Archive for category: Women and Female Empowerment

information and Stories about woman and female empowerment.

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Fragility and the Rule of Law in Saudi Arabia

Rule of Law in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest economies, yet wealth does not guarantee that everyone shares in its security. This article examines fragility and the rule of law in Saudi Arabia. Here, fragility does not mean state collapse. It means the gaps in legal protection and enforcement that leave some people exposed to economic hardship, even in a country with abundant resources.

Migrant workers and women face the sharpest version of this problem. For migrant workers, weak or uneven enforcement can mean unpaid wages and few options for redress. For women, family law and guardianship rules still shape financial decisions, even after significant reforms. Understanding the rule of law in Saudi Arabia is essential to seeing where reform is working and where it must go further.

The Legal System

Saudi Arabia’s legal system is in transition. For most of the kingdom’s history, courts applied uncodified Sharia, and judges relied on individual interpretations. Under Vision 2030, large parts of the system are now written down. Labor Law covers most private-sector employment. The Personal Status Law, passed in March 2022, governs family matters. The Civil Transactions Law was issued in June 2023 and took effect that December.

Criminal law is the notable gap. As of February 2026, the rights group ALQST reported that a Penal Code of Discretionary Sanctions, originally due in 2022, had still not passed. A draft leaked in 2022 and Amnesty International analyzed it in a March 2024 report. Amnesty argued that the draft would write existing repressive practices into law and contravene international law. The Saudi Human Rights Commission denied the leaked draft’s authenticity and told Amnesty that a draft code was under legislative review. Codification alone does not guarantee better protection. It depends on what the written rules say.

Economic security depends on being able to anticipate how the law will treat individuals. When legal rules or their enforcement are uncertain, workers, tenants and small business owners cannot easily know their rights or judge whether a dispute is worth pursuing. Accountability matters just as much. Without reliable ways to hold employers and officials answerable, even well-written protections go unenforced, and the people with the least bargaining power bear the cost.

Rule of Law and Legal Insecurity in Saudi Arabia

The people most exposed to weak legal protection are those with the least power to enforce their rights. By mid-2024, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) estimated that non-Saudi residents numbered about 15.7 million, or 44.4% of the kingdom’s 35.3 million people. Those figures count residents, not workers, and include families. Al Jazeera’s March 2026 account lists Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt and Sudan as the largest foreign-resident groups. Many migrant workers are employed in construction, domestic work and other low-wage sectors.

Under the kafala (sponsorship) system, a worker’s legal status has traditionally been tied to a single employer. A March 2017 regional report from the International Labour Organization and Amnesty International describe recurring problems, including unpaid or delayed wages, passport confiscation and recruitment debts that leave workers unable to leave an abusive job. Because these workers often send most of their earnings home, a single case of wage theft can push both a worker and a remittance-dependent family deeper into poverty.

Women face a different form of legal insecurity. Guardianship rules have been loosened, but Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International both argue that the 2022 Personal Status Law codified male guardianship in marriage, divorce and decisions about children. Amnesty adds that the law disadvantages women economically when a marriage ends. These are criticisms from rights groups, not findings of a court.

For both groups, access to justice is the common weak point. Independent labor organizing is restricted, legal aid is limited, and many workers fear retaliation, including the loss of a job or residency, if they report abuse. A right that cannot be enforced offers little protection, so the burden of insecurity falls on those least able to absorb it.

Reforms for Workers

Saudi Arabia has taken real steps to loosen employers’ legal hold over migrant workers, but each reform has limits on who it covers.

The 2021 Labor Reform Initiative. The Jones Day analysis cited here was written in December 2020, before implementation. It describes reforms taking effect on March 14, 2021, for employment that the Labor Law covered. Under them, workers can leave a job without the employer’s consent when a contract expires. Before expiry, they can leave after one year in the country with 90 days’ notice. Workers can also change jobs within the first year in certain circumstances. Exit and re-entry requests moved onto a government platform, though authorities may deny exit where debts or fines are outstanding. The same article notes that domestic and agricultural workers, among others, are governed by separate laws and that it was unclear whether the reforms would reach them. The ILO says domestic workers make up about 30% of the foreign workforce and are excluded from Labor Law protections. As a result, the reform is not unrestricted mobility for all migrant workers.

Domestic-worker wage transfers. Separately, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has required electronic salary transfers for domestic workers in stages. The final stage, effective Jan. 1, 2026, covers all employers. Transfers run through banks and digital wallets approved by the Musaned platform, with the aim of documenting that wages were paid. The ministry’s announcement describes a record-keeping and transparency measure. It does not say that the requirement itself gives a worker a fast enforcement route for unpaid wages.

The Unified Employment Contract Initiative. A different measure makes the wage clause of certain documented contracts directly enforceable. According to Clyde & Co, it launched in stages from October 2025. It applies only to contracts documented on the Qiwa platform and verified with an execution number issued through the Ministry of Justice. Workers can file for enforcement through the Najiz platform after 30 days of full non-payment, or 90 days of partial payment. Employers then have five days to comply before sanctions begin. Clyde & Co describes three phases, with the last, covering open-ended contracts, scheduled from Aug. 6, 2026. It does not say domestic workers’ contracts fall within this route.

Amnesty’s report covering 2025 says kafala continued to restrict workers’ ability to change jobs or leave the country despite limited reforms.

Reforms for Women

Since 2019, women over 21 have been able to obtain passports and travel without a guardian’s permission, and women over 18 can register births, marriages and divorces.

Several of the women who campaigned for these changes have been released from prison but remain restricted. Amnesty’s report covering 2025 says Loujain al-Hathloul and Maryam al-Otaibi remained under travel bans after imprisonment, and that Salma al-Shehab was released in February 2025 after serving four years of a 27-year sentence. Whether these gains will reduce poverty depends on enforcement, and laws that exist on paper only help people who can use them.

Solutions

Monitoring by the ILO and human rights organizations helps show where laws are and are not being applied, and gives workers an independent record to point to. The ILO’s own assessment, in November 2020, was that the announced reforms had potential when fully implemented and that monitoring would be key.

On June 4, 2025, workers’ delegates from 36 countries filed a complaint under Article 26 of the ILO Constitution. It alleges that Saudi Arabia has failed to implement ratified ILO conventions, citing forced labor, wage theft, abuse and discrimination affecting migrant workers under kafala. The ILO Governing Body, a supervisory body of government, employer and worker representatives, not a court, declared the complaint receivable in November 2025. It did so only for the Forced Labour, Protection of Wages and Discrimination Conventions (Nos. 29, 95 and 111), because Saudi Arabia has not ratified the others originally cited.

Saudi Arabia asked that the complaint be dismissed. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other groups urged the Governing Body to reject that request. In March 2026, the Governing Body took note of the report, encouraged the parties to continue their dialogue and deferred the item to its 358th Session in November 2026. As of October 22, 2026, that consideration is pending. The Governing Body has made no finding on whether Saudi Arabia is in breach, so the allegations remain allegations.

Separately from the complaint, Saudi Arabia and the ILO signed the third phase of their Programme of Cooperation on June 4, 2025. The ILO describes this phase as advancing safe and decent working conditions and social protection for all workers, especially women, foreign workers and low-skilled laborers. It also covers raising awareness of the 2021 reform’s effect on labor mobility and the recognition and protection of domestic workers’ rights.

Looking Ahead

National wealth alone does not make people secure. Predictable, enforceable law is a form of poverty reduction, because it lets workers keep what they earn and seek redress when they are wronged. With reform under way and international attention on the Gulf, the task now is to make sure the rights already promised reach the people they were written for.

– Ghita El Mernissi

Photo: Unsplash

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Solar Irrigation in Mexico Helps Maya Women Build Resilience

Farmers applying fertilizer on crops; solar irrigation in Mexico supports sustainable agriculture.
For Maya women in the Yucatán Peninsula, solar irrigation in Mexico may help protect agricultural livelihoods from unpredictable rainfall and drought. The Commission for Environmental Cooperation documents an initiative led by the Túumben K’óoben cooperative that combines solar technology, water access and technical training to help rural communities respond to climate pressures.

These opportunities matter in a country where 65.2% of Mexico’s Indigenous population lived in poverty in 2022, according to Mexico’s National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL). This national figure provides context; it does not measure poverty among project participants.

Why Climate Change Makes Poverty Harder to Escape

Research with Maya farming communities has found that changing rainfall patterns can reduce milpa yields, limit cultivated areas and threaten crop diversity, increasing food insecurity. For households relying on agriculture, poor harvests can mean less food and lower earnings. Limited savings and credit can make it harder to adapt or recover from climate shocks.

Research with Maya farming communities has found that changing rainfall patterns can reduce milpa yields, limit cultivated areas and threaten crop diversity, increasing food insecurity. For households relying on agriculture, poor harvests can mean less food and lower earnings. Limited savings and credit can make it harder to adapt or recover from climate shocks.

Solar irrigation may help by making water available when rainfall is unreliable. Its benefits depend on access to suitable equipment, financing and sustainable water sources.

Solar Irrigation Cuts Costs and Creates Income Opportunities

Solar panels power pumps that draw water from wells or other sources. By reducing reliance on gasoline-powered pumps, solar irrigation can lower fuel costs and make watering crops more affordable.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that irrigated land accounts for 48% of global crop value despite representing 23% of cropland. Average yields on irrigated land are 76% higher than on rainfed land.

The CEC reports that Túumben K’óoben held four solar-energy workshops that trained at least 80 women and implemented a pilot to market 50 solar-powered lighting systems and four solar-powered irrigation pumping systems. The initiative aimed to involve about 150 women, 100 men and 50 young people. Direct beneficiaries included Sotuta, Yucatán, and communities in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo.

A 2026 study in Sci examined an autonomous photovoltaic pumping system for an isolated agricultural community in Mexico’s Mixteca Poblana region. Its financial model estimated annual gross revenue of about 94,168 Mexican pesos from one hectare of forage maize across two growing cycles. It estimated annual production costs of about 21,548 pesos and an initial investment of about 111,275 pesos, including pumping equipment and first-year operating costs. The model projected break-even in the second year.

A separate solar-pumping project supported by Sostenibilidad Global AC in Maní, Yucatán, also aims to reduce energy costs for Maya farming households. These examples show how solar technology could support production, although outcomes depend on local conditions, crops and market access.

How Technical Skills Help Women Lead Climate Adaptation

The CEC initiative includes workshops to strengthen women’s solar-technology knowledge and system-management skills. The Honnold Foundation lists solar education and installation training for 80 Maya women, alongside access to solar irrigation and lighting for 30 households and 18 additional farmland plots, among the partnership’s reported impacts. These figures should not be added to the CEC totals; the sources do not establish that the participant groups are distinct.

Research in Gender, Place & Culture highlights how Maya women’s agricultural knowledge, food cultivation and home gardens help sustain families and preserve traditional practices. It provides context on women’s livelihoods, not measured outcomes from solar irrigation.

Why Solar Irrigation Needs Sustainable Water Management

Solar irrigation cannot eliminate drought or guarantee harvests. The World Bank identifies benefits and risks: solar pumps can reduce conventional energy use and operating costs, but cheaper pumping may encourage greater water extraction.

A 2025 Frontiers in Water study, based on surveys with 88 farmers and interviews with 12 experts in Yemen’s Sana’a Basin, also warned that solar irrigation could pressure vulnerable groundwater resources. Although the study concerns Yemen, it illustrates the need to pair renewable energy with water governance. In Yucatán, where groundwater is a major source, monitoring and sustainable use are essential.

Community Ownership Connects Climate Resilience and Poverty Reduction

Climate pressures can threaten harvests and earnings, while reliable irrigation may help sustain cultivation and reduce operating costs. The CEC initiative documents local investment in solar systems and women’s training, while broader agricultural evidence supports the importance of water access. The available sources do not establish that these initiatives have increased incomes or reduced poverty among Maya women in Yucatán.

Long-term benefits depend on affordable equipment, training, maintenance and responsible water management. Solar irrigation is not a standalone solution to poverty, but it may help communities manage climate-related livelihood insecurity when systems are locally managed and suited to available water resources.

– Zeba Vagh

Zeba is based in Melbourne,Victoria, Australia and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Updates on SDG 5 in Bolivia: Small Loans Empower Women

SDG 5 in Bolivia
Nearly four in 10 women in Bolivia live in poverty. Fundación Jubileo analyzed 2024 data from Bolivia’s National Institute of Statistics. It found that 38.2% of women live in poverty, compared with 37.1% of men.

Sustainable Development Goal 5

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 aims “to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.”

Updates on SDG 5 in Bolivia often focus on national data, but one organization shows how local work can contribute to the goal. Two educators founded Pro Mujer in El Alto in 1990. It reports reaching 1.8 million Bolivian women.

Why Poverty Hits Bolivian Women Harder

Fundación Jubileo links the gap to women’s lower access to formal jobs, their heavier load of unpaid work and barriers in the economy and education system.

According to UN Women’s undated country profile, Bolivian women aged 15 and older spend 23.1% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work. That is nearly double the 11.9% that men spend.

Many women turn to the informal economy to earn an income and provide for their families. According to an International Labour Organization study cited by United Nations Development Programme, eight in 10 Bolivian women work informally.

A 2024 UNDP study surveyed 818 informal women entrepreneurs in four cities: La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. It found that 73% work up to 72 hours a week and 76% are the heads of their households.

From El Alto to Bangladesh

Pro Mujer started when women in El Alto asked for financing to support their families and continue their education. In 1990, educators Lynne Patterson and Carmen Velasco were providing food to women living in poverty in the city.

In response to the women’s request, Patterson and Velasco traveled to Bangladesh. There, they learned how microfinance works from Muhammad Yunus. Yunus founded Grameen Bank and pioneered small loans for people living in poverty. The pair then brought the model back to Bolivia.

More than three decades later, the need remains urgent. In a 2023 commentary, Pro Mujer CEO Carmen Correa cited CAF figures showing that only 49% of women in Latin America and the Caribbean had a bank account. She also wrote that 70% of women entrepreneurs in the region had no access to financing.

Group Loans Without Collateral

Pro Mujer lends through communal banks. These are groups of women who lack collateral and support one another when a member cannot make a payment.

According to Pro Mujer General Manager Oscar Cabrera, trust between women replaces the property that banks usually require. Pro Mujer also pairs these loans with health services and business training.

This approach relates to SDG target 5.a, which calls for women’s equal access to “financial services.”

Pro Mujer became a regulated development finance institution in 2017. In November 2022, CAF approved a loan of about $3 million. The loan was intended to fund microloans for around 3,750 low-income clients, mainly women.

Results for Bolivian Women

Updates on SDG 5 in Bolivia rarely capture work at this local level. According to Pro Mujer, in 2022 it provided:

In a later announcement, Pro Mujer said five new branches brought its total in Bolivia to 53. Pro Mujer also reported that 82% of its clients said their quality of life had improved and 75% said their business income had increased.

According to its 2025 annual report, Pro Mujer provided more than 142,900 loans across Latin America that year. It disbursed more than $238.8 million and reached more than 221,000 people through its financial services programs.

Digitizing Tools for the Future

Updates on SDG 5 in Bolivia also point to new digital tools. Pro Mujer now offers QR code payments and customer service through WhatsApp. It also trains women to market their businesses on Facebook and TikTok. Its “Mujeres Plateadas” program teaches technology skills to women over 60.

This training relates to SDG target 5.b, which calls for using technology “to promote the empowerment of women.”

UNDP identifies older women with limited digital skills as one of the most vulnerable groups of informal workers.

According to Pro Mujer’s 2025 annual report, the organization has worked with 2.8 million women across Latin America over its history.

Pro Mujer’s journey began in 1990, when a group of women in El Alto asked for help. Today, it offers small loans, practical training and digital tools to women across Bolivia. For readers following updates on SDG 5 in Bolivia, its work shows how wider access to finance and technology can contribute to gender equality.

– Kerry Heywood

Kerry is based in London and focuses on Business and New Markets, and Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Women’s Economic Participation in Sao Tome and Principe

Women's Economic Participation in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe is a small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western coast of Central Africa, with roughly 220,000 residents. Women’s economic participation in Sao Tome and Principe trails men’s on several measures. The World Bank’s Gender Data Portal indicates that although Sao Tome and Principe behaves similarly to other lower-middle-income countries, its performance on indicators related to women’s economic empowerment more closely resembles its low-income neighbors. The country, however, has made strong legislative strides to safeguard women’s rights, such as passing a Gender Parity Law and reforming labor codes. A more recent program developing women’s economic positions while supporting local agricultural businesses looks promising.

Where Inequality Stands

Women’s economic participation in Sao Tome and Principe is close to men’s on paper, but participation is low for everyone. Available World Bank indicators point to barriers to economic opportunity, although measures of employment, labor-force participation and earnings should not be treated as interchangeable. Among those who work, women are slightly more likely to be in vulnerable employment (35.8% versus 34.2%), and the 2025 youth unemployment rate was 9.4% for women and 8.3% for men. UN reporting indicates that women face economic disparities, but gross national income per capita is not a direct measure of the wage gap.

Educational attainment also paints a similar picture. Research that UNESCO conduced found that the gender gap in school exclusion has almost disappeared, with the out-of-school rate among girls of primary and secondary school age falling from 47% to 28%, compared to a rate of 27% among boys. However, while parity has been achieved in primary and lower secondary education, women trail behind men in educational attainment. Although enrollment numbers are equal at the start, post-secondary education remains scarce for women. With a high adolescent fertility rate, pregnancy remains one of the leading reasons girls leave school early, sharply lowering retention and transition rates into secondary education. Recognizing this, the Disciplinary Act was removed in 2020, which prohibited pregnant girls from attending classes or school activities.

The Gender Parity Law

Women’s economic participation depends partly on who makes public decisions and who holds public jobs. The Gender Parity Law, adopted in 2022, sets a minimum 40% representation threshold for women and men in covered political and public decision-making bodies. The National Assembly approved it unanimously on July 28, 2022, and it entered into force 60 days after its publication on Sept. 19. That was after the September 2022 election, in which women won 8 of 55 seats (14.5%), down from 25.4% in 2018.

The UN declares the government has met the 40% target, and the World Bank reported that women held 41.7% of ministerial positions in 2024, but only 14.5% of parliamentary seats. However, even though targets have been met, the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 report scored Sao Tome and Principe’s legal frameworks at 68 out of 100 and experts’ perceptions of enforcement at 48 out of 100. The parity law can affect representation, but it does not by itself demonstrate better employment or income outcomes. One of the largest new projects is in fishing, a sector the 2023-2027 National Development Plan prioritizes for poverty reduction, and the project’s funder has written women’s access into its design.

Investing in Fishing Communities

Fishing is important to livelihoods and food security, and the government is supporting infrastructure and training in the sector. The African Development Bank (ADB) approved a $21.9 million grant for the Blue Economy and Fisheries Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Maintenance (BEFIRM) project. Running from 2026 to 2030, it will rehabilitate three fishing ports, replace 400 wooden canoes with fiberglass vessels and add six cold storage facilities and four refrigerated trucks.

The ADB expects it to directly benefit 30,000 people along the fish value chain, mainly small-scale fishers, processors and traders. At least 50% of its training and cooperative support will target women and youth, with specific provisions for women-led small businesses and cooperatives. An ADB official said women are central to the fish value chain but struggle to access equipment, finance and markets, and that the project will give women fish traders and processors infrastructure, training and pathways to formalize and scale their businesses. These are targets, not results, and the ADB’s release does not say how many of the direct beneficiaries will be women. The ADB says the project aligns with the 2023-2027 National Development Plan, which prioritizes the blue economy for poverty reduction.

Looking Ahead

Both the parity law and the BEFIRM project are young, and neither has yet shown results for women’s incomes. Whether they improve women’s economic participation in Sao Tome and Principe will depend on how they are conducted in the coming years.

– Anjali Pathak

Anjali is based in London and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How UNDP in Sudan is Helping the Country Grow

UNDP in Sudan
Since the outbreak of conflict in 2023, nearly 6.9 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty. Farming communities have collapsed, more than 70% of health care facilities in conflict-affected areas have shut, and diseases such as cholera, HIV and TB have become more prevalent. Children’s education has been disrupted. UNDP reports it plans to continue supporting Sudan in the long term, including through access to services, clean energy, training and livelihood programs that strengthen communities’ self-reliance. Here is information about how UNDP is helping Sudan grow.

Clean and Sustainable Energy

UNDP provides solar-powered energy to ensure farming, health care facilities, and businesses have a cost-effective, clean, reliable, and sustainable source of energy. For example, many of the farms around the River Nile relied on diesel-fueled water irrigation systems. With the state of the economy and conflict in Sudan, this became an expensive and unreliable form of energy. Many farms had to cut back on fuel, which led to failing crops. With UNDP’s help and funding from the Republic of Korea, 300 farms received solar-powered irrigation systems, helping to maintain livelihoods in a clean and cost-effective way.

Helping Communities Grow

UNDP partnered with the UN Interim Security Force of Abyei to provide support for individuals in communities by creating jobs, supporting farmers, empowering women, providing clean water and offering training to ensure conflict resolution and peacekeeping. UNDP set up a local community management committee, giving people a voice and enabling each community to assess needs and assistance priorities. This committee identified the need for home-grown gardens, providing women with seeds, tools and training to produce food for their families while giving them the initiative to sell excess produce. UNDP established the Village Savings and Loans Association to empower women, support small businesses, and provide financial stability for more than 170 women. In one case, the association brought together 25 women from different communities to set up and run a produce business, sharing the capital and profits.

Achievements

UNDP has been working to help the people of Sudan. These efforts have:

  • Reported reaching more than 6.3 million Sudanese people, refugees and migrants.
  • Distributed 150 metric tons of certified seeds to strengthen agricultural resilience.
  • Created more than 200,000 temporary cash-for-work jobs.

The work UNDP does would not be possible without the backing of governments in other countries and funding from supporting partners. However, the need is still growing. UNDP Sudan Resident Representative Luca Renda stated, “To truly match the courage and determination of the Sudanese people, we must do more.” UNDP continues to support the Sudanese people and its communities, helping Sudan grow in its economy, agriculture, clean energy initiative, and peace.

– Shannon Waters

Shannon is based in Middlesbrough and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Veritree Business Growth: A Step Closer to Restoring Nature

Veritree Business Growth
Veritree uses new tracking technology to manage, maintain and accurately gather data on how many trees are being planted through its projects, providing business investors and partners with accurate data.

Company Background

Veritree was officially started in 2019 by the founders of another company, Tentree. Tentree was launched in 2012 by founders Derrick Emsley, Kalen Emsley and David Luba. The company began as a consumer-based business that promised every item sold would result in 10 trees being planted. In just two years, Tentree had successfully planted more than one million trees. Two years later, the company became a certified B Corporation. In 2019, the founders launched Veritree to use technology to track and provide accurate data on trees being planted, allowing business investors to track progress accurately. Veritree reports reaching 100 million trees planted and verified by 2025.

Promise and Impact

Veritree is committed not only to the restoration of forests but also to the humanitarian impact of such development. It aims to restore communities and help developing countries through restoration, technology and job opportunities.

Woman-Led Projects

Veritree has provided women in Haiti with tools and projects to empower themselves, gain financial stability and restore the ecosystem. Along with Mother Tree, Veritree sought to reverse the trend and give women opportunities to farm, grow and create their own businesses.

Fanme Limye is one of the woman-led associations to emerge from Veritree’s project in Haiti. The association employs more than 194 artisans, 72% of whom are women. Their mission is to provide women with training and employment, offering financial stability and skills to enter the economic world. They seek to promote women’s rights, raise awareness and advocate for women.

Businesses Growing

Through Veritree’s initiative and easy-to-track technology, businesses are seeing real impact not only on their contributions but also on their operations. Oak Bay Beach Hotel stated that it has seen increased interest in its sustainability programs that can be verified with Veritree. Hopper donates trees on behalf of its customers. Hopper promotes tree planting to customers, while a BCBusiness profile reports that Veritree’s partnerships helped fuel 6,000% revenue growth since 2021. Sutton Place Hotels sought to become more sustainable while saving on labor costs. They invested in Veritree and advertised a cost-saving initiative to customers, committing to plant 10 trees for every night customers opt out of overnight housekeeping. This proved to be an effective way to engage with customers, saving $36,000 in annual costs.

Projects

Agroforestry projects in Haiti, Senegal, Rwanda and Tanzania are creating an integrated system of trees, woody plants and livestock on the same land to create healthier soil and effective biodiversity, promoting land productivity.

Terrestrial projects in Kenya, Brazil, the U.S. and Australia work to restore and expand forestry on depleted lands to reduce carbon emissions, regulate water resources and create a biodiverse ecosystem.

Mangrove restoration projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Brazil are replanting mangrove trees in coastal areas to prevent erosion, enhance biodiversity and sequester carbon emissions.

Kelp sea-forestation projects in Canada are committed to regenerating sea forests to restore ocean health, improve water quality and protect marine habitats.

These are a few of the projects that Veritree led to save the planet and restore nature. These ongoing efforts not only restore the planet’s natural resources but also provide jobs, equality and financial stability to developing countries. Veritree states its restoration projects help generate employment and support women in communities including Haiti and East Africa. The company reports having planted and verified more than 100 million trees worldwide.

– Shannon Waters

Shannon is based in United Kingdom and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Hydrogel in Zambia Could Help Women Protect Livelihoods

Hydrogel in Zambia
Forests can be an important source of income for families in rural Zambia. Forest products contribute about 20% of rural household income, while forests and other natural resources support the livelihoods of about 60% of rural households. For women who depend on these resources, environmental degradation can put an existing source of income under pressure.

The Booma Women Cooperative

In Southern Province, the Booma Women Cooperative is investigating whether hydrogel can help recently planted trees withstand dry conditions. The cooperative uses natural resources such as mongongo to produce oils and cosmetics, linking forest resources to women’s existing livelihood activities.

Women in Mukuni Village, Southern Province, collect forest resources for food and income. Mongongo nuts are one such resource, traditionally collected and processed by local communities. The Booma Women Cooperative buys mongongo seeds from local women and processes them into cooking and cosmetic oils for local shops, lodging facilities and wellness centers. The cooperative also produces cosmetic oils and butters from other locally sourced forest products.

Mendel University reports that the cooperative gives women opportunities to earn income by collecting and selling mongongo products.

Drought and Forest Pressure

These livelihoods face pressure from environmental degradation. Drought, logging, charcoal production, agricultural expansion and uncontrolled fires can place additional pressure on forests. Research from the International Growth Centre found that drought-related crop failures can push smallholder farmers toward charcoal production as a coping strategy, increasing pressure on forests.

Testing Hydrogel in Drought-Prone Areas

Hydrogel absorbs water in soil and gradually releases moisture as surrounding conditions become drier. Hydrogel can retain water in soil and release moisture gradually; its effects on seedling survival vary by species and conditions.

At the Booma Women Cooperative, researchers from Mendel University in Brno are testing whether hydrogel can support tree establishment in drought-prone areas. The project receives funding and support from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Czech-UNDP Partnership. It initially aimed to support at least 400 native and oil-bearing trees. By early November 2025, more than 1,500 seedlings from eight species had been sown, and more than 1,000 had germinated. Six species are native and two are introduced.

Women receive training in planting, hydrogel application and early seedling care, while researchers collect field data and use sensors to monitor tree growth and local conditions. A 2023 field study of four Central European tree species found that hydrogel treatment reduced seedling mortality by 1% to 9%, although responses varied by species.

Future Income Benefits Remain Uncertain

The potential economic benefit of the Booma project depends on whether the seedlings survive and mature. If they do, the trees could eventually contribute to forest resources used for activities such as mongongo collection and processing. However, the project has not yet demonstrated that hydrogel will produce this outcome in Southern Zambia.

It remains uncertain how many seedlings will survive and mature, whether the technique will perform similarly under local conditions and whether healthier trees will eventually produce enough forest products to affect women’s incomes. The cost and scalability of hydrogel also remain questions.

Most importantly, Booma members have not yet received measurable income benefits from the project. Evidence that hydrogel can improve seedling survival under some conditions does not establish that it will increase incomes in Southern Zambia.

The Booma project is testing whether a drought-adaptation technique can help protect forest resources connected to existing women’s livelihoods. Whether the approach eventually strengthens those livelihoods remains to be determined.

– Zeba Vagh

Zeba is based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Improvement for Higher Education in Fiji

Higher Education in Fiji
Throughout the years, there has been some slight improvement in Fiji’s education system by increasing accessible education through zero-tuition fees. Although Fijian students are provided with free primary and lower secondary education, they still have to pay for college tuition when planning or attending a higher educational institution. Tuition and other living costs can be barriers for students from low-income households.

Affording higher education in Fiji can be a major stress factor for students from low-income households, especially when considering transportation, books, meals, housing, and other scholarly expenses. However, the Fiji government and nonprofit organizations have been making progress by making higher education affordable and accessible for all Fiji Island residents. Here are some methods reflecting Fiji’s improvement in higher education by providing equal opportunities and funding more financial opportunities.

Academic Excellence for Women

On Sept. 20, 2023, the Permanent Secretary of Education, Selina Kuruleca, confirmed that women in Fiji are completing their education more often than men. High school graduation for female students is at a 97% rate, while male students have a 79% rate. About 60-65% of college and higher education enrollment are female-identifying students.

Nonprofit organizations have encouraged and funded opportunities for Fijian women to attend higher educational institutions. For example, Graduate Women Fiji was established in 1983 with a mission to support higher education for women by promoting fellowships and global networking for members. Graduate Women Fiji promotes women’s education and professional development, including opportunities in fields where women have historically been underrepresented. Programs that fund scholarships and grants for women pursuing higher education in Fiji exemplify how funding for women’s academic excellence can break financial barriers women face while earning a college degree.

The Higher Education Commission

The Higher Education Commission was established in 2010 to prioritize the services of higher education for Fijian residents. It is a government regulatory body that supports the delivery of higher education in Fiji. Its goals are to meet the necessities and standards of students, teachers, and other faculty members. The Higher Education Commission Fiji confirms that there is major improvement in operating grants for institutions such as the University of South Pacific and Fiji National University. The commission states, “For 2025-2026, the Government has invested $83,042,808 in operating grant to HEIs and $3,431,739 in capital grant.” Fiji National University reported signing a government grant agreement for 2026–2027 that includes FJD 74.49 million in operating funding. These grants will support more funding toward career training, workforce development, and more opportunities for students from different financial backgrounds.

Ministry of Education’s National Budget

On June 26, 2026, the Fiji Ministry of Education announced that higher education in Fiji will continue to thrive after receiving a National Budget of FJD 883 million [$392,937,119 USD]. The largest allocation of Fiji’s education system will be funded for teacher salaries, schools and scholarships. The budget provides FJD 160 million [$71,200,384 USD] for tertiary scholarships, which will help more than 23,000 new and currently enrolled college students. The government of Fiji assisted 53,000 students by writing off more than FJD 650 million [$289,251,560 USD] in college debt.

The Education Ministry in Fiji continues to plan on improving accountability by providing more scholarship programs. The Higher Education Commission’s published funding figures for 2025–2026 total FJD 86,474,547 in operating and capital grants, while the FJD 74.49 million figure relates to a separate Fiji National University agreement. Both government-led and nonprofit organizations prioritize improving higher education in Fiji by opening more grants and scholarship opportunities with less stress over affording a good college.

The Impact of Scholarships and Grants

Scholarships and grants create a positive impact for college students from low-income families because they encourage them to pursue education that will provide the skills needed for well-paid jobs. Fiji’s methods of fighting poverty include funding higher educational institutes for students seeking opportunities in studying for a job that will offer better income. Government funding and scholarships aim to make further education and training more accessible.

Funding grants and scholarships benefit Fijian students who face poverty by providing affordable access to education and training. To give students a chance at obtaining jobs that promise higher wages after graduation, the Fiji government proposed expanding training opportunities in universities. To reduce the number of residents moving out of Fiji to find better job opportunities, the government proposed more higher educational institutions to expand training courses to ensure that every resident will develop the skills needed to prepare for a career of interest.

Fiji National University has set a strategy to expand technical and vocational education and training in response to Fiji’s skills needs. Higher education in Fiji addresses the country’s labor skills gap by creating more training programs to ensure that students will have a future where their careers are related to educational background, potentially improving access to employment and income.

– Kristen Wheeler

Kristen is based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA and focuses on Good News, Technology and Solutions, Global Health, and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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South Sudan Women and Their Empowerment

South Sudan WomenAccording to the World Bank, around four in five people in South Sudan live in extreme poverty, among the highest rates in the world. Grassroots enterprise projects such as the South Sudan Women Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWSEEP) help women and their communities build local business skills so they can obtain jobs and rise out of poverty. FAO programs support women farmers and entrepreneurs with training in vegetable production, irrigation, climate-smart agriculture and livestock-related livelihoods to strengthen household nutrition and income. The Construction of Women Economic Empowerment Centers (WECCs) provides skills training, financial literacy and vital support services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).

South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project

While the $70 million International Development Association (IDA) grant was approved in 2022, the current World Bank reporting describes the four-year SSWSEEP implementation as a $52 million project. While UN Women supports the implementation, the 2022 World Bank report says that the financing was an IDA grant. This support helps female entrepreneurs formalize and scale up their business activities and helps survivors of GBV access vital services that enable them to recover and rebuild their lives.

Survivors of GBV receive immediate safety and crisis intervention, health care and medical support, mental health and psychosocial support, and legal and economic empowerment. These services help women in poverty increase their social status in society. They provide access to education, training, business services and financing. As Aya Benjamin Warile, the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare for South Sudan indicated, “empowering women to participate fully in civic and economic life will make South Sudan more prosperous and peaceful.”

Agricultural and Agrifood Training

FAO-backed programs are helping some women farmers move from subsistence production toward more climate-resilient, market-oriented agriculture through training, tools and field-based support. The FAO has supported South Sudan’s food security, resilience and climate-smart agriculture in response to conflict, displacement and climate shocks. The organization has also supported development in the livestock sector, which gives millions of people in South Sudan a vital source of food, income and cultural identity. These programs show how targeted agricultural support can strengthen resilience and income opportunities.

Community Centers and Safe Spaces

Empowering South Sudan’s women and girls is the first step in fostering peace. In a country where four out of five people are in extreme poverty, women and girls ravaged by conflict, submerged by floods, and affected by repeated natural and human-made disasters are now caregivers, breadwinners and protectors for families and communities. Survivor networks and referral services empower women to support each other in seeking safety and recovery from GBV. In the business sector, villages provide women with savings and loan associations that enable them to start profitable enterprises so they feed their families and send children to school.

The Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project (WSEEP), in collaboration with the World Bank and UN Women, has four components that show the steps to empower women. The project centers on providing community empowerment support to women and girls, establishing a women’s economic opportunity facility, enhancing services for survivors of GBV and strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.

Women’s Economic Community Centers

The construction of five new women’s economic community centers (WECCs) in states across the country will enable the provision of social and economic services for women and girls at satellite sites in these states. The WECCs will offer integrated services such as starter kits and grants, GBV response and referrals, and training in business, leadership, financial literacy, advocacy, and peacebuilding. The second component of WSEEP allows technical assistance and grants for women-led small and growing businesses. Enterprises will be sustained through crucial investments such as purchasing key equipment, accessing digital technologies and upskilling staff.

Services for GBV Survivors

The third component of WSEEP provides critical services for GBV survivors, including a national GBV hotline and the establishment of a new safe house for survivors in Juba. The hotline gives GBV survivors access to psychosocial support, health, police, child support, legal aid, and shelter offered by a toll-free 24/7 line. The safe house provides affordable basic protection services and resources like accommodation, protection, clothing, medical care and counseling and legal support.

Policymaking

Under the fourth component, the Ministry for Gender, Child and Social Welfare focuses on policymaking and coordination on South Sudan women empowerment issues. The component trains and accredits ministry social workers to address GBV cases, support family mediation, meet ministry needs and finance training, workshops and conferences. By addressing the weaknesses and strengths of the challenges that women in the poverty-stricken country of South Sudan face, the WSEEP aims to help South Sudanese women live better, more productive lives.

– Stephanie Ou

Stephanie is based in San Jose, California/Santa Clara County, United States and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Solar-Powered Ice Plants in the Philippines Protect Fishing Livelihoods

Solar-Powered Ice Plants in the Philippines
Fish must be properly chilled and frozen after being caught because they are highly perishable. Yet limited access to ice, refrigeration and other post-harvest facilities can make preservation difficult in isolated coastal communities in the Philippines. An Oceana assessment estimated post-harvest losses of 40.34% in municipalities around Samar Bays and Channels and 38.39% along the San Bernardino Strait. These figures reflect the locations assessed by Oceana rather than the Philippines as a whole. Solar-powered ice plants in the Philippines offer one potential way to protect catch value as changing weather patterns place additional pressure on fishing livelihoods.

Changing Weather and the Vulnerability of Fishing Livelihoods

Changing weather is adding pressure to Philippine fishing livelihoods by affecting fish distribution, marine ecosystems and exposure to storms and other hazards. A study of 220 small-scale fishers in Davao Gulf found that changing weather patterns and rising temperatures contributed to vulnerability, alongside lower catches and the need to travel farther offshore. For households that rely heavily on fishing, these pressures can make an uncertain source of income more vulnerable.

The Hidden Cost of Keeping Fish Cold

For households that depend on fishing, keeping a catch fresh can directly affect how much money a day’s work generates. Fish can lose quality and market value without adequate preservation. A JICA study of Philippine fisheries found that deterioration during transportation could make fish less competitive in the market, while research continues to identify post-harvest losses as a challenge. The cost of ice can add another burden. In Basilan, 10-kilogram blocks previously cost fishers ₱200 to ₱240 from outside suppliers, compared with ₱60 from a nearby solar-powered ice plant.

Basilan: Solar Power Brings Ice Closer

In Lantawan, Basilan, an off-grid fishing community now has a solar-powered ice plant that produces ice locally. The facility, handed over in February 2026, can produce nearly one tonne of ice blocks a day. Before the plant opened, residents bought ice from nearby towns and reported income losses when fish products spoiled. UNDP reports that access to local ice has helped reduce dependence on ice brought from outside the community and reports that fishers say spoilage-related income losses have fallen. These are early project experiences, not independently measured long-term outcomes. The EU and UNDP co-funded the facility through the Model Lives program, with the Kasalamatan Agri-Fisheries Association managing it. Similar facilities are being developed elsewhere, including a DOST-supported hybrid solar ice plant in remote Palawan.

What the Savings Mean for Fishers

For fisher Pating Punso in Barangay Bukut-Umus, access to local ice changed a basic fishing expense. He previously paid ₱200 for a block of ice from mainland Basilan. He now pays ₱60 for a comparable block from a solar-powered facility about 50 meters from his home. Punso told MindaNews that the local ice is cheaper and lasts longer. Another fisher, Muamar Manisan, described another cost of unreliable ice. When he ran out, fish caught from his payao could spoil, forcing him to dry some squid instead. This reflects the project’s early reported experience rather than a long-term independently measured outcome.

Women Turn a Livelihood Need Into Local Enterprise

Solar-powered ice plants in the Philippines are also creating business opportunities for women. In Lower Binembengan, Sumisip, 26 women have operated the community’s ice-block production facility since March 2026. The EU and UNDP-backed enterprise supplies ice to local fishers while giving the women a role in managing a local business. Available reporting does not quantify the women’s individual earnings, so longer-term effects remain unclear.

Why Small Infrastructure Can Matter

For fishing households, earning from a catch depends on being able to keep it fresh until it reaches the market. When ice is expensive or unavailable, fish can lose quality and value, turning spoilage into a direct financial loss. The Basilan cases show how this infrastructure gap can affect everyday fishing costs and the value of a catch. Solar-powered ice plants in the Philippines offer a way to bring ice production closer to remote fishing communities while using renewable energy. By making preservation more accessible, they can potentially help protect the value of catches in communities already facing climate-related pressures, where limited income options can increase economic vulnerability.

What We Do Not Know Yet

Solar-powered ice plants could offer benefits beyond reducing spoilage and ice costs. In San Agustin, Romblon, an ice plant faced high electricity costs because of its heavy power requirements before receiving a ₱2.186 million solar system with battery storage. At the same time, the technology requires significant upfront investment: a solar-powered ice machine in Pilar, Cebu, cost ₱3.9 million. Continued funding, maintenance and reliable operation will therefore matter to sustaining these benefits.

When Protecting a Catch Means Protecting an Income

A fishing community does not always need a new livelihood to become more financially secure. Sometimes, it needs better ways to protect income from existing livelihoods. Solar-powered ice plants can reduce preventable losses, lower a key cost and create local business opportunities. For communities with few alternatives, strengthening these livelihoods can help people earn closer to home rather than being pushed to seek precarious work elsewhere.

– Zeba Vagh

Zeba is based in Melboure, Victoria, Australia and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr