the claims. They claimed the company was “committed to upholding international labor standards globally.” They did not give action steps on following up on that commitment. Furthermore, even companies with rigorous corporate social-responsibility guidelines may employ Uighur forced labor, whether they are aware of it or not.

Where Change is Coming From

Change, however, is coming from a different direction: lawmakers and the activists behind them. On July 9, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned regional officials and a security agency for detaining over one million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in these forced labor camps. Prisoners could not practice Islam and underwent sterilization practices. Two new laws are also working through the United States Congress and the European Parliament. They prevent the import of goods made from forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region.

Such legislation could set a precedent for future laws that weed out forced labor from supply chains. However, simply preventing these imports from reaching the U.S. is only a temporary solution. To prevent Uighur forced labor from spreading to other markets, we must take a universal stance against exploitative practices and muddled supply chains.

– Christine Mui
Photo: Flickr

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The Process of Reducing Hunger in Libya

Hunger in Libya
Torn by civil war and violent conflict since 2011, Libya is a centerfold for poverty and mass hunger. Due to its geographical location and long history of favorable migrant-worker policies, hundreds of thousands of migrants flock to Libya every year. However, coupled with the country’s instability and the burden of over 600,000 refugees, Libya is reaching a tipping point.

Moreover, when it comes to dwindling food supplies and collapsing regional markets, hunger in Libya is becoming a more pressing issue with each passing day. So far, international organizations such as the World Food Programme are teaming up with local and regional nonprofits to provide meal kits to internally displaced families. While these efforts are noble, more work is necessary to resolve hunger in Libya.

Overview

Since 2014, children in Libya have lacked access to clean water and nutritious food. In fact, “21% of children aged less than five are stunted [in growth and development].” The situation is dire, as both institutional and external reforms are needed for any change to occur.

One of the main challenges for citizens and refugees in Libya in search of food is high prices and stagnant job markets. In fact, one of the most significant challenges for Libyan migrants relates to finding a way to make a living, followed by high food costs.

Furthermore, key EU countries, such as Italy, are criminalizing humanitarian assistance and food aid to refugees. This makes it incredibly difficult for nonprofits and local organizations to take care of fleeing migrants. As a result, they frequently have to return to Libya, which in turn increases the scarcity of food in Libya.

According to the Center for Global Development, “France and Italy have forbidden citizens from giving food, water, and shelter to refugees and migrants. Hungary passed the “Stop Soros” law, criminalizing individuals and NGOs helping migrants claim asylum. Anti-smuggling laws are also being used to prosecute individuals who provide aid close to the borders.”

Overcoming the Challenges of Hunger in Libya

Despite challenges presented to them, nonprofits and international organizations are taking gradual and significant action to reduce hunger in Libya. For instance, one prevalent challenge is the ever-changing environmental landscape and sporadic resource availability. Due to dramatic fluctuations in global markets, food has become more scarce. Since the Middle East and North African region is one of the world’s largest food suppliers, rising temperatures and diminishing ability to sell food amplify hunger, especially in Libya. In fact, countries like Libya are also the most stressed for water, making matters worse.

Moreover, growing conflict in the region is straining already fragile food supplies in Libya. As Libya engages in a series of ethnic, political and military conflicts, millions have descended into hunger to the point where some are considering it one of the top 18 countries struggling with hunger.

Furthermore, warring governmental and political forces are amplifying corruption and halting aid. Since the government relies upon oil for 95% of its funding, tanks in the oil markets for the past two years have devastated the national reserve. Moreover, in a country where militias are a priority, mass Libyan hunger is often a backburner issue.

Reforms for the Future

Although hunger in Libya is a prevalent issue, if international organizations and governments work together, they can make the situation less bleak. For example, inter-regional cooperation between neighboring local governments and regional organizations can maximize food availability.

The opening of trade routes in the region has had positive effects in the past. Take, for instance, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA), which has so far provided a solid framework for increases in agricultural markets and boosting food supplies. Moreover, internationally sponsored research and development into sustainable food systems could provide fruitful prospects, such as:

  1. Increase evidence of the nutritional value and biocultural importance of these [sustainable] foods.
  2. Better link research to policy to ensure these foods are considered in national food and nutrition security strategies and actions.
  3. Improve consumer awareness of these alternative foods’ desirability so that people may more easily incorporate them into diets, food systems and markets. This approach already underwent testing in seven countries and has already shown several positive effects, reducing hunger and increasing food quality.

If international organizations, local governments and development aides spearheaded such policies, hunger in Libya could reduce if not resolve. Hunger in Libya is a serious problem, one that affects hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Nevertheless, if the world bands together to fight against poverty and hunger, Libya could see beyond tomorrow.

– Juliette Reyes
Photo: Flickr

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Female Leaders in the Pandemic Find Success

Female Leaders in the PandemicIn the months since COVID-19 first emerged in late 2019, the world has experienced many challenges that have led people across countries to experience economic, social and political instability. The pandemic has also exposed another issue: COVID-19 has displayed the strengths of female leaders while highlighting the need for more opportunities for women in the future.

Female-led Countries Perform Better

Around the world, female leaders in the pandemic have been praised for their response to the global crisis.

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has become a stellar example of thoughtful and resourceful leadership in handling COVID-19. Her decision to implement strict lockdown procedures at the beginning of the pandemic saved thousands of lives and the country’s economy. On June 8, months before many other areas, Ardern declared there were no longer any cases of COVID-19 in the country.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has done a significantly better job at controlling the virus in Germany than many of her European neighbors. Even though the virus hit Germany hard, the country “had about a quarter as many deaths as France,” in April.

In Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen combated COVID-19 early. By beginning testing in late December, she prevented the virus from getting out of control in its early stages. Praised for her approach to containing the virus, the president now has a 61% approval rating.

Such successes of female leaders in the pandemic are not isolated events. The strength, compassion, thoughtfulness and collaboration that women have shown throughout the pandemic have benefited the health and safety of their countries. Across the world, female-led countries “have suffered six times fewer confirmed deaths from COVID-19 than countries with governments led by men.”

The Strengths of Female Leadership

Women bring specific strengths to the table when it comes to leadership. Women are naturally more inclined to act compassionately and work cooperatively. These characteristics are especially important in the midst of the pandemic. Focusing on collaboration instead of competition is the only way to effectively handle an international crisis. Contact tracing, self-isolation and simply wearing a mask are all altruistic actions that depend on a cooperative response from the public. Leaders must serve as role models by exemplifying those actions.

Humility has also been recognized as a characteristic closely associated with women and is vital to managing the pandemic. Leaders must acknowledge that they cannot eradicate the virus alone and recognize the value of insight from experts like the medical community.

Female Experience and Crisis Management

Female leaders are also, to some degree, free from the expectations grounded in toxic masculinity, including the standard to act aggressively and competitively. This appeal to hyper-masculinity has appeared in some male-led countries during the pandemic. In the United States, for example, by calling himself a wartime president, President Trump has framed the virus as an enemy requiring the same aggression and violence as war. His decision not to wear a mask is an attempt to appear strong and assertive over his enemy. However, this kind of militaristic charisma does intimidate a virus. In contrast, many female leaders have “emphasized compassion and patience, rather than war and victory,” thus taking a more humane approach that prioritizes the health and safety of human lives over a desire to appear ‘tough’.

Women’s life experiences also inform their response to a crisis. Comprising the majority of essential workers and the newly unemployed, women may have a more empathetic response to the pandemic. Women of color “may be more attuned to the disproportionate impact of the virus on marginalized communities than people who have never had to think about marginalization before.”

For female leaders in the pandemic, these experiences bring to light the severity of the situation while fostering compassionate and collaborative solutions to overcome the crisis.

The Girls LEAD Act

The success of female leaders in fighting the pandemic has made one thing clear: women should receive greater political and leadership opportunities. The Borgen Project supports the Girls LEAD Act, which seeks “to strengthen the participation of adolescents, particularly girls, in democracy, human rights, and governance.”

The Act aims to expand opportunities for girls by implementing “activities to increase adolescent girls’ civic and political knowledge and skills and address barriers to political participation.” It also offers “foreign assistance funding for democracy, human rights, and governance programs.”

Female leaders in the pandemic have highlighted the importance of opening opportunities for women through legislation such as the Girls LEAD Act. Women’s ability to participate in politics and access leadership roles is not only of pivotal importance for gender equality but also imperative to the health and safety of our world.

– Jessica Blatt
Photo: Wikimedia

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The Falling Rate of Malnutrition in Asia

Malnutrition in Asia
Over the past 50 years, the international battle against malnutrition has raged on every continent. However, the falling malnutrition in Asia has proven the effectiveness of the global intervention in the conflict; with statistics pointing out a 15% decrease in stunting between 2000 and 2017, experts are optimistic that additional action could lead to even more success.

Although this progress comes for a variety of reasons, experts cite the increased involvement of non-governmental organizations and novel government initiatives. After a plethora of meetings among the countries, including the annual Asia Pacific Nutrition Meet & Expo, plans have formulated among every nation. The dedication of all parties involved is a large part of the success.

The Fight Across Borders

Although one cannot understate the impact of government action on the recent success, international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs for short) have taken the fight to every corner of Asia; the variety of methods introduced provided a multipronged attack against malnutrition poised to continue for the foreseeable future.

These organizations battle malnutrition in Asia in multiple ways; some take the fight directly to local communities, while others act as private research groups providing important data for each country’s policymakers. In their own way, every active NGO assists in the process of lowering the rate of malnutrition, contributing to prior decades of success.

Who Leads the Fight

Although every organization deserves credit for the success, distinguished NGOs producing results in the region include Action Against Hunger (AAH) and the World Public Health Nutrition Association (WPHNA). These two groups differ in their courses of action, but both are instrumental in the falling rates of malnutrition in Asia.

The WPHNA specializes in research on the causes of hunger and malnutrition globally, allowing it to effectively produce the evidence necessary to convince policymakers to take action. Although politicians share an interest in alleviating the struggle of their malnourished citizens, taking action can be expensive, and if the initiative fails, it could cost them their jobs. By providing data and reasonable conclusions regarding appropriate methods of fighting malnutrition, WPHNA convinces policymakers that certain actions are safe and worth considering.

Actions Against Hunger fights hunger directly in communities by identifying the needs for infrastructure and resources that leave communities impoverished. The group partners with local towns to provide funding for widely supported initiatives, taking the fight directly to its source.

These two NGOs only comprise a fraction of the currently active organizations in the Asia-Pacific region. However, they have seen their success exemplified in statistics like the aforementioned decrease in stunting – data on wasting before 2018 is not readily available.

A Persisting Battle

Yet, despite all the progress up to this point, more improvement is necessary. When addressing the 821 million people suffering from malnutrition globally, roughly 520 million live in Asia and the Pacific. Moreover, a massive percentage of these citizens still require assistance. Despite the widespread initiatives and successes, NGOs still insist that more can and must occur to resolve the crisis.

The organizations often cite the opportunities available to end malnutrition; recent innovations in studies on the subject can reveal where intervention is optimal along the line for families receiving too much or too little food, and where governments can step in with funding or where NGOs can intervene and create change. For now, progress marches on slowly, but the opportunity for investment offers expedited change.

– Joe Clark
Photo: Flickr

The Process of Reducing Hunger in Cyprus

Hunger in Cyprus
The Republic of Cyprus is an island country that is located in the Mediterranean. The country is between the Middle East on one side and Europe on the other. While The Republic of Cyprus has a rich history and is a beautiful location, the country has had issues with feeding its citizens in the past. Nonetheless, international organizations are making efforts to help reduce hunger in Cyprus. The U.N. is one such organization that is making efforts to help the people of Cyprus through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Hunger in Cyprus

One of the goals is to end hunger in Cyprus by providing food security, improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture. The U.N. states that Cyprus is usually able to provide food for its people and that the status of nutrition among its citizens is for the most part good. However, there have been instances in the past where this was not the case. In 2013, for example, there was a financial crisis in the country where 2,500 families had to rely on the charity of food banks to meet their daily needs. Additionally, Cyprus faced difficulties in agriculture because Cyprus has a semi-arid climate and water resources that rely on rainfall to replenish them. To overcome those challenges to effective agriculture, Cyprus must improve its production through investments and innovation.

Improving Agriculture in Cyprus

The E.U. is currently trying to do just that for the agriculture of Cyprus. It has implemented The Farm Advisory Services Programme back in 2017. The E.U. understands how vitally important agriculture is to the economy of Cyprus. There are about 10,000 farms that take up 60% of the land in Cyprus. There are also about 125,000 hectares in the north of Cyprus that have dedicated themselves to agricultural production alone. The Food Advisory Services Programme seeks to provide the farmers of Cyprus with the training and technical support that they need to best improve their production. The E.U. began the Food Advisory Program by reaching out to Cyprus farmers in 723 consultations with them. The goal of these consultations was to make sure that as many farmers as possible would have access to E.U. funding. By providing this type of support, the E.U. hopes to prevent hunger in Cyprus.

Not only will improved agricultural techniques help prevent hunger in Cypress, but it will also help the country compete on a global scale. Since 2018, the agricultural sector of Cyprus has been able to make great strides. About 50% of agricultural exports in Cyprus go to the E.U. with the rest going to European countries not part of the E.U., the Middle East or Asia. While Cyprus cannot put out as many agricultural products as larger countries, it can excel in the quality of its agricultural goods. For example, the Cypriot potato is a well known and vital export that makes up 40% of the country’s agricultural products. This particular product is of great quality in Cyprus.

Such progress in the agricultural sector will help the country alleviate its poverty and prevent the possibility of hunger in Cyprus should there ever be another economic crisis.

– Jacob E. Lee
Photo: Flickr