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31. Improving the Future of Maternal and Child Health in Sub-Saharan Africa by Investing in Adolescent Girls

Author:
Shelley Clark
Publication Date:
01-2013
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
The premise of this policy brief is simple: The most effective way to dramatically reduce maternal and child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade is to invest in adolescent girls’ educational and economic opportunities today. The goals set forth by MDG 4 (decrease child mortality by two thirds) and MDG 5 (reduce maternal mortality ratio by 75%) are already unlikely to be reached by 2015. What is more, we will continue to fall short of these objectives over the next ten years if the developmental needs of adolescent girls continue to be neglected. Continued investment of resources to improve access to high quality health services, medical treatments, and technology development are necessary and important to reach these goals. But they are not sufficient as long as the root causes of poor maternal and child health outcomes remain unaddressed. Devoting resources to improving the social and economic opportunities of adolescent girls offers a proactive approach with multiple long-lasting effects on not only these girls directly, but also on their future families and communities. The profound effect of women’s education on child survival is well-established. Improvements in women’s education account for half of the decline in child mortality since 1970. Other equally impressive effects are less well-known. Girls who attend secondary school, for example, delay sexual debut, pregnancy, and marriage by several years, resulting in lower rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV, teen pregnancy, unsafe abortions, and single adolescent motherhood. Consequently, increasing girls’ schooling will make their pregnancy and motherhood experiences safer and reduce maternal mortality. Alleviating adolescents’ poverty and developing their income-generating skills will also offer girls alternatives to early motherhood and marriage and provide them and their families with the economic resources to improve their nutrition, sanitation, and utilization of health services.
Topic:
Development, Health, Children, Women, Youth, and Investment
Political Geography:
Africa

32. A Tripartite Analysis of Sustainable Development: Environmental, Social, and Political Forms of Sustainability

Author:
Erik Martinez Kuhonta, Amy R. Poteete, and David Rothwell
Publication Date:
01-2013
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
This policy paper examines the question of sustainable development from three distinct angles: environmental, social, and political. Its ambit is broad in order to provide a wide-angle lens on the question of sustainability. The three forms of sustainability are linked through three common themes. These include: the importance of equality, the necessity of institutionalization, and the relationship between states and markets. All three forms of sustainability stress equality as a crucial outcome, pinpoint the need for institutionalization as a structure through which policies can become more effective, and address the relationship between states and markets in engaging with sustainable development.
Topic:
Environment, Politics, Sustainable Development Goals, and Equality
Political Geography:
Global Focus

33. Breaking Down the Barriers to Rural Education: Recent Evidence from Natural and Randomized Experiments in Developing Countries

Author:
Sonia Laszlo
Publication Date:
01-2013
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
This research to policy brief reviews the recent evidence on effective methods to improve rural education in developing countries. Canada’s Child and Youth Strategy (CYS) concerning access to a quality education is analysed within this context and recommendations are generated from a large body of recent experimental evidence from around the world. This brief takes each component of CYS and derives policy recommendation based on lessons learned from the most relevant natural and randomized experiments. Natural experiments are typically large-scale government projects, whereas randomized experiments are typically smaller-scale, but focus on internal validity by relying on random assignment to treatment (program) and control (no program). Such an experimental approach is particularly useful as it allows researchers and policy-makers alike to take the evidence as causal on the effectiveness of these projects.
Topic:
Development, Education, Government, and Rural
Political Geography:
Canada and North America

34. Targeting the ‘Invisible’: Improving Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Informal Sector Women

Author:
Tonia Warnecke
Publication Date:
01-2013
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
In the wake of global economic downturn, policymakers in many developing countries are turning their gaze upon two things: private sector-led strategies for economic growth and women’s potential to contribute to this growth. As a consequence, female entrepreneurship has been an area of particular interest to policymakers, businesses, and non-governmental organizations, and many female-targeted policies and programs have been implemented, ranging from microfinance and subsidized loans to training and incubator programs. However, the focus on entrepreneurship as a development strategy conceptualizes entrepreneurship in a particular way—as opportunity entrepreneurship. Opportunity entrepreneurs can identify available opportunities and exploit them; they are often highly educated, have prior managerial experience, and have solid job alternatives with good salaries. They also have access to external capital and formal business networks, and operate in the formal sector of the economy. Opportunity entrepreneurs are more likely to have high-growth and high-tech businesses, but a large portion of entrepreneurship in the developing world— street vending, for example—does not fit into this category. Necessity entrepreneurs are driven to entrepreneurship for lack of other job options; they generally operate in the informal sector and lack legal protection, and their businesses do not facilitate upward mobility. The proliferation of necessity entrepreneurship in the developing world is associated with global trends of increasing informal and flexible employment over the last few decades, and it exacerbates gender inequality. Women are more likely than men to be engaged in vulnerable, informal employment across the globe, and even within the informal sector, the highest-paid jobs are primarily held by men, while the lowest-paid jobs are primarily held by women. In nearly all countries, women are more likely to be necessity entrepreneursthan men. However, most existing entrepreneurial programs target the formal sector and neglect the informal sector, disproportionately harming women. Many government-sponsored or private sector-led programs supporting female entrepreneurship focus on highly educated, middle- or upper-income women with prior entrepreneurial experience—a small minority of women. It can be challenging to design programs that effectively meet the needs of informal workers; although international organizations and non-governmental organizations are more likely to reach out to informal sector and rural women, these programs often focus on sustenance rather than business growth. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to designing female entrepreneurship programs for the informal sector. However, improving and tailoring such programs can establish a ladder between necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship, reduce gender inequalities, improve informal sector living conditions, and increase economic dynamism and informal-formal sector linkages in developing countries around the world.
Topic:
Development, Women, Entrepreneurship, and Economic growth
Political Geography:
Global Focus

35. Organic Agriculture as an Opportunity for Sustainable Agricultural Development

Author:
Verena Seufert
Publication Date:
01-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
We need drastic changes in the global food system in order to achieve a more sustainable agriculture that feeds people adequately, contributes to rural development and provides livelihoods to farmers without destroying the natural resource basis. Organic agriculture has been proposed as an important means for achieving these goals. Organic agriculture currently covers only a small area in developing countries but its extent is continuously growing as demand for organic products is increasing. Should organic agriculture thus become a priority in development policy and be put on the agenda of international assistance as a means of achieving sustainable agricultural development? Can organic agriculture contribute to sustainable food security in developing countries? In order to answer these questions this policy brief tries to assess the economic, social and environmental sustainability of organic agriculture and to identify its problems and benefits in developing countries. Organic agriculture shows several benefits, as it reduces many of the environmental impacts of conventional agriculture, it can increase productivity in small farmers’ fields, it reduces reliance on costly external inputs, and guarantees price premiums for organic products. Organic farmers also benefit from organizing in farmer cooperatives and the building of social networks, which provide them with better access to training, credit and health services. Organic agriculture generally reduces the vulnerability of farmers as the higher organic prices act as buffer against the low prices and price volatility of conventional markets, as organic systems are often more resilient against extreme weather events, and as the often diverse organic crop-livestock systems provide a diverse set of outputs. On the other hand, organic farmers in developing countries need to access international markets, they require often costly certification and have increased demand for labour. Overall, organic agriculture thus provides promises for sustainable agricultural development, but its shortcomings need to also be considered. This policy brief therefore concludes with a set of specific recommendations on what policy options could best address the current problems of organic agriculture and ensure the success of an organic agriculture development strategy.
Topic:
Agriculture, Development, Food, and Sustainability
Political Geography:
Global Focus

36. Food Security from the Forest: Regulating Wild Edible Plants for Household Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author:
Stephanie Shumsky
Publication Date:
01-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
Food insecurity caused by population and consumption growth affects one in seven people worldwide. In the past, rising food demand was addressed by increasing or intensifying agriculture; however, this has become less effective as scarce land resources stress production and environmental consequences become more pronounced. The nations of Sub-Saharan Africa are particularly vulnerable as they are import-dependent, suffer from severe land degradation and lack the resources to increase production. Globally an estimated one billion people use wild edible plants in their diet to supplement protein and vitamins, and improve palatability of staple foods. Wild foods are especially important for the poorest members of user communities, rural populations and women, particularly during critical food shortages. These products are poised to contribute significantly to household food security, but only if local management systems and national policies ensure their sustainable extraction and use. When there is a lack of effective regulation, over-harvesting of wild edible plants can occur at such high levels that resource degradation occurs. This can have lasting negative effects (ex: loss of future harvests, damage to the targeted ecosystems and surrounding areas, and loss of benefits for local populations). Although each situation is unique, there are several characteristics that correlate to successful shared resource management - namely good rules, clear boundaries, tenure rights and benefit sharing, along with public participation. As the vast majority of natural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa are managed by the state, an analysis was conducted of the formal regulatory structures for each of CIDA’s African countries of focus (and CIDA policy itself) in each of these criteria. The results offer some interesting points, raising possible areas of improvement for each party.
Topic:
Security, Development, and Food
Political Geography:
Africa

37. The Ecuador Situation: The Relationship between the Government and the Media

Author:
Camilla Lanusse
Publication Date:
01-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
Long-standing tensions between the government of Ecuador and the private press culiminated in February with a Supreme Court decision, international outrage, and a presidential pardon. Arguing that the media have long acted as a powerful private interest in Ecuador, President Correa in recent months filed and won several lawsuits for criminal defamation against news media and individual reporters, and proposed legislation affecting coverage of political campaigns. The controversy surrounding these events contributed to the debate over freedom of expression and the press in Ecuador, as well as Independence of the judicial system.
Topic:
Development, Government, Media, and Judiciary
Political Geography:
Central America and Ecuador

38. The Ecuador Situation Facing the Summit of the Americas and Other Foreign Policy Issues

Author:
Camilla Lanusse
Publication Date:
01-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
While Ecuador has maintained its decision not to participate , other countries such as Argentina and Brazil – whose governments maintain close relationships with their peers in ALBA – have confirmed that they will bring up in Cartagena the need to include Cuba in the future, hoping that this will be the last Summit that will take place without the island. Thus, although Ecuador failed to convince others to join in “boycotting the Summit,” its declarations succeeded in bringing attention to the nature of the Summit and the exclusion of Cuba. President Correa’s proposal to include Cuba comes at a time in which the President’s stance on human rights – such as the freedom of expression – has been strongly criticised by international organisations like the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) and the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Freedom of Expression, as well as by international human rights NGOs and media around the world. The President’s reaction has been to denounce such scrutiny and link them to alleged interests of Northern countries, including the US. However, the questions raised internationally have thus far failed to generate any significant doubts in the conscience of Ecuadorian citizens. With half a year before the official start of his re-election campaign, public opinion favours President Correa’s management – approval that is reflected in his high level of popularity and the acceptance of his messages, which often question the role of international organisations or supranational bodies. As will be described in the pages that follow, the foreign policy of the last five years under President Correa reveals a government that challenges and questions the traditional bodies, forums and regional blocs of the international system, integration based on trade, and institutions associated with liberal democracy. At the same time, it encourages participation in alternative forums or regional political blocs, in which it seeks to propose its own stances on issues such as human rights, the freedom of expression, integration and trade relations. In the following paragraphs, there will be a brief description of the management of current Ecuadorian foreign policy and Ecuador’s position on the inter-American system. Interviews with academics and diplomats, in addition to various news sources, have been used in the writing of this report.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Diplomacy
Political Geography:
Central America and Ecuador

39. Understanding the Links Between Sexual and Reproductive Health Status and Poverty Reduction

Author:
Nata Duvvury and Philip Oxhorn
Publication Date:
01-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
The interrelationship between poverty and sexual and reproductive health status (SRHS) is widely noted in academic, policy and programmatic discourses, though none establishes causality. The primary emphasis in these discourses is that poor SRHS is an outcome of poverty, and thus can be addressed through poverty reduction programmes. The purpose of this brief is to understand what factors contribute to the interrelationship between SRHS and poverty, with a specific focus on understanding how SRHS impacts household poverty. Future studies may then focus specifically on these factors in order to address issues of causality. This brief is based on desk research involving two sources of data: 1) a review of global literature and 2) three country case studies. The global literature review examined literature documenting the nature, extent and strength of the interrelationship between poverty and SRHS. The literature search was conducted using keywords from different disciplinary perspectives demography, economics, development, women’s studies, sociology, human rights and public health. Key databases such as JSTOR, PubMed, MEDLINE and Elsevier Science Direct were consulted, as well as the specific library databases at National University of Ireland, Galway and McGill University. Researchers at McGill compiled an annotated bibliography of literature on India. The three country case studies were undertaken in Brazil, Ghana and Lebanon. Consultants in each country undertook an extensive search of academic, policy and programmatic literature including journal publications, research reports, policy briefs, and non-governmental organization (NGO) reports. The literature search in each country followed the same method as the global literature review, including identifying keywords from different disciplines and exploring different databases. In addition, the consultants searched grey literature through contacting various NGOs and research institutions. They also obtained statistical information from governmental and institutional databases. All country case studies explored three key questions: 1) Is there literature that demonstrates the impact of poor SRHS on poverty? 2) What factors have been highlighted in the literature as influencing the relationship between SRHS and poverty? 3) Are there trade-offs involved for women between education, fertility, status and work participation? and 4) Do programmes by civil society organizations, such as micro-credit or income-generating programmes, promote sexual and reproductive health?
Topic:
Development, Education, Poverty, Health Care Policy, and Reproductive Health
Political Geography:
Africa, Middle East, Brazil, South America, Lebanon, and Ghana

40. Stimulating Sustainable Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa with Legal Systems Enabling Women Entrepreneurs’ Creativity

Author:
Isabelle Deschamps
Publication Date:
01-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:
This brief addresses the problem of gendered poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa and argues that multifaceted context-sensitive business law reform is necessary for tackling issues underlying the problem. It takes the reform initiatives led by the Organisation pour l’harmonisation du droit des affaires en Afrique (OHADA) as a case study and draws on interviews carried out by the author with women entrepreneurs, OHADA agents, lawyers and journalists in Benin and Cameroon in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The brief argues that business law modernization in Africa should not be only or predominantly aimed at attracting foreign investors and ensuring a secure legal climate for multinational corporations. Rather, African business law reform should also attend to the informal sector and aim to make states’ legal systems friendlier to micro, small and medium businesses (MSM), in particular ones operated by women. Concomitantly, Canada’s international development assistance policies should aim at promoting, through commercial law reform, entrepreneurial skills and creativity among principals of MSMs. Strategies and recommendations for reaching policy goals should be rooted in local needs and frames of reference. They should target and be accessible to those running MSMs in the region. This brief notes CIDA’s successes in this area, and shows how current programs can be adjusted to prioritize the achievement of policy goals and the development of strategies in cooperation with female-run MSMs, financiers, jurists and organisations like the OHADA operating in sub-Saharan Africa.
Topic:
Development, Women, Entrepreneurship, and Economic growth
Political Geography:
Africa