Women in certain nations across Africa and Oceania face significant challenges due to conflicts that disproportionately affect them, hindering their rights and opportunities.
Gender equality is at the very heart of human rights and United Nations values. This discrimination and violence against women and girls, deeply rooted in the fabric of societies, is persistent and systematic. And in recent years, there has been a recurrence of skepticism against and denial of international standards concerning women’s human rights, gender equality and gender-based violence, while women and girls are increasingly raising voices to demand equality.
Oceania and African countries are the highest when talking about sexual abuse!
African and Oceania countries witness increased cases of gender-based violence, including physical and sexual abuse against women as shown in the United Nations data with Afghanistan, Vanuatu and Equatorial Guinea leading in 2015 (shown in the heatmap).
When Women are exposed to conflict with their husband, women are often vulnerable of what will happen with them whether exploitation, violence, sexual abuse. The cause of their conflicts is vast, and those conflicts can lead the women to be beaten by her husband, and some of them are justifying this act of being beaten. It can start from the last valuable thing which is burning the food when preparing for her husband and with the lowest occurrence (14.33%) and reaching the most valuable point which is neglecting the children which has the highest occurrence (31%), (shown in the bar chart).
The strength of legal rights for all those women differs accordingly to their countries, in the data provided by the united nations it is shown that the African countries and the island in Oceania are the least when demanding for their rights, however Unites States , Australia, Canada have the highest ratio of women demanding for their rights averaging at 11 out of 12 which can show a correlation between the percentage of female abused sexually and the ratio related to the strength of women legal rights. (shown in the map).
Empowering Women Amid Conflict: Strategies for Equality and Protection in Africa and Oceania
Strengthening legal frameworks to enforce existing laws protecting women’s rights is crucial, alongside providing legal aid and raising awareness. It is also essential for women to be engaging in community dialogues that empower them through economic opportunities, education initiatives, and access to healthcare and support services that can significantly reduce vulnerabilities by raising awareness for women and male on gender roles, in this way reducing the stereotypes that each society can create.
Implementing and constantly monitoring safety measures is pivotal to mitigating instances of violence against women. Regular assessments of the effectiveness of these measures provide insights into what works and what needs improvement, most of the NGO’s target these insights in collaboration with the United Nations. Finally, by facilitating the ease of access to necessities like healthcare, education, shelter, and support services the level of women’s involvement in decision-making roles and well-being increases significantly.
Empowering Women for Peace
The findings highlight the pivotal role of empowering women in African and Oceania regions, demonstrating their profound positive impact on entire communities, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) of gender equality. Empowered women act as catalysts for sustainable peace, fostering social and economic development while ensuring stability within some African and Oceania regions. However, the effectiveness of programs aimed at protecting and empowering women hinges on continuous support and robust enforcement mechanisms.
To address these needs, it’s crucial to strengthen legal frameworks, ensuring comprehensive policies are in place to protect and uphold the rights of women. This includes not only enacting laws but also implementing robust enforcement mechanisms to guarantee their efficacy.
Moreover, the recommendations emphasize the necessity of ongoing investment in programs tailored to empower women and elevate their voices in peacebuilding efforts. By amplifying their roles in decision-making processes and community leadership, these initiatives create a more inclusive and resilient society, where women play active roles in shaping peaceful solutions and driving positive change. More NGO’s like KAFA, Fe-male, Abaad etc… should be acting in these countries to secure the good operations of these programs.
African countries face a critical water situation, with millions lacking access to clean and safe water sources
According to the United Nations, about 40% of the world’s population lack access to the least basic water needs and with the global temperatures on the rise this number is expected to further increase. In line with its vision for the year 2030, the United Nations is developing a series of targets such as eliminating water sources pollution and increasing international cooperation, however until today not much has done to ensure that this goal will be met by year 2030.
African countries have the highest mortality rates related to unsafe water sanitation
As shown in the above heatmap, the highest mortality rates related to unsafe water in year 2019 belonged to countries from the African continent solely with Lesotho and Chad leading the way with 108.1 and 99.2 deaths coming from unsafe water sources respectively. In addition, as displayed in the above map, the African continent is clearly in a critical situation with less than half of the population receiving access to basic water services in most of its countries.
Increasing international cooperation can improve the African water situation
To address the critical water situation, a multifaceted solution involves improving water infrastructure, implementing sustainable water management practices, raise awareness and avoid water pollution. However, as known for its weak economic situation, most of the African countries are not currently capable to develop such infrastructural expansions, highlighting the need of an international cooperation to solve the critical water situation in Africa.
Integrated programs can scale and validate the proposed solutions to solve the current situation
Series of programs led and initiated by international partners can be used to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed solutions, including the sustainable water usage and pollution control to restore the ecosystems in Africa and ensure that the whole population is receiving access to the least basic water services. In addition, the programs will ensure the global collaboration discussed above.
All stakeholders should proceed immediately
As mentioned above, the United nation clearly stated that much has to be done to be in line with the SDG goals of year 2030. In this regard, we recommended to focus on clear policies that call for an immediate action plan to ensure those goals. But most importantly, we recommend all stakeholders to proceed immediately as the African continent is in a desperate water situation while mortality rates are going through the roof.
For more info, read the following articles: https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-6
Cyprus’s GDP growth rate has been on a decline, with more recently negative growth rates. My team of reaserchers and I need to find out why, and the potential solutions to improving the GDP in the upcoming years whilst tackling the root cause.
GDP: Downward trend
Evidence for this decline in GDP growth rate is shown through visualising the data. I discovered that the decreasing growth rate is correlated to the increase % dependancy age of old people (65+) in the working force over the years . Hence the working force tend to come from senior workers who have a higher probabilty of retiring, overall affecting productivity and efficiency.
Solution : AUB Mediterraneo
Opening Universities such as AUB campus in Cyprus, to get Lebanese people out of the bad economical state of Lebanon whilst getting their education from Cyprus along with a stronger passport by the end of it. This also allows Cyprus to get a working force coming from the younger more revitalised workers hence improving efficiency and overall GDP.
Validation
The solution is validated by gathering data regarding the average age of the labor force , and noticing if theres a decrease in age range. Also by monitering the GDP, looking for any improvements that is a result of an increase dependancy on our younger labour force.
Further recommendations
Moreover due to the decrease of birth rate seen in the visualisation, I recommend that the government incentivises the locals to reproduce. Through offering assistance allowance for parents with more children.Therefore when old enough to work they can contribute to the GDP. Cyprus’s working age is 15, they can reduce it to 13 to get more efficient workers whilst improving the overall GDP.
Imagine the little Smurf village we all grew up with, the precious community of tiny blue creatures, each distinguished by a special trait. Some of these traits are arguably better than others. Indeed, the village could maybe do without Brainy Smurf’s long lectures, and some Smurfs may find affinity in being spared of some of Jokey Smurf’s exploding presents. These collective peculiarities however have always been directed at the best interest of the village, all under the fatherly supervision of our beloved Papa Smurf. That being said, an entity lying deep inside the forest constantly threatens our friendly family, and even though Gargamel is only one person, his size and abilities pose a serious concern to the village as a whole.
Now imagine a group of little countries united for the best interest of their people, constantly working on nullifying their negative impact on nature by investing into renewable energies in an effort to ditch such polluting sources as combustible fuels. Their effort is met with success, however the quest for power seems to be a bigger concern for an entity lying thousands of miles away. An entity whose size exceeds that of all our little countries combined: Enter the conflict of power and sustainability between the EU and China.
Since my mother’s middle school years, otherwise known as the early 80s, the EU, represented by France and Belgium witnessed a considerable increase in alternative and nuclear energy use, offset by a similarly acute decline in fossil fuel energy consumption. One can hardly say the same about China.
To put it into perspective, instead of listing numbers, we will ask for the help of another icon, Mr Pac man, at the bottom of the dashboard. Watch how he increasingly consumes our little Smurfs as years go by (applicable from 1990 to 2020), soon enough, his mouth will have closed entirely and our tiny blue friends will be a thing of the past.
What to do then? Surely we cannot let this happen! Well, the best way to stop this direction of development is to make its products worthless. How so? Here are a a few options:
Impose tariffs on Chinese goods to offset their traditionally lower prices and drive them out of the market
Incentivize multinational companies through subsidies to bring operations outsourced to China back to countries compliant with SDG goals
Raise awareness about the issue through media campaigns highlighting the harm caused by China’s quest for power to the international community
Such measures coupled with other sanctions have been successful in putting enough pressure on various entities to induce them into making a change, with plenty of examples to refer to.
We call upon the governments who have the longer term in mind to come together along with their people and recommend that they apply the measures above so that our Smurfs can be saved from the fearsome grip of Gargamel the evil wizard.
Through strategic partnerships and targeted interventions, we can dismantle the barriers of global poverty, unlocking a future where prosperity is shared by all.
The Global Landscape of Poverty: A Complex Challenge
Global poverty, a complex and multifaceted issue, continues to be a significant obstacle to human development and equality. It affects billions, limiting access to basic needs, education, and opportunities. Despite global efforts, poverty remains persistent, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding and more effective solutions.
Mapping Poverty: A World of Contrasts and Challenges
Our journey into understanding global poverty begins with a striking global map visualization, where a spectrum of colors from intense blues to intense reds illustrates the varying levels of poverty across nations. This visual disparity is profound: regions awash in blue signify lower levels of poverty, while those in red reveal the depth of poverty’s grip.
Augmenting this, our bar chart analysis provides a comparative view of average poverty rates by country, underscoring the regional differences and highlighting areas where the challenge is most acute.
Blueprint for Change: A Holistic Approach to Poverty Alleviation
Tackling poverty requires a comprehensive approach, one that addresses its root causes and provides sustainable solutions. This involves not just short-term relief, but also long-term strategies aimed at systemic change. Key areas of focus include improving access to quality education, ensuring healthcare availability, and creating economic opportunities through job creation and support for small businesses.
Dual Dynamics: Local Action, Global Support in Poverty Reduction
In grappling with the challenge of how less affluent regions can embark on poverty reduction, we see a dual approach at play.
Internally, nations with scant resources can reassign budgeting towards essential sectors such as education, health, and economic infrastructure. Even modest investments in primary education, for instance, can generate long-term returns in lifting communities out of poverty.
Externally, the role of international aid is paramount. Support from developed countries, global agencies, and NGOs can provide the necessary springboard for initiatives that are beyond the financial reach of struggling regions.
Paths to Progress: Success Stories in Poverty Reduction
To demonstrate this, our trend line visualization spotlights five countries – China, Belarus, Thailand, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan – as examples of nations that have successfully reduced their poverty levels over the years. These trend lines offer a narrative of progress and hope, suggesting that with the right mix of policies and support, the trajectory of poverty can indeed be reversed. This validation is not just in numbers but also in the improved quality of life and increased opportunities for their citizens.
Roadmap to Resilience: Strategies for a Poverty-Free Future
As we conclude our exploration, it’s clear that while the challenge of poverty is formidable, it is not insurmountable. With a global commitment to targeted, data-driven strategies, we can address the diverse facets of poverty more effectively. Our recommendations are clear and focused:
Prioritize Quality Education: Education is the key to unlocking potential and catalysing change. By ensuring access to quality learning, we open doors to opportunities and development.
Accessible Healthcare for All: Emphasize prevention and treatment in healthcare to ensure it is universally accessible. Good health is a foundation for prosperity and progress.
Targeted International Aid: Direct international aid strategically to build sustainable capacities where they are most needed.
Harmonize Cross-Sector Policies: Align policies across various sectors to create a cohesive and comprehensive approach to eradicating poverty.
Share and Learn Globally: Collaborate and share successful strategies on a global scale. Learning from each other’s experiences is vital in this collective endeavour.
These recommendations are steps towards a world where poverty is a thing of the past, and prosperity is within everyone’s reach.
Together, we can advance closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty, creating a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
