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A displaced family flees Solino, a neighborhood in the heart of Haiti’s capital, following increased insecurity due to gang violence. Credit: UNICEF/Ralph Tedy Erol

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 28 2024 (IPS)

As gangs continuously seize more territory in the Haitian capital, Port-Au-Prince, the humanitarian crisis deepens. Gang violence in Haiti has considerably escalated following the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and the appointment of the new Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. Attacks on civilians continue to increase in brutality as the severely underfunded MSS mission and lackluster police efforts do little to combat gang activity. Girls and women have been disproportionately affected by rampant gender-based violence.

Over the past several days, violent clashes between armed gangs, civilians, and police in Port-Au-Prince have intensified greatly. On November 25, the United Nations (UN) ordered its staff to evacuate following increased security concerns.

“We are temporarily reducing our footprint in the capital. The critical humanitarian programmes in Port-au-Prince as well as support for the Haitian people and authorities continue,” said Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, in a press release. This comes a few days after the medical humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders, announced that they would suspend operations in Haiti following continued threats of rape and violence from the local police.

Due to suspended relief efforts from humanitarian aid organizations and the relative ineffectiveness of the MSS mission, many Haitians have expressed concern over the dwindling of protections.

“Every Haitian thinks that we are being abandoned by the whole world. If I was in a foreign country and I believed at any moment my life could be at risk, I would leave too,” says Dr. Wesner Junior Jacotin, a physician in Haiti.

American missionary David Lloyd, who lost his children due to an attack by Haitian gangs earlier this year, expressed uncertainty for the future of Haiti to reporters. “Seems like everyone that can is relocating to somewhere outside of Port-au-Prince. My question is, after Port-au-Prince is burned, where is next? Will the gangs go to Cap Haitien then? Someone needs to make a stand and say enough is enough,” said Lloyd.

The UN estimates that the death toll from gang violence in Haiti has surpassed 4,500 civilians. On November 20, UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the growing insecurity in the capital is a “harbinger of worse to come,” stressing that if proper action is not taken, conditions will further deteriorate. The UN confirmed in a press release that at least 150 people have been killed, 92 injured, and 20,000 displaced over the past week. Additionally, it is predicted that Port-Au-Prince’s population of 4 million people are being held hostage by gangs as all of the main pathways to the capital have been besieged.

The UN has warned that there have been increasing reported cases of gender-based violence in Haiti. According to figures from the Human Rights Watch (HRW), there have been over 54,000 cases of gender-based violence from January to October of this year. The true number of cases is unknown but is believed to be much higher.

“The rule of law in Haiti is so broken that members of criminal groups rape girls or women without fearing any consequences. The international community should urgently increase funding for comprehensive programs to support survivors of sexual violence,” said Nathalye Cotrino, a crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch.

According to HRW, there has been a 1000 percent increase in cases of sexual violence involving children in the past year. Many of the survivors are left with complications, including injuries, mental trauma, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Yet, due to an overall lack of medical and psychosocial support for victims alongside a pervasive stigma and fear of retaliation, many victims do not come forward.

Haiti’s ban on abortions has only exacerbated this issue. “Haitian women and girls facing poverty resort to unsafe abortions, risking their lives. Unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of maternal mortality,” said Pascale Solages, director of the women’s organization Nègès Mawon.

On November 24, the MSS mission announced via a statement posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) that they are cooperating with the Haitian National Police (HNP) to target gang operations in Delmas. “These operations are specifically targeting gang leaders responsible for terrorizing innocent civilians. MSS is resolute in its mission and will not relent until these perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice. Our commitment to dismantling gang networks and dislodging them from their strongholds remains firm,” the statement reads.

The Haitian government has called for a full-scale peacekeeping operation to be sent to Haiti, adding that the MSS mission lacks the necessary personnel and equipment to respond effectively to the gangs.

Miroslav Jenca, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, urged the Security Council to discuss peacekeeping options in Haiti on November 20. “Amid the severe and multifaceted crisis in Haiti, robust international security support is required now. This is not just another wave of insecurity; it is a dramatic escalation that shows no signs of abating,” Jenca said.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Credit Sebastian Voortman

By Mathieu Belbéoch and Emma Heslop
GENEVA / PARIS, Nov 28 2024 (IPS)

At their recent Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the G20 committed to support developing countries in responding to global crises and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To meet that pledge, the world’s leading economies need to enhance global collaboration and investment in ocean prediction systems and technology.

As we highlight in the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) 2024 State of the Ocean Report, this is key to both addressing climate change and closing the gaps currently hindering progress towards multiple SDGs.

Strengthening the capacity of under-resourced countries to improve ocean observing and forecasting is imperative to protect people from the impacts of a changing ocean.

Sea level is rising and will accelerate in the future, driven by unprecedented ocean warming and melting glaciers, including the Greenland and West Antarctica ice sheets. Not only do we need climate action, but—with the ocean containing 40 times as much carbon as the atmosphere—we need to increase our understanding of how proposed climate solutions will interact with the ocean’s carbon cycle and ecosystems, and the resulting risks and benefits.

In fact, observations and forecasts of the ocean’s physical, chemical and biological changes should be at the root of all sustainable development decision-making. Fortunately, new technologies and networks mean our capacity for monitoring and prediction is growing, but not fast enough and not in all parts of the ocean.

After four decades of investment, ocean prediction systems have matured and can now provide accurate forecasts. However, persistent gaps remain, both spatially—particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, polar regions, and island nations—and thematically in critical application areas where more ocean data is needed to advance our prediction of extreme weather, coastal hazards, marine biodiversity, and ocean health.

There is an increasingly urgent need to fill in these missing links to allow us to adapt to changes, predict and manage risk, develop accurate future climate scenarios, and accelerate sustainable blue economic growth—including clean ocean energy technologies.

To date, the Global Ocean Observing System comprises more than 8,000 observing platforms, operated by 84 countries through16 global networks and many biological and ecological observing programmes, and delivering more than 120,000 observations into operational systems daily.

However, to address global challenges and inequalities, spatial and temporal ocean observation gaps must be addressed, particularly those related to the inter-connected triple planetary crises of climate, biodiversity and pollution. That will require recognition of the Global Ocean Observing System as a critical infrastructure and greater cooperation to align data reporting and access.

Free and open data access must be assured as a prerequisite for equitable global sharing of data and information. Supporting this will help G20 States to reduce asymmetries in science, technology, and innovation; one of the inequalities the Leaders’ Summit declared to be at the root of all global challenges.

To improve data access and interoperability, worldwide efforts coordinated by the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) have established a network of 101 data centres in 68 countries. Further expansion of this integrated IOC Data Architecture, including the development of UNESCO-IOC’s Ocean InfoHub Project and new Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS), will create a more unified data delivery infrastructure and continue to support information accessibility as part of action under SDG14.

It is extremely concerning that, despite technological advances, a combination of inflation and flat national funding means that there has been no significant growth in ocean observations in the last five years. One area that demands urgent attention is the enhancement of global, regional and coastal observing and forecasting capabilities for biogeochemistry.

Although there has been investment in biogeochemical sensors, they still represent a small fraction of the observing system; for example, only 7.5% of the current system measures dissolved oxygen and this figure drops even further for other biogeochemical variables.

To provide the baseline information needed to track ocean carbon and oxygen levels, we need a significant increase in both biological and biogeochemical observations.

Another missing piece of the puzzle is the 75% of the ocean floor that remains unmapped. New technologies and partnerships are mobilizing and 5.4 million km2 of new data have been obtained since 2022, but there is still a long way to go. Greater global efforts to expand our knowledge of the seafloor are essential and must be spread across both hemispheres.

A primary driver of the North-South disparity in ocean prediction is the need for extensive supercomputing infrastructure. New forecasting systems using AI models promise to reduce this imbalance. With these data-driven systems, a ten-day forecast can be computed in less than a minute, and there is potential for AI-based forecasts to enlarge the limits of predictability up to 60 days. This would help safeguard coastal cities and build climate resilience.

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 is a chance to mobilize transformative changes in ocean forecasting by developing a new framework for ocean prediction and capitalizing on key opportunities, including leveraging the advent of AI. This work has already begun, but too many communities are still not benefiting from sophisticated coastal forecasting.

We call on G20 leaders to prioritize ocean observation, data management and prediction as they take action to meet their commitment to the SDGs and global challenges. Global cooperation and investment in prediction technology and equitable access to ocean data will bring multiple, long-term benefits to millions of people across the world. It’s time to bridge the North-South divide and advance equitable ocean prediction for a safer, more sustainable future.

Mathieu Belbéoch, World Meteorological Organization, OceanOPS; Emma Heslop, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Farmer Hasan Khan took photos of his farm in Kasur during the smog. Credit: Hasan Khan

By Zofeen Ebrahim
KARACHI, Nov 28 2024 (IPS)

Atif Manzoor, 45, the owner of the renowned blue pottery business in Multan, had every reason to feel cheerful last week when the sun finally came out. For a good three weeks, the city of Sufi shrines had been shrouded in an envelope of thick smog.

For over three weeks, he said, business had been terrible, with “several orders canceled” and advance payments refunded. He also had to bear the transport costs he had already paid after the government imposed restrictions on heavy traffic and closed the motorways due to poor visibility.

Thick smog had blanketed cities across Punjab province, home to 127 million people, since the last week of October. Multan, with a population of 2.2 million, recorded an air quality index (AQI) above 2,000, surpassing Lahore, the provincial capital, where the AQI exceeded 1,000.

While Lahore’s AQI has improved, it still fluctuates between 250 (very unhealthy) and 350 (hazardous) on the Swiss company’s scale, keeping it among the top cities in the world with the poorest air quality. As this article went into publication, it was 477, or “very unhealthy.”

Terming the AQI levels in Punjab, in particular Lahore and Multan, “unprecedented, Punjab’s Environment Secretary, Raja Jahangir Anwar, blamed the “lax construction regulations, poor fuel quality, and allowing old smoke-emitting vehicles plying on the roads, residue burning of rice crops to prepare the fields for wheat sowing” as some of the factors contributing to the smog in winter when the air near the ground becomes colder and drier.

Manzoor was not alone in his predicament. Smog had disrupted everyone’s life in the province, including students, office workers, and those who owned or worked in or owned smoke-emitting businesses like kilns, restaurants, construction, factories, or transport, after authorities put restrictions on them.

Even farmers in rural settings were not spared. Hasan Khan, 60, a farmer from Kasur, said that the lack of sunlight, poor air quality, transport delays preventing laborers from reaching farms, and low visibility were all hindering farm work and stunting crop growth.

“The smog hampered plant growth by blocking sunlight and slowing photosynthesis, and since we do flood irrigation, the fields stay drenched longer, causing crop stress, and the trees began shedding their leaves due to poor air quality,” he said.

A screenshot of the IQAir airquality index for Thursday, November 28, 2024, showing the top 10 most polluted cities. Credit: IQAir

Divine Intervention or Blueskying

After weeks of relentless smog, residents of Punjab had been calling for artificial rain, similar to what was done last year. This process involves releasing chemicals like silver iodide from airplanes to induce rainfall. However, Anwar explained that artificial rain requires specific weather conditions, including the right humidity levels, cloud formations, and wind patterns. “We only carry out cloud seeding when there is at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation,” he said.

On November 15, favorable weather conditions allowed for cloud seeding over several cities and towns in Punjab’s Potohar Plateau, leading to natural rainfall in Islamabad and surrounding areas. The forecast also predicted that this would trigger rain in Lahore.

On November 23, Lahore received its first winter rain, which helped clear the thick, toxic smog that had been causing eye irritation and throat discomfort, revealing the sun and a clear blue sky. However, some believe the downpour was the result of the collective rain prayer, Namaz-e-Istisqa, held at mosques across the province, seeking divine intervention.

But cloud seeding has its critics. Dr. Ghulam Rasul, advisor at the China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre and former head of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, cautioned that cloud seeding might reduce smog temporarily, but it was not a sustainable solution. Instead, it could create dry conditions that worsen fog and smog. He also warned that an overdose could trigger hailstorms or heavy rainfall.

Once the smog thinned and the air quality improved, the government eased its restrictions, allowing shops and restaurants (with barbecues if smoke is controlled) to remain open till 8 pm and 10 pm, respectively; schools and colleges have also opened, and the ban placed on construction work, brick kiln operations, and heavy transport vehicles (carrying passengers, fuels, medicines, and foods), including ambulances, rescue, fire brigades, prison, and police vehicles, has also been lifted. In addition, the government has installed 30 air quality monitors around Lahore and other cities of the province.

While the air may have cleared, health issues left in its wake are expected to persist, according to medical practitioners. Over the past 30 days, the official score of people seeking medical treatment for respiratory problems in the smog-affected districts of the province reached over 1.8 million people. In Lahore, the state-owned news agency, the Associated Press of Pakistan, reported 5,000 cases of asthma.

“Frankly, this figure seems rather underreported,” said Dr. Ashraf Nizami, president of the Pakistan Medical Association’s Lahore chapter.

“This is just the beginning,” warned Dr. Salman Kazmi, an internist in Lahore. “Expect more cases of respiratory infections and heart diseases ahead,” he said.

UNICEF had also warned that 1.1 million children under five in the province were at risk due to air pollution. “Young children are more vulnerable because of smaller lungs, weaker immunity, and faster breathing,” the agency stated.

While the government has put several measures in place, a long-term, measurable plan is needed, say experts. Credit: Hasan Khan

Ineffective Band-Aid Solutions

Although the government took several measures to manage the smog, few were impressed. Climate governance expert Imran Khalid, blaming the “environmental misgovernance for degradation of an already poor air quality across Pakistan,” found the anti-smog plan a “hodgepodge of general policy measures” with no long-term measurable plan.

He argued that the plan only targets seasonal smog instead of taking a year-round “regional, collective approach” to fighting air pollution across the entire Indus-Gangetic plains, not just in Lahore or Multan.

“I will take this seriously when I see a complete action plan in one place, preceded by a diagnostic of the causes and followed by a prioritization of actions with a timeline for implementation monitored by a committee with representation of civil society,” said Dr. Anjum Altaf, an educationist specializing in several fields along with environmental sciences. “Till such time, it is just words!” he added.

Khalid said plans and policies can only succeed if they are evidence-based, inclusive, bottom-up, and “and implemented by well-trained authorities, supported by political will and resources, flexible in response to challenges, and focused on the health of the people.”

Others argue that the slow response to the decade-long smog crisis, despite a clear understanding of its causes, reflects a matter of misplaced priorities.

“It’s all about priority,” said Aarish Sardar, a design educator, curator, and writer based in Lahore. “Many years ago, when the government wanted to nip the dengue epidemic, it was able to,” he said.

“Mosquitoes were eliminated once they reached officials’ residences,” said farmer Khan, agreeing that when there is political will, remarkable changes can occur.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Kaieteur Falls in the Potaro River, Guyana. The country has a clear path forward to employ its oil and gas resources for economic and social sustainability by investing long-term in sustainability across society, environment, and economy. Credit: Shutterstock

By Rio Namegaya
SAN DIEGO, USA, Nov 27 2024 (IPS)

Long before the transformative discovery of its offshore oil in 2015, Guyana had made a strong pledge to decarbonization and climate action as set forth in its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030. The development of its oil industry has led to remarkable economic growth in Guyana, including a 62.3% growth rate in 2022.

But balancing its oil-driven economic growth with its longstanding commitment to climate action and the promise of sustainability — the milestones and objectives of the LCDS policy framework — will be essential. Put simply, how can its idealistic and ambitious pathway become a reality?

The country’s offshore oil deposits have reached 11 billion barrels and production is set to top 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027, making this small Latin American country one of the fastest-growing oil producers in the world

To begin, it is essential to understand the truly transformative nature of the country’s oil and gas sector development. The country’s offshore oil deposits have reached 11 billion barrels and production is set to top 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027, making this small Latin American country one of the fastest-growing oil producers in the world.

The expected boost in production is estimated to bring in revenue of 7.5 billion USD to the Government of Guyana by 2040. This is motivation strong enough for a small developing country like Guyana to balance “the goose that lays the golden egg” with its promise of Paris Agreement targets and a global status as a leading advocate for decarbonization among developing countries that was earned before its offshore oil was found.

For Guyana, there is a clear and obvious key to achieving such a delicate balance: the nation’s forest ecosystems. Guyana is a country with the second-highest percentage of global forest cover that can annually store 19.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide (almost 40% of global emissions) and capture 154 million tons per year from the atmosphere.

This has afforded the coastal nation to stake a clear claim as one of the globe’s few carbon-negative jurisdictions. Furthermore, it has allowed the country to succeed in monetizing its conservation efforts through Architecture for REDD+ Transaction: the REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (“ART TREES”), a global climate initiative focused on forestry conservation, including managing, monitoring, and reporting carbon credits.

With the carbon credit certification from ART TREES, Guyana issued carbon credits for the first time as a country. Successive efforts allowed Guyana to secure a carbon-credit transaction in 2022 with Hess Corporation, a US gas and oil producer.

The agreement, that spans the years 2016-2030, includes payment to Guyana totaling at least 750 million USD to compensate for emissions in the oil production process.

This agreement also proves Guyana’s commitment to balancing oil production and sustainability by way of protecting its tropical forests, as the carbon credits payments are conditioned upon the requirement that 99% or more of Guyana’s forests remain intact.

Another notable sign of Guyana’s long-term readiness to strike the balance for its ambitious energy transition plan is Community-produced Village Sustainability Plans (VSPs).

As stipulated in the LCDS 2030, 15% of the revenue from the carbon market is used for Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). It should be noted that this is an important distinction for Guyana’s efforts when compared to other countries in the region.

Moreover, the VSP’s are part of Guyana’s sense of urgency to mitigate and adapt to the risks and impacts of climate change as a Latin American country particularly vulnerable to the most pernicious impacts from climate change.

The country has repeatedly underscored how it views its role as one of the most crucial countries in biodiversity conservation while shaping policy and governance lessons as to how to invest the oil revenue in possible expansion and conservation of forests, coastal, land, and ocean biodiversity, and heightening resilience against climate change impacts.

Successful development and implementation of these plans could both save lives in the region and further advance Guyana’s economic development while affording crucial lessons learned globally.

Further, Guyana also uses revenue from the carbon market to invest in education and other public services, agriculture, manufacturing, and IT industries.

These measures are important to stave off and mitigate the impacts of the resource curse. The early results are positive as the non-oil economy grew by 12.6% in 2024, which points to an important start and reassuring evidence that Guyana is working to diversify its economy.

In other words, Guyana is already preparing an antidote to “Dutch Disease,” a phenomenon where accelerated growth in one sector harms the economy in another sector as seen in the Netherlands, where discovery of oil and gas and rapid development and income generation for the nation resulted in a decline in manufacturing industry during the 1970s.

Finally, Guyana is aware that its continued commitment to environmental sustainability improves the long-term viability of both oil production and its domestic economy.

Continued development of an efficient level of production in its burgeoning offshore oil industry combined with important carbon capture technologies is positioning the nation’s output as so-called “low-carbon” barrels.

As oil demand declines over the coming years, it also seems apparent that changes in international regulations and governance would impact high-carbon producers first.

Nothing would promise longer prospects as an oil producer for Guyana than as a sustainable low-carbon oil producer. Such attributes can ensure Guyanese oil competitive even after achieving global net-zero carbon emissions despite being a latecomer to the global oil market.

An optimist might even add that this would pressure other major existing producers to lower their carbon emissions if considering Guyana’s collaboration with Norway—another oil producer aiming to lower net carbon emissions in recent years.

Guyana has shown its strong and confident commitment to sustainability in oil production and social and economic development through a commitment to policy and legislation at the domestic level.

The nation’s ambitiousness of harnessing the economic opportunity presented from the discovery of its massive offshore oil wealth has not subsumed the longstanding and necessary commitment to biodiversity and climate action.

Indeed, the country has a clear path forward to employ its oil and gas resources for economic and social sustainability by investing long-term in sustainability across society, environment, and economy.

Rio Namegaya is a graduate student at the University of California San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS)

 

Female workers sort out plastic bottles for recycling in a factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Credit: Abir Abdullah/Climate Visuals Countdown

By Masum Billah
DHAKA, Nov 27 2024 (IPS)

After Bangladesh’s interim government banned polyethene bags, a new sense of hope has emerged for the Sonali bag—a jute-based, eco-friendly alternative developed in 2017 by Bangladeshi scientist Dr. Mubarak Ahmed Khan. Sonali bag, or the golden bag, is named after the golden fiber of jute from which it is made.

Despite its promises, the project has struggled to make significant progress due to a lack of funding. However, following the announcement of the polythene bag ban, Mubarak is now facing pressure to supply his Sonali bag to a market eager for sustainable alternatives.

“Since the government banned polythene bags, we have faced immense pressure of orders that we cannot meet—people are coming in with requests at an overwhelming rate,” Mubarak Ahmed Khan told the IPS.

The latest ban, which came into effect on October 1 for superstores and traditional markets on November 1, isn’t the first time Bangladesh has imposed a ban on polythene bags.

In 2002, the country became the first in the world to outlaw them, as plastic waste was severely clogging city drainage systems and exacerbating its waterlogging crisis, with Dhaka alone consuming an estimated 410 million polybags each month. But the ban gradually lost effectiveness over the years, largely due to a lack of affordable and practical alternatives and inadequate enforcement from regulatory authorities.

Dr. Mubarak Ahmed Khan in his office holding a Sonali Bag. Credit: Masum Billah/IPS

Polyethene bags, although cheaper, are harmful to the environment as they are non-biodegradable and their decomposition takes at least 400 years. Sonali Bag as an alternative, on the other hand, is regarded as a game-changer because it is biodegradable, capable of decomposing in three months.

The ban comes as the UN Plastics Treaty Negotiations are underway in Busan, South Korea. The UN Environment Programme estimates that around the world, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute.

“In total, half of all plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes—used just once and then thrown away.”

Without an agreement, the OECD estimates that annual plastic production, use, and waste are predicted to increase by 70 percent in 2040 compared to 2020. This on a planet already choking on plastic waste.

The talks have in the past stalled over a disagreement over how to manage waste, with some countries favouring introducing a cap on plastic production and others supporting circularity with use, reuse, and recycling as the main objectives.

The plastics treaty talks will run from 25 November 2024 to 1 December 2024.

However, despite its environmental benefits and higher demands, in Bangladesh the Sonali Bag project still remains within the pilot phase.

A late start for funding crisis

After Mubarak’s invention made headlines, the country’s state-owned Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation launched a pilot project, setting up a jute-polymer unit at the Latif Bawani Jute Mill to produce Sonali Bag.

Mubarak said they have been asking for government funds, as the project has been operating under the Ministry of Textiles and Jute. However, the basic funding that kept the pilot project running expired last December, and the previous government—which was toppled in August in a mass uprising—had discontinued the project.

“There had been assurances that we might receive Tk100 crore (about USD 8 million) in funding from the government by July. But then came political unrest and a change in government,” Mubarak said.

After the new government took charge, they renewed the pledges to fund the Sonali Bag project.

“The interim government told us that we will get the money in January. If that happens, we will be able to produce five tons of bags per day,” Mubarak said. “Five tons may not be a lot, but it will give us the chance to demonstrate our work to private investors, boosting their confidence to engage with us.”

According to Mubarak, one kilogram of Sonali bags amounts to around 100 pieces of small bags. Based on this estimate, five tons could produce around 15 million bags per month.

Bangladesh’s current adviser to the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, Md. Sakhawat Hossain, told IPS that they are seriously considering funding the Sonali Bag project this January, although he acknowledged that his ministry is currently facing a funding crisis.

“The work will begin in full scale after the fund is provided,” Sakhawat Hossain said. When asked if Mubarak would receive the funds by January, he replied, “We hope so.”

A ban without adequate alternatives at hand

Mubarak Ahmed Khan regards the government’s decision to ban polythene bags as a “praiseworthy” initiative. However, he emphasized that sustainable and affordable alternatives to the polythene bags should come soon.

Mubarak is not alone in his concerns. Sharif Jamil, founder of Waterkeepers Bangladesh, an organization dedicated to protecting water bodies, shares skepticism about the effectiveness of the ban this time, citing the lack of sustainable alternatives in the market.

“The announcement of this ban is an important and timely step. However, it must also be noted that our previous ban was not enforced. Without addressing the underlying issues that led to nonenforcement of the previous ban, the new polythene ban will not resolve the existing problems. It is crucial to tackle the challenges that allowed polythene to remain in the market,” Sharif Jamil told IPS.

“If you don’t provide people with an alternative and simply remove polythene from the markets, the ban won’t be effective,” he added.

Sharif noted that the existing alternatives in the market are not affordable, with some selling alternative jute bags at Tk25 in supermarkets, while polythene bags are often offered at a price that is essentially free.

“Alternatives need to be more affordable and accessible to the public,” he said.

Mubarak stated that his Sonali bag currently costs Tk10 per piece, but he anticipates lowering the price with increased production and demand.

The pursuit of competition in sustainable alternatives

Sharif Jamil, however, wants competition in the sustainable alternatives market.

“It is not only about incentivizing Dr. Mubarak’s project,” Sharif said.

This technology has to be incentivized and recognized, but the government also has to ensure two other things, he said.

“If the government can make it accessible to people at a lower price, it will reach them. Secondly, if the alternative remains solely with Mubarak, it will create a monopoly again,” he said.

It must undergo competition, he recommended. Bangladesh has a competition commission to ensure that other existing sustainable green solutions on the market are also incentivized and recognized.

“Besides facilitating and upgrading Mubarak’s project, the government should ensure fair competition so that people can access it at a lower price,” he added.

For the sake of environment

Adviser Shakhawat Hossain said that they are optimistic about the success of Sonali Bag.

“Already the ambassadors of various countries are meeting me about this. Some buying houses too have been created for this. It seems it will be a sustainable development,” he said.

Mubarak said that if they get the funding soon, Sonali Bag will have a market not only in Bangladesh but all over the world.

He said the private investors should come forward not just because the government has banned polythene bags, but out of a moral obligation to address the negative impact these bags have on the environment.

“With this, I believe we can create a polythene-free environment,” Mubarak said, acknowledging, “It is not easy to introduce this to the market solely because it is a new product. We are up against an USD 3.5 trillion single-use plastic market.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Samira, a mother of five, was forced to leave her home following bombardment and is now living with her children in the streets of Martyrs Square in Beirut. Credit: UNICEF/Fouad Choufany

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 27 2024 (IPS)

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah comes into effect early on Wednesday morning (November 27). It is hoped that this will mark an end to a 13-month-long period of hostilities between the two parties in Lebanon.

News of the ceasefire came from United States President Joe Biden, who made a televised announcement on Tuesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached between the Israeli and Lebanese governments. Biden remarked that the ceasefire was expected to be a “permanent cessation of hostilities” from both sides of the conflict.

“Civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses, and their very lives,” said Biden. “We are determined that this conflict will not just be another cycle of violence.”

Under the ceasefire agreements, which will initially last for sixty days, fighting at the Israel-Lebanon border will come to an end, and Israeli troops are expected to gradually withdraw from south Lebanon. Hezbollah is expected to pull back north of the Litani river, ending their presence in southern Lebanon.

The implementation of this ceasefire will be overseen by the United States, France, and the United Nations through the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The UN has made repeated calls for the full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006), which calls for an end to the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and the need for Lebanon to exert government control.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire deal, noting that it would be an “essential step towards restoring calm and stability in Lebanon,” while also warning that Israel must commit to the agreement and abide by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared in a video statement shortly before the ceasefire deal was reached that Israel would retaliate if Hezbollah made any moves that violated the terms of the ceasefire.

Senior leaders in the UN, including Secretary-General António Guterres, welcomed the ceasefire announcement. In an official statement from his office, Guterres urges the parties to “fully respect and swiftly implement all of their commitments made under this agreement.”

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, also released a statement where she welcomed the ceasefire agreement. She went on to remark that this would signify the start of a critical process, “anchored in the full implementation” of the Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), to go forward in restoring the safety and security of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line.

“Considerable work lies ahead to ensure that the agreement endures. Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required,” Hennis-Plasschaert said. “It is clear that the status quo of implementing only select provisions of Resolution 1701 (2006) while paying lip service to others will not suffice. Neither side can afford another period of disingenuous implementation under the guise of ostensible calm.”

The ceasefire agreement comes after a year-long period of escalating tensions and fighting, which began shortly after the October 7 Hamas terror attacks in Israel. Hostilities ramped up in September of this year when the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) made repeated attacks on southern Lebanon. The fallout of the humanitarian situation has seen the displacement of over 900,000 civilians since October 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Over 3823 civilian casualties have been confirmed within Lebanon and Israel. Of those casualties, at least 1356 civilians have been killed since October 8, 2023.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said that the work must begin to sustain this peace and that children and families, including those displaced and in host communities, need to be ensured a safe return. Humanitarian organizations need to be “granted safe, timely, and unimpeded access to deliver lifesaving aid and services to all affected areas.”

“We call on all parties to uphold their commitments, respect international law, and work with the international community to sustain peace and ensure a brighter future for children,” said Russell. “Children deserve stability, hope, and a chance to rebuild their futures. UNICEF will continue to stand with them every step of the way.”

Even as a ceasefire seemed imminent, on Tuesday Israeli warplanes bombarded Beirut’s southern neighborhoods. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of 24 civilians. Al Jazeera reported that even amidst Biden’s announcement, the war in Lebanon was “still very much going.”

In recent months, UNIFIL forces have been caught in the crossfires and have faced challenges in fulfilling their mandate. Most recently, four Italian peacekeepers were injured when rockets hit the headquarters in Shama, though they did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

On this incident, UNIFIL stated: “The deliberate or accidental targeting of peacekeepers serving in south Lebanon must cease immediately to ensure their safety and uphold international law.” Earlier this month, UNIFIL released a statement detailing the actions the IDF took against the peacekeepers, including the “deliberate and direct destruction” of UNIFIL property.

During his address on Tuesday, Biden acknowledged Gaza and the lack of a ceasefire for the ongoing war. “Just as the people of Lebanon deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza,” Biden said. “They too deserve an end to the fighting and the displacement. The people of Gaza have been through hell. Their world is absolutely shattered. Far too many civilians in Gaza have suffered far too much.”

Biden pledged that the United States would make another push to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, along with Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel; one that would see an end to the violence and the release of all hostages. The United States has vetoed Security Council resolutions that would have called for a ceasefire in Gaza on four separate occasions, most recently this November.

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UNICEF distributes critical generator oils and filters to Gaza. Credit: UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 27 2024 (IPS)

Following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for deliberate war crimes committed on the people of Gaza, there has been a considerable surge in hostilities, mostly concentrated in the enclave’s northern regions. The humanitarian crisis is expected to deteriorate as the availability of essential resources, such as water, food, fuel, and electricity has significantly dwindled over the past few weeks due to sustained blockages by Israeli authorities. Additionally, levels of civilian casualties and displacements have reached new peaks.

Despite repeated claims from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that the airstrikes are meant to target Hamas members and infrastructure only, there have been frequent airstrikes on residential areas hosting displaced Gazan civilians. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, there have been over 44,000 civilian casualties in the past 13 months of this conflict. Hopeless, Starving, and Besieged, a report by the Human Rights Watch, estimates that roughly 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced.

On November 21, a series of overnight strikes ravaged a residential neighborhood in Beit Lahiya, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure. Gaza’s Health Ministry has confirmed that there have been at least 66 civilian casualties from this attack. Many are reportedly still buried under rubble. The victims were rushed to the nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital, which has been severely strained due to the influx of patients and dwindling resources.

The director of the hospital, Hussam Abu Safia, informed reporters that the majority of the casualties are women and children. Abu Safia added that hospital staff rushed to the scene to retrieve bodies from underneath rubble, observing that many bodies hung from the walls and ceilings of the destroyed settlement.

“A very large number of casualties has arrived, and there are still many bodies hanging on the walls, ceilings. We are already operating with the bare minimum resources, that is why most of our staff are now busy rescuing the injured due to the lack of ambulances and resources. The situation is honestly very dire. We cannot cope with this massive number of injuries and casualties,” said Abu Safia.

Health officials have warned that inadequate reserves of fuel are responsible for an imminent failure of Gaza’s healthcare system. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed specific concern for the Kamal Adwan Hospital due to the rising intensity of the airstrikes and the wide scale of needs.

Marwan al-Hams, director of Gaza’s field hospitals, informed reporters on November 22 that “all hospitals in Gaza will stop working or reduce their services within 48 hours due to the occupation’s (Israel’s) obstruction of fuel entry.”

The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, warned on November 21 that continued hostilities threaten to bring humanitarian operations in Gaza to a “standstill.” Essential resources for displacement shelters- such as food, water, and medical supplies- have been nearly completely depleted.

According to Hadi, the IDF has banned all commercial imports for over six weeks, deepening the widespread levels of hunger, disease, and suffering, particularly in northern Gaza. Bakeries, which have acted as lifelines for millions of Gazans throughout the crisis, have been closing “one after the other” due to a lack of flour to bake bread and fuel to power generators. Approximately 2 million people are predicted to be affected.

OCHA reports that as of November 26, 41 attempts were made by the UN to reach Palestinians in the besieged areas of Northern Gaza with humanitarian aid, yet none of them were facilitated by Israeli authorities. 37 missions were rejected by the authorities, and the four that were approved were only partially successful as they faced challenges on the ground.

On November 22, the WFP released the Global Outlook 2025, a report that examines issues in global food security. According to figures in the report, Gaza is critically dependent on humanitarian aid for survival, with approximately 91 percent of the population facing acute food insecurity. 16 percent are living under catastrophic conditions.

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) Headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. Credit: ICC
 
ICC issues arrest warrants for Israel, Hamas leadership: what happens next?

By James E. Jennings
ATLANTA, USA, Nov 27 2024 (IPS)

As of last week, in the wake of the Nov. 21 issuance by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former IDF Defense chief Yoav Gallant, all eyes turned to Washington to see the what the response of Israel’s main backer would be.

The charges were for “Crimes Against Humanity” and “War Crimes” for using starvation as a method of warfare in Gaza, something is explicitly forbidden in international law. A HAMAS operative, Muhammad Deif, who may already be dead, was also charged. One would think that the US should find it easy to agree. But what was the message from the Biden White House?

Press spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said that the United States of America “Rejects the ICC ruling,” as if the International Criminal Court were just an off-beat punk yelling his head off in Lafayette Park just across from the presidential residence. But the prestigious court in the Hague has no option. It is bound to rule according to the law. It’s actions are neither political nor enacted on a whim.

The international law that created the treaty was endorsed by a host of national governments around the world—except for a few, Israel and the United States being the most prominent.

The US is not a State Party (signatory) to the ICC, even though 124 countries have signed the Rome Statute that created the ICC in 2002. Presidents Clinton and Obama tried to get ratification from the US Senate but failed. George W. Bush and the Neo-Cons flatly rejected the idea of endorsing the statute, not wanting any restrictions on their disastrous plan to attack Iraq.

Just the day before at the United Nations, the Security Council voted overwhelmingly 14-1 to demand a cease-fire in Gaza. But the US, by a single vote –because it has veto power under the rules set up in the wake of WW II—blocked the resolution.

The argument that a cease fire would help bring the hostages home, not hinder their release, was urged by the council but fell on deaf ears.

In a shameful action that will be long remembered throughout the world, the US representative, Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood, raised his hand to block the resolution. These two actions in the same week—flat out rejection of the ICC warrants and blocking a Security Council cease fire resolution intended to relieve massive human suffering, when taken together, mean not only that the United States is fully on board with the endless slaughter of civilians in Gaza under continuous Israeli bombing, but it now supports starving women and children too.

This is a stain that will not go away. Protestors in the streets and on university campuses have long been chanting, “Genocide Joe has got to go!” How out of touch is the near-senile President Biden? How corrupt, misguided, and inhumane do you have to be to make that decision, condemning the United States to be forever labeled as contributing to war crimes?

It’s true that Washington has long supplied arms to Israel, including during this conflict, but to support continued starvation and bombing of civilians as a matter of policy is much worse—either deliberately evil or insanity. No fancy negotiating tricks are allowed when innocent lives are at stake.

And where does the recent Democratic nominee for President, Vice President Kamala Harris, stand on all this? Does she have a voice within the Administration? She pledged repeatedly if elected to increase, not decrease, humanitarian aid to Gaza.

What’s wrong with advocating a cease fire after 13 months of massive, one-sided bloodletting that has killed and wounded nearly 150,000 people among the unfortunate citizens of Gaza?

Let’s define terms: A war is when both sides shoot at each other. A Turkey Shoot is different—the Turkey doesn’t have a chance, and sharpshooters just keep shooting to see who has the best aim. A slaughterhouse is when only one side has all the power and just keeps killing on a massive scale.

Israel’s troops have guns and bombs supplied by the United States, Germany, and the UK, and continues to shoot and bomb people in Gaza long after the other side has ceased firing. If the operation is a manhunt, call it a manhunt. If a reprisal, call it a reprisal. If ethnic cleansing, call it that. If the term “Warsaw Ghetto” is fitting, call it that. But don’t call it a righteous battle if the atrocities keep piling up on just one side with no sign of stopping.

Does anybody know how long it has been since HAMAS has fired rockets, or even machine guns at Israeli troops? You would think that if that were the case the slick Israeli lie machine would trumpet that information. So why not cease firing today, not tomorrow?

Why doesn’t the esteemed American President, “Genocide Joe,” just decide for once to do the right thing?

James E. Jennings, PhD is President of Conscience International, an aid organization that has worked in Gaza over many years.

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Photo courtesy: Shelter Associates

By Baher Kamal
MADRID, Nov 26 2024 (IPS)

In most Western European countries you can purchase –or rent- a 60 square-metres flat that is equipped with two toilets, one for her and one for him. Larger apartments may feature even more.

For those who can afford it, such facilities are taken for granted. Yet, nearly half the global population—over 3.5 billion people—live without access to safely managed sanitation, including 419 million forced to practice open defecation.

The Hidden Reality of Open Defecation

The consequences of open defecation are stark. Human waste contaminates rivers and groundwater—often the primary sources of drinking, cooking, and bathing water in impoverished regions. It pollutes the air and fuels the spread of deadly diseases like cholera and malaria.

For women and adolescent girls, the lack of sanitation also brings added challenges. Without hygienic facilities, they face health risks and societal stigma, particularly during menstruation, with nowhere to manage this basic need in privacy.

 

Global Promises, Limited Progress

Year after year, the world’s largest multilateral system – the United Nations, tries to draw attention to the dangers of the lack of such an essential sanitation service. And so it does once and again on the occasion of the 2024 World Toilet Day.

These dangers are one of the main sources of concern and worry of at latest 30 specialised bodies grouped in the international system.

Such is the case of the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), the UN Women, among many others, let alone the UN-Water which coordinates the United Nations’ work on water and sanitation.

Politicians promised that by 2030, they would achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

This promise is part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Safely managed sanitation protects groundwater from human waste pollution. Credit: Lova Rabary-Rakontondravony/IPS

Yet another unmet promise

Nevertheless, “the world is alarmingly off-track to deliver sanitation for all by 2030.”

The evidence is sobering:

• Nearly half the world’s population, 3.5 billion people, use sanitation services that leave human waste untreated, jeopardizing human and environmental health.
• Of those, 419 million lack any toilet and practice open defecation.
• An estimated 367 million school-age children attend schools without toilets.
• Only 32% of forcibly displaced people have basic sanitation access.

At the current pace, sanitation for all won’t become a reality until the 22nd century, warns the World Health Organization.

Also this year, the whole UN system recalls that ‘Safe toilets for all by 2030’ is one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 . However, “the world is seriously off track.”

Indeed, this goal is among the 17 SDGs which were adopted nearly a decade ago by all members of the United Nations.

Also Toilets Are Under Threat

Yes, as armed conflicts, extreme weather events and disasters can destroy, damage or disrupt sanitation services. Here go some of the consequences:

“When toilet systems don’t work – or don’t exist – untreated human waste spreads in the environment, unleashing deadly diseases such as cholera,” warns the United Nations.

– Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of around 1,000 children under five every day. (WHO, 2023)

– Children who live in extremely fragile contexts are three times more likely to practise open defecation, four times more likely to lack basic sanitation services and eight times more likely to lack basic drinking water services. (UNICEF, 2024).

Obviously the citizens living in industrialised countries are not to be blamed for having toilets… not at all. Rather, good for them.

But what about the decision-makers?

Ahead of World AIDS Day (1 December), a new report by UNAIDS released its report, 'Take the rights path to end AIDS.' Credit: UN AIDS

By Ed Holt
BRATISLAVA, Nov 26 2024 (IPS)

Gaps in realising human rights could stop AIDS being ended as a public health threat by 2030, UNAIDS has warned in a report to mark World AIDS Day.

In the report, entitled Take the Rights Path, the group says the global HIV response is at an inflection point and that decisions taken now by governments will determine whether the AIDS pandemic is no longer a public health threat by the end of the decade, a commitment in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It highlights that a litany of widespread rights abuses, including girls being denied education, impunity for gender-based violence, arrests of people for who they are or who they love, and other barriers to accessing HIV services simply because of the community a person is from, are endangering efforts to end the pandemic.

The group has called on world leaders to ensure rights are upheld so that everyone that needs to can reach lifesaving programmes and AIDS can be ended, or risk “a future of needless illness, death, and unending costs.”

“It is entirely possible to end AIDS—the path is clear. Leaders must only choose to follow it,” Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, told IPS.

HIV/AIDS activists and public health experts have in recent years increasingly pointed to the effects of repression of human rights on efforts to fight HIV/AIDS.

They have highlighted a growing marginalization and stigmatization of key populations, including LGBT+ people, and drug users, in a number of countries, including the introduction of legislation directly discriminating against those communities. Meanwhile, women’s rights continue to be repressed or not fully upheld in many parts of the world.

The UNAIDS report points out that currently, only three countries report no prosecutions over the past 10 years for HIV non-disclosure, exposure, or transmission and have no laws in place criminalizing sex work, same-sex relations, possession of small amounts of drugs, transgender people, or HIV nondisclosure, exposure, or transmission. It also shows that 44 percent of all new HIV infections worldwide are among women and girls.

Activists say it is essential that criminal and other laws that harm people’s rights must be removed, and at the same time laws and policies that uphold the rights of everyone impacted by HIV and AIDS are enacted.

“The science couldn’t be more clear—criminalization is prolonging the HIV epidemic and erodes the trust in the health system that is necessary not only for an effective HIV response but also for strong pandemic responses more broadly. But these gaps can be overcome—what’s missing is political will,” Asia Russell, Executive Director of campaign group Health GAP, told IPS.

There is concern, though, that against a backdrop of growing authoritarianism and a pushback against rights in many countries, this will be challenging.

“Scapegoating and criminalizing communities is a tool dictators and autocrats are turning to more frequently, driving people away from life-saving health services and making all communities less safe,” said Russell.

Ganna Dovbakh, Executive Director at the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRA), went even further, suggesting widespread criminalisation meant that achieving the end of AIDS as a public health threat increasingly appeared to be “wishful thinking.”

“It sounds unrealistic. Taking into account anti-gender and anti-human rights movements across the globe, it sounds too ambitious,” she told IPS.

However, while the report raises concerns about how the failure to ensure human rights is impacting efforts to fight HIV/AIDS and the potential for inaction on the matter to halt or even reverse progress in battling the disease, UNAIDS points out that there has been success in countries where people-centred approaches to fighting HIV have been adopted.

“Seven countries in Africa (Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) have already reached UNAIDS testing and treatment targets (95-95-95) for the general population.

“This is a testament to global solidarity, African political leadership, and the strong collaboration between governments, communities, civil society, science, and the private sector,” said Byanyima.

“While there are rising threats from anti-LGBTQ fundamentalists in the US, Russia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and elsewhere, not all countries are blindly embracing criminalization,” said Russell. “Some governments, however, have recently rejected this approach—such as Namibia, pointing to the racist and colonial origin of such laws and their destabilizing effect not on the HIV response but on society as a whole.”

However, the report lays bare the scale of the global challenge to end AIDS by the end of the decade.

In 2023, 9.3 million [7.4 million–10.8 million] people living with HIV were still not receiving antiretroviral therapy, and 1.3 million [1.0 million–1.7 million] people newly acquired HIV. In the regions where numbers of new HIV infections are growing the fastest, only very slow progress is being made in scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). These regions also lag behind sub-Saharan Africa in progress towards meeting the 95–95–95 HIV testing and treatment targets, according to the report.

It also said that coverage of prevention services among the populations at greatest risk of HIV is very low—typically at less than 50 percent—and that HIV infections are rising in at least 28 countries around the world.

“These countries need to look at their policies and programmes and build a rights-based approach to turn their epidemics around,” said Byanyima.

Despite this, the group remains optimistic that the disease can be ended as a public health threat by the end of the decade—if governments take action now.

“It is still possible, but leaders must act now to dismantle barriers to health. I remain hopeful, but it will only happen if countries with expanding epidemics change course and protect everyone’s rights to protect everyone’s health,” said Byanyima.

Some others agree, but say it is likely governments will need to be pushed into taking the action necessary to end AIDS.

“We have the interventions that can deliver the defeat of the AIDS crisis—if deployed at scale, with the people most in need at the front of the line rather than pushed to the back. What’s missing is equitable access to the advances of science and human rights and the political will,” said Russell.

“The case for closing the HIV funding gap, reversing criminalizing laws, and accelerating deployment of superior prevention technologies could not be stronger. Unfortunately. Many governments are not, on their own, showing the leadership we need… pressure is needed now to compel government action—political will in response to the AIDS crisis rarely happens because of benevolence; it emerges in response to the pressure of accountability from communities,” she added.

Mark Harrington, Executive Director of the Treatment Action Group campaign organisation, said decades of advances in medical science meant “the toolkit we have to prevent and treat HIV, and to ensure that people can live healthy long lives regardless of HIV status, is better than it’s ever been,” but that governments must be pushed to ensure they are “responsive to the health needs of their people to fulfill the promise of all these results of decades of research and activism.”

“Political will has to be continually created and strengthened. As activists, that is our job. Over the past four decades, scientists and activists have made unbelievable progress against a once untreatable disease. We need to keep on reminding policymakers of their duties and communities of their rights to health,” he told IPS.

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Excerpt:

Ahead of World Aids Day 2024, UNAIDS released its report 'Take the rights path to end AIDS,' in which it stressed the world could meet the agreed goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030—but only if leaders protect the human rights of everyone living with and at risk of HIV.

COP 29/CMP 19/CMA 6 closing plenary Credit: Vugar Ibadov/UNFCC

By Joyce Chimbi
NAIROBI & BAKU, Nov 26 2024 (IPS)

The culmination of bitter, difficult, and challenging climate negotiations concluded with an announcement from the COP29 Presidency of Azerbaijan of the “agreement of the Baku Finance Goal—a new commitment to channel USD1.3 trillion of climate finance to the developing world each year by 2035.” This is on top of the USD 300 billion that the developed world is to extend to developing nations annually by 2035.

Developed nations appear perturbed by the outrage from the Global South as the COP29 Presidency big-up what is for all intents and purposes a bad deal for vulnerable nations on the frontlines of climate change. Once an annual inflation rate of 6 percent is factored into the new goal, USD 300 billion is not the tripling of funds that is being made out to be.

The Baku deal indicates that “developed countries will lead a new climate finance goal of at least USD 300 billion per annum by 2035 from all sources, as part of a total quantum of at least USD 1.3 trillion per annum by 2035 from all actors, with a roadmap developed in 2025.”

Ambiguous Climate Finance Promises

The promise of a USD 1.3 trillion of climate finance in line with what developing countries wanted rings hollow, for the text does not lay out the road map for how the funds are to be raised, postponing the issue to 2025. Even more concerning, Baku seems to have set things in motion for wealthy nations to distance themselves from their financial responsibility to vulnerable nations in the jaws of a vicious climate crisis.

COP29 text “calls for all actors to work together to enable the scaling up of financing to developing country Parties for climate action from all public and private sources to at least USD1.3 trillion per year by 2035.”

In this, there is a mixture of loans, grants, and private financing. Essentially, the Baku agreement reaffirms that developing nations should be paid to finance their climate actions, but it is vague on who should pay.

Baku to Belém Road Map

For finer details, there is a new road map in place now known as the “Baku to Belém Road Map to 1.3T.” COP29 text indicates that the “Baku to Belém, Brazil’ roadmap is about scaling up climate finance to USD 1.3 trillion before COP30 and that this is to be achieved through financial instruments such as grants, concessional as well as non-debt-creating instruments. In other words, the roadmap is about making everything clear in the coming months.

In climate finance, concessionals are loans. Only that they are a type of financial assistance that offers more favourable terms than the market, such as lower interest rates or grace periods. This is exactly what developing nations are against—being straddled with loans they cannot afford over a crisis they did not cause.

Article 6 of Paris Agreement: Carbon Markets

Beyond climate finance, there are other concerns with the final text. Although it has taken nearly a decade of debate over carbon trading and markets, COP29 Article 6 is complex and could cause more harm than good. On paper, the carbon markets agreements will “help countries deliver their climate plans more quickly and cheaply and make faster progress in halving global emissions this decade, as required by science.”

Although a UN-backed global carbon market with a clear pathway is a good deal, it falls short on the “transparency provision” as the agreement does not address the trust crises compromising current carbon markets. Countries will not be required to release information about their deals before trading and that carbon trading could derail efforts by the industrialized world to reduce emissions as they can continue to pay for polluting, and this will be credited as a “climate action.”

Climate Funds Fall Short

The Loss and Damage Fund seeks to offer financial assistance to countries greatly affected by climate change. There is nonetheless delayed operationalisation and uncertain funding, as COP29 did not define who pays into the fund and who is eligible to claim and draw from the fund.

The Adaptation Fund was set up to help developing countries build resilience and adapt to climate change. Every year, the fund seeks to raise at least USD 300 million but only receives USD 61 million, which is only a small fraction—about one-sixth—of what is required.

Final Text Quiet on Fossil Fuels

The final COP29 text does not mention fossil fuels and makes no reference to the historic COP28 deal to ‘transition away from fossil fuels’. Climate change mitigation means avoiding and reducing emissions of harmful gases into the atmosphere.

Fossil fuels are responsible for the climate crises, but the COP29 text on mitigation is silent on the issue of fossil fuels and does not therefore strengthen the previous COP28 UAE deal. Saudi Arabia was accused of watering down the text by ensuring that “fossil fuels” do not appear in the final agreement. They were successful, as the final text states, “Transitional fuels can play a role in facilitating the energy transition.”

Earlier, while welcoming delegates to COP29, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev left no one in doubt about his stand on fossil fuels, saying that oil and gas are a “gift from God,” praising the use of natural resources including oil and gas, and castigating the West for condemning fossil fuels while still buying the country’s oil and gas.

Against this backdrop, COP29 negotiations were never going to be easy, and although the Summit overran by about 30 hours more than expected, it was certainly not the longest COP, and it will certainly not be the most difficult as Baku has successfully entrenched bitter divisions and mistrust between the developed and developing world.

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Credit: UNDP Suriname

By Michelle Muschett and Flor de Maria Bolaños
NEW YORK, Nov 26 2024 (IPS)

As the world faces escalating challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, there is now a rapidly expanding understanding that these crises are deeply interconnected.

This wider recognition of the interconnectedness of these planetary crises is an opportunity to bring interconnected solutions to the foreground and the people who are driving these solutions forward.

Indigenous Peoples and local communities have long adopted integrated solutions that connect climate action, nature conservation, and inclusive economic growth, by amplifying their voices we can accelerate our transition to a sustainable, resilient future.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is at the forefront of this effort, fostering inclusive governance, building partnerships, and promoting innovative approaches that protect people and the planet.

The urgency of addressing climate change is undeniable, but climate action alone is insufficient. The rapid degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity exacerbate climate impacts, endangering both the environment and people’s well-being.

Forests, wetlands, and other ecosystems are essential in regulating the climate, supporting livelihoods, and ensuring food and water security for billions.

Credit: UNDP Panama

Acknowledging that human and planetary health are inseparable, this year’s 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity theme, “Peace with Nature,” emphasized the need for a harmonious relationship with nature. As societies, we are an integral part of the natural world, and only by reversing habitat loss, protecting ecosystems, and creating spaces where biodiversity can thrive can we lay the foundation for a sustainable future.

Nature is embedded in all aspects of life, making it essential for COP16 participants—from governments to Indigenous communities and the private sector—to commit to an inclusive and equitable process in building peace with nature.

The Latin America and Caribbean region, considered a “biodiversity superpower,” holds one of the world’s largest reserves of natural capital, covering 46.5 percent of forested land. This region is home to six of the world’s most megadiverse countries (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela), including 11 of Earth’s 14 biomes and the Amazon rainforest, the planet’s most biodiverse habitat.

By connecting climate, nature, and development across diverse landscapes—from Patagonia and the Caribbean to the Galapagos, Chocó and Magdalena, the Atlantic Forest, the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, mangroves, reefs, and the Amazon—the region has the potential to lead a global shift from nature-negative to nature-positive and climate-resilient systems.

Biodiversity and ecosystems took center stage in 2024 as the COP16 to the Convention on Biological Diversity convened in Cali, Colombia. Here, nearly 200 countries came together to discuss solutions to halt the rapid destruction of nature.

COP16 was seen as the “first implementation COP,” where governments, Indigenous communities, businesses, financial institutions, and civil society shared progress and strengthened the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

This meeting, alongside Climate COP29 in Azerbaijan and Land Degradation COP16 in Saudi Arabia, underscored the interconnectedness of these crises and marked a pivotal moment in taking bold steps to reduce humanity’s pressure on the planet.

Interconnected crises demand interconnected solutions, and UNDP stands as a connector at the nexus of climate, nature, and development, implementing solutions across 140 countries with a $3.4 billion nature portfolio and a $2.3 billion climate portfolio.

Through the Climate Promise and the Nature Pledge, UNDP supports over 125 countries in enhancing their NDCs and biodiversity action plans (NBSAPs), ensuring that these global commitments result in tangible, on-the-ground progress.

By treating climate, nature, and development as interdependent, we can create solutions that address both environmental and economic goals.

The conviction that climate and nature solutions must be inclusive and equitable is at the core of UNDP’s approach. UNDP brings diverse voices to the environmental agenda, acknowledging the ancestral wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, and youth.

Indigenous Peoples, who have managed biodiversity-rich ecosystems for generations, play a crucial role in protecting the planet’s natural resources. Their culture and profound knowledge—based on centuries of living in harmony with nature—are invaluable for shaping sustainable, resilient solutions.

A successful case of inclusive governance and integrated development is the partnership between UNDP, Ecuador, local communities, and Lavazza. This collaboration focuses on producing deforestation-free coffee, allowing farmers to cultivate coffee while restoring forests and protecting ecosystems, blending environmental protection with inclusive economic growth for local communities.

The “deforestation-free” certification guarantees that coffee production does not contribute to deforestation, preserving biodiversity and boosting Ecuadorian coffee’s global market potential. More than 1,800 families from the Ecuadorian Amazon region have participated, receiving training, infrastructure improvements, and market access. Around 40% of these participants are women, underscoring the project’s commitment to inclusivity and gender equity.

The result is a flourishing coffee sector that supports both environmental sustainability and economic resilience. This partnership provides a blueprint for how businesses can align with environmental goals to drive systemic change, proving that sustainable development not only protects the planet but also generates resilient human development and economic opportunities that directly benefit communities.

Financing is critical to addressing the interconnected crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation at scale. Financial flows need to triple to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP works with countries to access, channel, and deliver finance for nature and climate goals.

This includes large-scale support for countries such as Ecuador, Brazil, and Costa Rica to secure financing for implementing their Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) strategies. These strategies are critical in reducing deforestation emissions while supporting sustainable livelihoods.

Additionally, UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) supports 130 countries in crafting and implementing national biodiversity finance plans. In Cuba, for example, BIOFIN’s support enabled a policy change that allows landowners to claim payments for carbon emissions offset by forests on their land.

This initiative protects Cuba’s biodiversity while playing a vital role in reducing pollution and mitigating climate change. In Costa Rica, the RAICES Indigenous Tourism Incubator, with BIOFIN’s support, has mobilized over US$1.5 million, benefiting more than 2,000 Indigenous people and establishing 28 tourism projects.

These initiatives help manage nearly 1,900 hectares of forest sustainably. In Colombia, BIOFIN has partnered with FINAGRO, the nation’s largest agricultural development bank, to embed biodiversity protection into its financial tools, advancing Colombia toward achieving its GBF goals.

The enormous challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss present an opportunity to rethink how we develop as a global society. Recognizing the interconnectedness of these issues allows for integrated solutions that unlock new pathways to progress.

As the world approaches crucial tipping points, including the convergence of three major environmental COPs within six weeks, we must embrace solutions that foster nature-positive and climate-resilient economies.

UNDP calls on governments, multilateral institutions, and the private sector to prioritize nature-positive, low-carbon, and regenerative financing, ensuring that ecosystems and communities alike are resilient. The urgency is clear: bold action is needed now, for the benefit of all people and the planet; we need to make peace with nature.

Michelle Muschett is Director, Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Flor de Maria Bolaños is Country Specialist UNDP for Latin America and the Caribbean.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Lillian Mworeko of ICWL with UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, at the launch of the Choice Manifesto. Credit: Wambi Michael/IPS

By Wambi Michael
MBALE, WAKISO, KAMPALA, Uganda, Nov 26 2024 (IPS)

In Uganda, women and girls are more affected by HIV. Out of 1.4 million people living with the disease, 860 000 are women and girls.

According to UNAIDS, every week, 4,000 adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 years became infected with HIV globally in 2023, with 3,100 of these infections occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2023, in sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls accounted for 62 percent of all new HIV infections.

As part of the efforts to prevent new infections and death among the adolescents and women, Uganda adopted oral PrEP in 2017, or pre-exposure prophylaxis. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use.

In January 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that the dapivirine vaginal ring (DPV-VR) may be offered as an additional prevention choice for women at substantial risk of HIV infection as part of combination prevention approaches.

Dr. Daniel Byamukama, the head of HIV prevention at the Uganda Aids Commission, revealed that HIV prevalence remains high among key populations. Credit: Wambi Michael/IPS

Because Uganda largely depends on donor support for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, PrEP tools like the dapivirine vaginal ring (DPV-VR) and a twice-yearly injection known as lenacapavira are rolled out in a phased-funded approach, and therefore more women and adolescent girls continue to be infected despite the efficacy of these medications and tools.

A bio-behavioral survey conducted in 12 of Uganda’s regional towns found that 54 percent (over half of the sex workers aged 35-49 years) were living with HIV. The results of the survey released in October indicated that one in three commercial sex workers missed taking their ARVS at least once.

Dr. Geoffrey Musinguzi, the principal investigator, said each female sex worker had had a sexual encounter with at least four men. He suggested HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could stop the majority of HIV transmissions that still happen in Uganda and most of the sub-Saharan countries.

Lynette Nangoma (not her real name) is one of the lucky female Ugandan women who have had the chance to have access to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis as well as the vaginal dapivirine vaginal ring. She told IPS that there are times when she forgets to take her PrEP pills. Nyangoma usually engages in multiple sexual relationships. ”Thank God I’m still alive and HIV-free. I think those tablets helped a lot. As you may know, this job of ours can be risky,” she narrates.

Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary at Uganda’s Health Ministry, said the dapivirine vaginal ring is only available in seven districts funded by USAID under PEPFAR.

Dr. Daniel Byamukama, the head of HIV prevention at the Uganda Aids Commission, revealed that HIV prevalence remains high among key populations, at 33 percent among sex workers, 15 percent among prisoners, and 17 percent among people who inject and use drugs.

Nangoma told IPS that she has been using the dapivirine vaginal ring for the last four months.

“I feared it at first when a health worker was brought in to teach us about it. It looked too big. But I decided to try it. I can tell that for me, I find very convenient.”

The dapivirine vaginal ring is a female-initiated option to reduce the risk of HIV infection. It must be worn inside the vagina for 28 days, after which it should be replaced by a new ring. The ring works by releasing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine from the ring into the vagina slowly over 28 days.

Nangoma told IPS that some of her colleagues have been hesitant to use it, fearing discomfort.

Dr. Carolyne A. Akello, who has spent over 10 years in HIV/AIDS research with a focus on HIV prevention among women of reproductive age, including adolescent girls and young women, told IPS: “Yes, it looks big, but actually the vagina is a very accommodating organ. The ring is inserted into the vagina, and it is held up by the muscles. The ring was well researched. It is one size fits all. So whether small, big, or short, it fits every woman. It usually goes to the back of the vagina. There is where it sits for all the 28 days.”

“For a woman to use it consistently, we ask her to leave it there even during sex and menstrual periods. And many women, once they fix it, actually say, ‘Wow. The ring seems to have disappeared; I don’t feel it any more.’ And also, many men don’t feel it during sex. Seven out of ten men did not know that their partner was using the ring,” said Akello.

Unlike daily oral PrEP, dapivirine vaginal ring does not rely on remembering to take a pill each day and is also discreet as it stays inside the vagina throughout the month.

HIV/AIDS activist and access to medicine campaigner who leads the International Community of Women Living with HIV in Eastern Africa (ICWEA), Lillian Mworeko, told IPS that one of the advantages of the dapivirine vaginal ring is that it is discreet.

“It gives power to the woman in terms of control. They are able to fix it themselves. They are in charge. You are giving power to the woman to take care of their prevention. We strongly advocate for it,” Mworeko said. “So that women, especially adolescent girls and young women who are not able to negotiate for safer sex, have a tool that is in their control without seeking permission.”

Uganda was among the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to approve dapivirine ring. Others included Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Botswana. The ring was designed for women to use in countries that still carry a high level of stigma around HIV. In 2023, South Africa announced a national rollout of the ring. Eswatini, Zambia, Rwanda, and Kenya have embarked on similar efforts.

Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, said the dapivirine vaginal ring is only available in seven districts funded by USAID under PEPFAR. Less than three hundred women had accessed the vaginal ring through that initiative by the end of August 2024.

While Atwine says lenacapavir will be a game-changer in terms of reducing the burden of daily pills and minimizing stigma and stigmatization, her ministry’s budget cannot afford the high cost of such tools.

As Uganda joins the rest of the world to mark World AIDS Day, Mworeko used the occasion to express her frustration that so many women in Africa cannot access these tools because their governments say they cannot afford them. Gilead Sciences, the company behind lenacapavir, reportedly charges the one-month ring, which currently costs USD 12.8 per month.

“When we talk about life and the lives of people, we need to put it into the context that nothing can compare with a person who is going to live with HIV for the rest of their life. We cannot compare the price of prevention with treating a person for life,” argues Mworeko.

She suggests that other than waiting for donations that delay or never arrive, the leaders of Africa must set part of their national budgets to ensure that women and girls have access to the new prevention tools and methods.

“What is the cost of preventing a young girl from getting HIV, and they are going to live the rest of their life free of HIV? They are going to deliver babies free of HIV, and they are going to contribute to the economy of their country. Compared to not acting now in the name of the cost, we are going to have this young person infected with HIV, and we must treat them,” Mworeko asked.

When asked about the facts that Uganda and other countries in Africa lacked money to make their own purchases of the prevention measures, Mworeko said, “What are our priorities? Who prioritizes what? We must prioritize where our hearts are. We cannot continue talking about new HIV infections when tools are here.”

Part of Mworeko’s frustration was partly directed towards researchers and the manufacturers of these medicines and preventive measures.

“I think the most disturbing situation is that most of the research is done here in our country. We are slow at rolling them out. Yet other countries pick up and fund these interventions. So we contribute to research, but we don’t benefit as a country. Because there is no one who would want to see their children infected with HIV,” says Mworeko, one of the activists behind the HIV Prevention Choice Manifesto for Women and Girls in Africa.

Uganda was among the countries where clinical trials for Gilead’s PURPOSE 1 were conducted. The results showed the high prevention effectiveness of the six-monthly long-acting injectable drug lenacapavir for cisgender adolescent girls and women, cisgender men, and transgender women.

The Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC), UNAIDS, and other partners called on Gilead Sciences to accelerate their efforts in ensuring that it is made available, accessible, and cost-effective, especially to low- and middle-income countries. It said the company’s approach must reflect the urgency of their needs.

“We urge Gilead to act swiftly in ensuring equitable, sustainable, broad access, particularly in markets with the highest need,” said GPC.

Gilead promised in early October that it will prioritize providing lenacapavir to Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe until generic versions are available.

Dr. Flavia Matovu Kiweewa, one of the researchers on Gilead Sciences’ PURPOSE program in trials in Uganda, said: “I know Gilead Sciences has committed to providing licenses to generic manufacturers to make this product. But countries need to advocate so that we can be the first beneficiaries of lencapvir because we have significantly contributed to the study. But not only that, we are seeing lots of infections in young women.”

Dr. Herbert Kadama, the PrEP coordinator at the Ministry of Health, said Uganda plans to adopt lenacapvir and dapivirine vaginal ring are part of the efforts to address the challenges women also face with HIV/AIDS. He noted that 63 percent of new infections in Uganda, like the rest of Africa, are in women and girls.

According to Dr. Flavia Matovu Kiweewa, lencapvir prevents HIV acquisition by HIV-negative women by 100% compared to other preventive measures, but it is not a vaccine.

”We are glad that for the first time ever in history, we have an intervention that can give 100% protection against acquiring HIV. For us who have been in the PrEP field for quite some time, we faced lots of disappointments, especially for women trials. Because women are not able to adhere to daily interventions and they are influenced by their partners and friends,” said Matovu Kiweewa.

“Lenacapvir is going to be a game changer in the HIV prevention landscape. We are very excited that if we can access lanacapvir in Uganda and other high-burden settings in Africa, we will reduce the incidence of HIV significantly,” she added.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Excerpt:

Ahead of World Aids Day 2024, with the theme Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!, IPS looks at options for prevention for women and girls in Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa.

Maya farmer Leonardo Puc shows an achiote seedling, whose seeds give colour and flavour to a variety of Mexican food recipes, in a cornfield in the municipality of Tadhziú, in the southeastern state of Yucatán. Image: Emilio Godoy / IPS

By Emilio Godoy
CHACSINKIN, Mexico, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

María Bacab, a Native Maya, considers herself the “guardian of seeds” as she cares for the milpa – an ancestral Mesoamerican polyculture that mixes maize, beans, squash and other vegetables – and promotes its practice and use in Mexico.

“I worked with my parents since I was a little girl, I learned with them. The milpa is a benefit, because we don’t buy corn. I like it, because we’ve been doing it since we were children,” she told IPS in the community of X’box (the black one, in the Mayan language), in Chansinkin, a municipality in the state of Yucatán, southeastern Mexico.

The peasant farmer combines family care work with agriculture. After cooking breakfast and taking her children to school, Bacab, 41, who is divorced and has seven children, works on her one-hectare plot of land, returns at 11 a.m. to care for her children who go to secondary school, and then goes back to planting.

Each year, she grows 750 kilograms of grain for her own use, raises a pig, a native species of this Mexican region, and weaves hammocks to supplement her income. Her three eldest children help on the plantation.

Bacab is the only woman in a group of 11 milpa producers in X’box who store and exchange seeds. They select the best and save them for a year, which prepares them for shortages or losses due to flooding or droughts. The municipality has at least two seed banks .

Each farmer in the group plants different varieties, so that multiple maize options persist, including several drought-resistant ones, and some have hives for sale and self-consumption. They have adopted seeds from the southern state of Chiapas, and theirs have reached neighbouring Campeche, with which they share the Yucatan peninsula.

The peninsula is home to the majority of the Maya population, one of Mexico’s 71 indigenous groups and one of the most culturally and historically representative.

Maize is not only a native and predominant crop in Mexico, but a staple product in the diet of its 129 million inhabitants that transcends the culinary to become part of the country’s cultural roots, linked to the native peoples.

At harvest time, generally from January to March, the furrows of the cornfield are bright with green canes, from which the ears of corn hang waiting for the harvesting hand. From their rows will come the grains that end up in dough, tortillas (flat breads made from nixtamalised grain), atoles (thick drinks) and various other dishes.

Mexico’s three million corn farmers plant around eight million hectares, of which two million are for family use, in a country that has 64 varieties of the grain, 59 of which are native.

Mexico is the world’s seventh largest producer of maize, the world’s most widely grown cereal, and its second largest importer. It harvests some 27 million tonnes annually, but still has to import another 20 million tonnes to meet its domestic consumption.

As in the rest of the country, the milpa is key to the diet in the municipality of Chansinkin. Inhabited by 3,255 people, nine out of 10 were poor and one third were extremely poor in 2023.

Mayan farmer Ricardo Piña grows 14 varieties of maize, and stores the seeds for future planting and exchange, in the community of X’box, municipality of Chacsinkin, in the state of Yucatán, southeastern Mexico. Image: Emilio Godoy / IPS

Seeding the future

The Milpa para la Vida project, implemented by the US non-governmental organisation Heifer International since 2021, with funding from the US-based John Deere Foundation, promotes the improvement of milpa collectives such as the one in X’box.

The initiative is one of several in Yucatán that seeks to defend the territory and offer economic options in rural areas.

It aims to increase incomes by at least 19%, milpa productivity by at least 41%, and the amount of land under sustainable management by 540 hectares among participating farmers in 10 communities from Yucatán and two others in Campeche.

Since 2021, the project has benefited 10,800 people and the goal is to reach 40,000 by 2027.

Demonstration plots have achieved a production of 1.3 tonnes of maize per hectare, through agroecological practices such as the use of native seeds and biofertilisers, compared to the 630 kilograms harvested in 2021 with conventional practices.

But constraints remain, such as the application of pesticides and fertilisers donated by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Mayan farmers check a milpa, an ancient system of polyculture of maize, beans, squash and other vegetables that has spread from Mexico throughout Mesoamerica, in the municipality of Tadhziú, Yucatán state, in southeastern Mexico. Image: Emilio Godoy / IPS

In the neighbouring municipality of Tahdziú (place of the zui bird, in Mayan), 65-year-old Maya farmer Leonardo Puc treasures his seeds as his most precious commodity.

Although there was enough rain this year after an intense drought in 2023, “we face many difficulties, a lot of budworm (which eats the maize plant). We need maize to feed ourselves, producing it is what we do. We can’t just sit back and do nothing,” the farmer told IPS.

“That’s why nature teaches us,” said the married father with six children and coordinator of the 28-member Flor de Tajonal group, named after an emblematic local flower.

There are five seed banks in the Tahdziú area. In a hut with a high roof of huano, a local palm tree, and walls of wooden beams, transparent plastic jars with white lids line a shelf. They hold a key part of peasant life: seeds of yellow and white maize, squash and black beans.

Tahdziú also lives amidst deprivation, as its 5,502 inhabitants are practically all poor, and half of them live in extreme poverty.

Flora Chan inspects a hen in the pen at her home in the municipality of Maní, in the southeastern Mexican state of Yucatán. Image: Emilio Godoy / IPS

Chickens that change lives

Flora Chan’s mother used to buy and raise chickens, so she was no stranger to the cage-free poultry egg farmer programme she joined in 2020 to improve her family’s economy.

“When we started, it was hard because people didn’t know about our eggs. Now they buy every day,” she told IPS in the courtyard of her home in the municipality of Maní (where it all happened, in Mayan), near Chacsinkin.

Chan, who is single and childless, has 39 hens and wants more. Every day she collects between 40 and 50 eggs. She cleans the henhouse early, checks the water and feed and rate of production. She also weaves textiles and oversees 100 hives of stingless melipona bees, a species endemic to the region and with highly prized honey.

A group of 217 women farmers, 19 in Maní, formed the Kikiba Collective (something very good, in Mayan) and whose seal, a hen, goes on each unit.

The breeders belong to the Mujeres Emprendedoras initiative, which began in 2020 in 93 communities from 30 municipalities in Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán, with the help of the organisation Heifer.

A group of 19 women egg farmers make up the Colectivo Kikiba in the municipality of Maní, in the state of Yucatán, in southeastern Mexico. Image: Emilio Godoy / IPS

The programme aims to strengthen local livelihoods in order to alleviate hunger, poor nutrition due to lack of animal protein and low incomes due to lack of market access.

In Mani, three quarters of the 6,129 inhabitants suffer from poverty and one fifth from extreme poverty.

Each participant receives training in the installation of backyard chicken coops, animal care and business management. Each year they replace the batch of 50 birds they receive and pass theirs on to a new member, until the birds stop laying and the women then use them at home or sell them at local markets.

The programme has covered 796 women farmers, with the goal of reaching 1,000 by 2026. The Kikiba Collective delivers 4,300 free-range eggs each week to two restaurants of a well-known Mexican restaurant chain in Merida, the capital of Yucatan. In addition, it sells retail and allocates 30% for family consumption.

At first, Chan’s neighbour Nancy Interiano was not interested in the project, but her friend convinced her to check it out. Today, the 43-year-old businesswoman, who is married with three children, has 60 laying hens.

“Seeing the results, other women are interested in joining and those who are already involved want to increase their poultry houses. With our knowledge and experience, we advise the new ones,” she told IPS.

In Mexico, 14.7 million women live in rural areas, representing almost 23% of all women and 12% of Mexico’s total population.

Due to a lack of suppliers of laying hens, breeders are limited in their ability to meet growing demand.

While solving this is out of their hands, Chan and Interiano enjoy every day watching their hens scratching the ground, climbing on wooden beams or settling into nests to lay the eggs that have changed their lives.

Will this free cesarean section policy truly deliver for them? Only time will tell, but much more needs to be done to make it work for all women in Nigeria. Credit: Shutterstock

By Ifeanyi Nsofor and Thelma C. Thomas-Abeku
WASHINGTON DC, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

In Nigeria, over 80,000 women die each year from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Recently, Nigeria’s coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Muhammad Pate, announced the Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative. It aims to provide free cesarean section (CS) and essential maternal care to poor women nationwide, ensuring safer childbirth and improved maternal health outcomes. Free CS is a life-saving solution. But while the idea is great, let’s take a closer look to unpack how it can really help Nigerian women.

To access the free CS, pregnant women must be enrolled in the country’s National Health Insurance Scheme, which covers pregnancy-related emergencies. Social welfare units in public hospitals will check if women qualify and can’t afford the procedure. But is this enough?

For a policy like this to work, it must be well-planned, involve many stakeholders, and take into account the rising cost of living, widespread poverty, and the large number of women in informal jobs who are not routinely covered by health insurance

The survival of women at childbirth hinges on availability of expertise to provide cesarean section when needed. A study found a national cesarean section prevalence of 17.6%, with a significantly higher prevalence in facilities in the south (25.5%) compared to the north (10.6%). The authors also identified higher prevalence of emergency cesarean section (75.9%) compared to elective CS (24.3%).

 

The Reality of Maternal Deaths in Nigeria

An unacceptable number of women in Nigeria die before, during, and after childbirth. Those 80,000 annual deaths are equivalent to 80% of the population of Seychelles.

This reaffirms Nigeria as a large country with an estimated population of more than 200 million; covering 36 states, the federal capital territory, and 774 local government areas.

For a policy like this to work, it must be well-planned, involve many stakeholders, and take into account the rising cost of living, widespread poverty, and the large number of women in informal jobs who are not routinely covered by health insurance.

Poverty is a big issue. Many women cannot afford hospital births and instead deliver in places like faith homes (run by churches) or with traditional birth attendants. If this policy is to work, women’s preference for health facility-based deliveries must improve significantly.

These are five ways to make the free CS policy truly equitable.

 

Does Nigeria Have Enough Obstetricians?

A CS is a life-saving surgery for high-risk pregnancies, like those with large babies, breech positions, or obstructed labor. But Nigeria faces a shortage of healthcare workers. Many doctors are leaving the country for better opportunities abroad.

As of 2021, Nigeria had only 84,277 doctors—about 3.95 per 10,000 people, far below the global recommendation. Who will perform these surgeries if our skilled workers are gone? The government needs to retain healthcare workers by offering better pay, housing, and improved working conditions. Training and career development programs are also crucial to ensure enough professionals are available for this initiative.

 

Bridging the Health Insurance Gap

Healthcare costs continue to hinder timely access to essential services, especially for marginalized and low-income populations, including women. To improve women’s health outcomes and realize the right to health, it’s imperative to address these inequities in healthcare delivery.

One effective strategy is to adopt the Health Equity Funds (HEF) model, a proven approach used in various countries. HEFs are third-party mechanisms that cover user fees at public health facilities for eligible low-income individuals.

By establishing and operationalizing a functional equity account, governments can facilitate the enrollment of more women from the informal sector into health insurance schemes, enhancing access and inclusivity.

 

Fighting Stigma and Myths About Cesarean Sections

Another challenge is the negative perception of CS. In some instances, women who undergo CS are stigmatized and labeled as ‘’weak’’. A study reveals that factors such as fear, lack of spousal consent, and poor education contribute to its underutilization.

Addressing these gaps requires intensified public education campaigns to inform women and dispel myths about CS, leveraging platforms like radio, TV, and social media to reach a wider audience. Additionally, integrating accurate information about CS as a normal and safe form of childbirth into school health education curricula is essential for long-term impact.

 

Federal, State, and Local Governments Cooperation

Healthcare in Nigeria is on the concurrent list, which means that federal, state and local councils have core responsibilities for healthcare delivery. How is this policy going to work within states and local government areas? Who is going to cover the costs for women in these sub-national areas?

For this policy to work, all three levels must collaborate. It is not enough for the federal government to announce the policy. State and local governments must also step up to implement it properly. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare through the National Health Insurance Scheme must collaborate with states through existing State Health insurance Schemes.

 

Will This Policy Truly Save Lives?

Women enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme might benefit immediately, but the majority—those poor, uninsured, and vulnerable—are left out. These are the women who need this policy the most. To deliver real change, the government must address these gaps.

 

Conclusion

In the end, every pregnant woman in Nigeria wants the same thing: to deliver safely and not die at childbirth. Will this free cesarean section policy truly deliver for them? Only time will tell, but much more needs to be done to make it work for all women in Nigeria.

 

About the Authors

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Nsofor, a public-health physician, global health equity advocate and behavioral-science researcher, serves on the Global Fellows Advisory Board at the Atlantic Institute, Oxford, United Kingdom. You can follow him @Ifeanyi Nsofor, MD on LinkedIn.

Thelma Chioma Thomas-Abeku is a seasoned communications specialist with a decade-long experience in public health advocacy and communications. She is a graduate of Liverpool John Moores University and University of Abuja. You can follow her @Thelma Thomas-Abeku on LinkedIn.

Amber Morley, a City Councillor in Toronto, Canada, talking to Randa El Ozeir on violence against women. Credit: IPS

By Randa El Ozeir
TORONTO, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

Despite the 1,583 legislative measures in 193 countries around the world, violence against women has not been eradicated or even abated.

Every year on November 25, the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women designated by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). This year’s theme is UNiTE Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women & Girls! #No Excuse (Nov 25-Dec 10)—an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on the day that commemorates International Human Rights Day.

According to the UN Women data, “an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life.”

IPS met with Amber Morley, a City Councillor in Toronto, where gender-based violence and intimate-partner violence were declared epidemics last year. Morley finds that such topics are no longer taboo to be swept under the rug or to be kept in the closet.

“Whether it is through willful ignorance or shame and stigma, we haven’t historically been holding real space to have real conversations about the impact of these harmful behaviors. Now, we find ourselves in a moment where we are having the conversation and finally holding space to listen to survivors and victims and to create more supportive structures in our society that allow people to work through those intergenerational traumas and challenges.”

A Universal Burden

It is a widespread plight that does not discriminate across cultures, ethnic backgrounds, languages, or geography. Chances are you might have come across a victim in your family, among your relatives, friends, co-workers, or strangers. Two-thirds (65%) of people in Canada know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.

It is a convoluted, deep-rooted issue that is present not only in the Global South but in the developed world too.

“Unfortunately, I was someone who has been exposed to intimate partner violence in my own family. I know that is true for both of my parents who had these experiences as young people,” says Morley. “That leaves a mark and really gives us things to consider and contemplate as we grow in our own journey, our own adulthood and relationships.”

In previous times, this matter was barely discussed openly, particularly among victims. Things have changed. “We have a chance, at least, to start to address the behavior and try to hopefully raise awareness amongst the wider society,” Morley says. “When you see people being held accountable, it gives confidence to victims to heal and overcome as opposed to perpetuate these cycles.”

The Role of Police and a Clear Shifting

First responders, including police, play an instrumental role in addressing gender-based violence and domestic abuse through special training to support survivors of this type of violence. As a community leader and the mayor’s designate on the Toronto Police Services Board, Morley understands this fact all very well.

“We have a number of different divisions, departments, and agencies that work in support of our mandate and our goals. Toronto police are really good partners with the City of Toronto when it comes to our safety principles. They have victim services, and they track the numbers of reports coming in through mapping and intentional analysis.”

Morley also recognizes that despite the staggering announced rates of intimate partner violence, a lot goes unreported. As much as she appreciates the Canadian constitution, the democratic principles, rights, and freedoms, she views these systems as fragile, requiring “good leadership, accountability, and diverse perspectives to continue to evolve in a good way and be reflective and responsive of the real needs that people are having.”

“We have seen recently in Canadian media that abusers, serial abusers in some cases, are finally having their day in court many years later. Victims are finally able to come forward. And there is an environment of support and believing them. We are shifting into a better space within our institutions and our agencies and holding people accountable. Moving away from this ‘boys will be boys’ idea that I think has been really harmful over the years.”

Awareness and Schooling

Knowing and doing are two separate things. Nevertheless, spreading cognizance in individuals at a young age could act like a buffer against aggression and violence when mental health is not factored in.

Morley believes in “educating our young boys and girls about what it is to be able to regulate your emotions and regulate ourselves as people when we are triggered or upset. At least in my experience, seeing what it looks like when folks don’t have the tools to regulate themselves or work through challenging situations, that is when violence escalates. How can we better focus on educating children to be empowered, to treat themselves kindly, and hopefully, to treat others that way? I think it really does come down to these foundational things.”

Economy Losses Too

Myriad impacts have been exhaustively studied and researched about violence against women, including the economic detrimental damages.

Morley mentions that Canadian employers, for example, lose USD 77.9 million annually due to the direct and indirect impacts of domestic violence. Among the solutions, she proposes the first step to be having more protective milieus in place for victims of domestic violence and removing some of the embarrassment to disclosure and reporting. “That is where we all should be really focusing our attention and bringing in the employers and folks to be part of that conversation to determine how we can all contribute to a more safe and supportive environment for individuals who are being victimized.”

Choice of words could move the needle in a desired direction, influencing the problem and reframing the solution’s angles. Morley invites us to rethink data as community wellness indexes rather than crime indicators.

“Community wellness is not just the absence of crime, locking up the bad guys, but it is creating healthy environments for people to thrive and grow and to be well. We all have a role to play in that. For example, in our community, we have Women’s Habitat, which is an organization serving folks impacted by intimate partner violence. They are part of the network of individuals who are connecting across different organizations and in support with the city to help us stand up a better way forward.”

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A new report, Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicide, 60 per cent of women homicides were committed by an intimate partner or other family member. Credit: Mika Baumeister/Unsplash

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

Every 10 minutes, one woman or girl is killed at the hands of their partner or other family member. This is only scratching the surface on how femicide, one of the most extreme forms of violence against women, persists at high levels around the world.

UN-Women and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a joint report, Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides, on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The joint report breaks down statistical findings on the global rate of femicide—intentional killing of women—in 2023. The report focuses on femicide perpetrated by intimate partners or family members.

“The new femicide report highlights the urgent need for strong criminal justice systems that hold perpetrators accountable while ensuring adequate support for survivors, including access to safe and transparent reporting mechanisms,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC.

Globally, 85,000 women and girls were murdered in 2023. 60 percent of these homicides, or 51,000, were committed by an intimate partner or other family member. The report contrasts this with the fact that nearly 12 percent of male homicide victims in 2023 were killed by an intimate partner or family member, or 1 in 10 victims. This highlights a clear gendered disparity within homicide cases, wherein the domestic sphere is more dangerous for women and girls than for men and boys.

In the last year, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related (IP/FR) femicide, followed by the Americas and then by Oceania.  In Europe and the Americas, most female victims killed in the domestic sphere—64 percent and 58 percent, respectively—were killed at the hands of intimate partners. By contrast, in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, most female victims were killed by family members compared to intimate partners, by 59 percent and 41 percent, respectively. The report also points out that while Africa hosts the highest rates of IP/FR femicide, regional rates of femicide should be subject to uncertainty due to the limitations in data availability.

This limitation in data availability is also apparent in the report’s breakdown of time trends in IP/FR femicide, explored within the context of Europe and the Americas. The IP/FR rate of femicide in 2023 was roughly the same as it was in 2010. Yet in that same period, there was a gradual decrease in the femicide rate. This suggests that changes can be slow to infiltrate into common practice, and that the risk factors and causes for this form of violence are rooted in practices and norms that will not change quickly.

“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it is preventable. We need robust legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a zero-tolerance culture, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.

Through their annual report, the 16 Days of Activism and UNiTE campaigns, UN-Women and UNODC are calling for an end to impunity by holding the perpetrators of violence accountable and to invest in preventative measures that protect the rights of survivors and provide them with essential services. Preventative measures can include strengthening legislation and criminal justice responses to domestic violence, with the report noting specific measures like protection orders and removing firearms from a perpetrator’s possession.

Information-sharing and collaboration across multiple entities relevant in a domestic violence investigation, such as social services, healthcare facilities, and the police, can also factor into identifying the risk of further harm or femicide. In 2021, Colombia introduced an integrated protocol where women affected by gender-based violence could complete an evaluation to determine the level of risk of lethal harm, following which they would work with relevant authorities to develop a safety plan with urgent actions to take to mitigate the risk of femicide. Between 2021 and 2022, through this tool, it was found that 35 to 40 percent of women experiencing intimate-partner violence were at an extreme risk of falling victim to femicide.

When focusing on the prevalence of IP/FR femicide, particularly where partners are the perpetrators, what is clear is that it is the culmination of ongoing domestic violence. In France, 37 percent of women that were killed by their intimate partners had also previously reported physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at the hands of their partner. The violence may end there, but in some cases it continues, with either the perpetrator taking his own life shortly after or directing violence towards any children they share.

What is also clear is that data collection efforts must be supported through initiatives led by specialized government agencies or by national statistics offices. The limitations in data availability on family-related femicide need to be addressed, especially in Africa and Asia that report higher rates of femicide perpetrated by family members.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Just beyond the horizon is the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action in 2025. This presents an opportunity that stakeholders must take to strengthen women’s rights and gender equality.

“As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, it is time for world leaders to UNiTE and act with urgency, recommit, and channel the resources needed to end this crisis once and for all,” said Bahous.

Public campaigns like UNiTE and advocacy efforts through civil society and non-governmental organizations have been key in raising awareness of the prevalence of gender-based violence and in drawing condemnation for the behaviors that perpetuate it.

Yet what is also clear is that even with these efforts and the measures taken by governments and other stakeholders to protect survivors of violence, femicide persists at alarmingly high levels on a global scale. This speaks of extreme forms of gender-based violence that are entrenched in societal and cultural norms and regressive gender stereotypes. It speaks to a global culture where half of the world’s population is taught to never feel completely safe, not even within their own home.
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A Sudanese child residing in a displacement camp in Tawila, located in the northern region of Darfur. Credit: UNICEF/Mohammed Jamal

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

As living conditions in Sudan deteriorate as a result of the Sudanese Civil War, levels of famine and violations of international humanitarian law continue to accelerate among the roughly 11.5 million displaced persons. Conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have severely hampered aid efforts, leaving millions of civilians to deal with widespread disease and an overall lack of essential resources.

New data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that South Sudan has been hit the hardest by famine, with roughly 57 percent of the population projected to be acutely food insecure through the 2025 lean season. Children will be disproportionately affected, with many facing the highest levels of hunger and malnutrition on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale.

Since the wake of the civil war, nearly 30,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Tuti Island, a small island in Sudan that borders the Nile. In April 2023, the RSF had besieged the island, transforming it into an “open-air prison” that teems with disease and insecurity. As of October of this year, most of the refugees residing on Tuti have returned to the mainland. The latest study from the IPC shows that nearly 85 percent of returnees will be faced with catastrophic hunger as of early next year.

UNICEF’s representative’s South Sudan Hamida Lasseko reports that due to malnutrition and compromised water sanitation systems in Sudan, waterborne diseases have begun to spread among displaced populations. Hunger has decimated the immune systems of displaced populations, leaving them highly vulnerable to malaria, dengue fever, and cholera.

A study conducted by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports more than 28,000 cases of cholera and 836 deaths from July 2024 to October 2024. Dengue fever has surged in the Kassala and Khartoum regions, with 4,544 cases and 12 deaths as of October 28. It is noted that cases likely exceed what is reported.

“We are racing against time. With heavy rains and flooding, diseases can spread more rapidly and severely worsen the outlook for the children in the affected states and beyond,” says Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Sudan.

Civilians continue to get caught in the crossfires of this war, leading to an increasing number of civilian casualties. Due to the scale of fighting in the state capital, Khartoum, it is difficult for experts to determine the exact number of lives lost from war-related causes.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Sudan Research Group estimates that although the majority of deaths observed in Sudan are from disease and malnutrition, there are an estimated 26,000 people who have succumbed to injuries as a “direct result of violence” in the Khartoum state.

In Darfur, a region located in Sudan’s west, there are predicted to be many more casualties, along with reports of ethnic cleansing and violations of international humanitarian law. According to a press release from Amnesty International, French military technology is being used by the two warring parties, which is in clear violation of the UN arms embargo.

“Our research shows that weaponry designed and manufactured in France is in active use on the battlefield in Sudan. The Galix System is being deployed by the RSF in this conflict, and any use in Darfur would be a clear breach of the UN arms embargo. All countries must immediately cease direct and indirect supplies of all arms and ammunition to the warring parties in Sudan,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary-General, Amnesty International.

Due to extensive conflict between the warring parties, healthcare systems have been severely damaged, leading to a lack of critical assistance for millions of people that are grappling with disease and/or those who face war-related injuries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 70 to 80 percent of Sudan’s medical facilities are non or partly functional. This is primarily due to a lack of funding and warring parties looting the facilities, leaving medical equipment damaged.

“It’s extremely dire. Sudanese colleagues are facing shortages of essential medicines. There was a point not too long ago when 85 of our staff there were sick, many with severe malaria, and we didn’t even have treatment for them. They’re often sheltering in camps while trying to continue to work, and then they get sick and we can’t look after them,” said Avril Benoît, Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in the United States.

Benoît adds that relief responses from the international community have been largely inadequate in mitigating the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. This is primarily due to a lack of funding. As of October, the United Nations’ 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan has reached only 57 percent funding out of the required 2.7 billion dollars. This greatly impacts aid efforts and leaves humanitarian organizations unable to scale up responses.

On November 13, Sudanese authorities allowed for humanitarian aid trucks to access the Adre crossing for another 3 months. Humanitarian organizations predict that the Adre crossing will be an indispensable route for aid deliveries as it allows for highly vulnerable populations in Darfur to be reached through Chad.

Clementine Nkweta-Salami, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan has said that the humanitarians in Sudan welcome this decision, for the Adre crossing is a “critical lifeline” for the vulnerable people across the country but especially in Darfur. “Keeping the Adre border open means humanitarians can continue to deliver emergency food and nutrition supplies, medicine, shelter, and other life-saving assistance to hundreds of thousands of hungry, malnourished mothers and children, people suffering from diseases, and others that desperately need these supplies.”

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The AKASA safe house is seen in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. August 2023. Credit: UN Women/Ravindra Rohana

By Shihana Mohamed
NEW YORK, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

A woman’s right to live free from violence is upheld by international agreements like the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, observed on November 25th, 2024, serves as a significant platform to raise awareness about gender-based violence. Globally, one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner.

In his message for the 2024 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, “The epidemic of violence against women and girls shames humanity. Every day, on average, 140 women and girls are killed by someone in their own family.

Around one in three women still experience physical or sexual violence. Almost 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action promised to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls — it’s beyond time to deliver”.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health and human rights concern and affects millions of women worldwide, often remaining underreported and behind closed doors. IPV is particularly acute in South Asia where 35% of ever-partnered women reported experiencing IPV in their lifetime, compared to 20% in Western Europe and 21% in high-income Asia Pacific.

The reasons are complex and include a combination of socio-economic structures, patriarchal attitudes, and prevalent social norms that define gender roles. IPV remains a largely hidden and stigmatized issue, with many women suffering in silence in South Asia.

IPV in Sri Lanka is a significant and pervasive issue. An estimated 40% of women aged 15 years or older reported experiencing physical, sexual, emotional, and/or economic violence or controlling behaviors by a partner in their lifetime. Disturbingly, 21% of the population, or about 4.6 million women, are affected by IPV, given that women constitute 52% of Sri Lanka’s 23.1 million population.

These figures reflect reported cases, but IPV is significantly underreported due to fear of stigma, lack of awareness about available support services, and reluctance to involve authorities in family matters. Many women fear retaliation from their abusers or social ostracism if they speak out.

The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act (PDVA), passed in 2005, provides legal protection for victims of domestic violence in Sri Lanka, allowing them to obtain protection orders against their abusers. The PDVA defines domestic violence as “physical or emotional harm done by a spouse, ex-spouse, or cohabiting partner.” However, its effectiveness has been criticized due to issues with enforcement and limited awareness among both victims and law enforcement.

Despite high levels of educational attainment, 73.5 per cent of Sri Lankan women of working age are out of the labor force, compared to just 26.5% of men. This is mainly due to their engagement in household duties, including care work. Aggravating this situation, women on average earn 27 per cent less than men for one hour of work.

Consequently, many women economically depend on their partners, making it hard to leave abusive relationships. Especially in rural areas, they may lack financial resources or social support to escape violence. This financial vulnerability is a key barrier to addressing IPV in Sri Lanka. Empowering women economically and socially can reduce their dependency on abusive partners.

Among Sri Lankan faith-based communities such as Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians, religious leaders are influential authorities on behavior and sources of guidance on proper conduct in relationships, including family and marriage. Therefore, they can play a crucial role in motivating men to cede power and reduce IPV.

This approach, guided more by principles of peace and social justice than by a rights agenda, cannot replace rights-based solutions to end IPV. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage and promote collaboration between faith-based and rights-based organizations to address and end violence against women and girls in Sri Lanka.

Various research shows that the ethnic dimensions of the civil war and the continuing ethnic tensions post-war have worsened the situation for Tamil and Muslim women in Sri Lanka, creating conditions that are likely to keep them entrapped in abusive relationships.

There are also strong associations between IPV and suicidal behavior in Sri Lanka, signaling the need to prioritize violence reduction both on its own and within national suicide prevention strategies.

Empowering women, educating communities, and involving men in the conversation are essential steps toward reducing IPV in Sri Lanka. NGOs like the Women’s Education and Research Centre and international organizations run awareness campaigns to educate people about IPV, its harmful effects, legal rights, and available support services.

These campaigns also engage men and boys in discussions about gender equality and the unacceptability of IPV. The goal is to change societal attitudes that contribute to IPV and make men active partners in promoting non-violent relationships.

In Sri Lanka, several support systems are in place for victims of IPV. Various community organizations and NGOs provide localized support, including shelters and legal aid. The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs operates a toll-free helpline (Dial 1938) that offers counselling and legal support to victims of violence.

Health-sector responses to support women experiencing IPV in Sri Lanka are evolving and currently include two models of integration: GBV desks with facility-level integration, and Mithuru Piyasa, a modified One-Stop Crisis Centre model with some system-wide integration. Additionally, the Ministry of Health has implemented training programs for public health midwives to improve their ability to identify and assist IPV victims.

IPV remains a critical issue in Sri Lanka, influenced by socio-cultural, economic, and legal factors. An effective coordination and information sharing mechanism among the ministries of Health, Women and Child Affairs, and Public Security, at both state and local levels is essential to provide immediate support and empower women experiencing IPV.

Traditional cultural norms in Sri Lanka often view gender roles as rigid, expecting women to be submissive and take on domestic responsibilities. These norms can contribute to the normalization of IPV and limit women’s ability to seek help.

IPV is often seen as a private matter, with victims frequently facing pressure to stay silent. By tackling the economic, political, social, cultural, and other systemic factors that enable IPV, we can create a safer and more equitable environment for all women in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan women deserve the fundamental right to a violence-free home life. Achieving this necessitates a unified approach to challenge and transform harmful social norms, enhance the availability and accessibility of support services, and rigorously enforce existing laws.

Only through these coordinated efforts can we create a safer and more equitable society for all women in Sri Lanka.

Shihana Mohamed, a Sri Lankan national, is a founding member and Coordinator of the United Nations Asia Network for Diversity and Inclusion (UN-ANDI) and a US Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project and Equality Now on Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls. She is a dedicated human rights activist and a strong advocate for gender equality and the advancement of women.

The author expresses her views in this article in an entirely unofficial, private, and personal capacity. These views do not reflect those of any organization.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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By Azza Karam
NEW YORK, Nov 25 2024 (IPS)

The 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence, started with seeking to eliminate violence against women (VAW). This year’s theme highlights the reality that violence against women and girls is of pandemic proportions. The figures are galling.

References cite how millions of women and girls suffer physical or sexual violence all over the world; 95% of people trafficked for sexual exploitation in Europe are female; every 10 minutes, partners and family members killed a woman intentionally in 2023; one in three women experience violence in their lifetime; 1 in 4 adolescent girls is abused by their partners.

And more. The 16 Days of Activism is an opportunity to revitalize commitments, call for accountability and actions by diverse decision-makers. 2025 will be the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, described by UN Women as a “visionary blueprint for achieving gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights everywhere”.

Apart from the pandemic scale of the violence against women we are living through – without it being properly declared as a pandemic by governmental authorities – and the horrific data which is on the increase, there are a few pieces of this VAW puzzle that bear stressing.

Lead Integrity’s founding Partner and international activist, Dr Fulata Moyo, who is credited with efforts to institutionalize the World Council of Church’s (WCC) Thursdays in Black campaign, and her successor at leading this and executing a Programme on Just Community of Women and Men, at the WCC – Reverend Nicole Ashwood – stress this centrality of unequal power relations.

Dr Moyo is a strong advocate of mentorship, and yet she reminds us that even this process can be misunderstood as a one-way benefit relationship. Instead, she constantly argues that both mentor and mentoree learn from one another. This insistence on awareness of the mutuality of benefit – and its responsibilities – is a means of righting power imbalances not only among individuals, but in families, societies and nations.

Another Lead integrity founding Partner, Grove Harris – also serving as the UN representative of the Temple of Understanding, and is a strong eco-feminist in her own right – argues cogently that the exploitative violence leveraged on our earth, is a reflection of the exploitative violence perpetuated against women. And vice versa.

In other words, we will need to face a reality that we cannot fight the violence against women and girls, without also struggling to eliminate violence against our planet. These are not separate struggles, but integrated ones.

Lead Integrity’s Senior Advisor and Gender expert, Ms. Gehan AbuZeid expounds further to note that VAW is about endemic structural violence which permeates all domains of life, including ecology, economy, politics, and of course, society.

Inbuilt power relations which prioritize the needs, views, and priorities of one set of humans at the expense of ‘others’ means all our institutions are predisposed to violence against those deemed as more vulnerable by the dominant groups.

Violence against women happens not only because of gendered dynamics per se, but because all of power dynamics around us, are inherently based on exploitative relationships.

This leads to another couple of critical observations – ones which are becoming more taboo to speak of, especially in the kinds of times we live in today. Since the root of VAW are exploitative relationships based on unequal power dynamics, then everyone, every institution and every nation, every initiative, is responsible for ending the structural, the social and the personal forms of these interrelated violent dynamics.

In other words, ending VAW is not, and should not, be left for women alone to end it (even when they may work miracles with male and myriad other allies), nor is it only a matter of legislation – as important as that is. And while we are recognizing the principle and reality of collective responsibility, let us also have the courage to acknowledge that women can be violent towards other women too, and some men are fairly vicious against each other which is statistically related to rising VAW, and as the countless wars around us attest to.

As we consider the collective responsibilities, we need to strengthen our multilateral institutions – not only secular ones, but also those which deliberately seek to partner with different civil society organizations, including those who work to mobilize multi faith and multi stakeholder collaborations.

An example of such a multi-stakeholder and global effort is the first Women, Faith and Climate Change Network, launched at the COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Network brings together faith-based and secular, women and male allies, working with governmental, non-governmental and intergovernmental partner institutions, elevating the influence of female faith leaders (including Indigenous ones) to maximize knowledge and impact, to right the power imbalances in each of these diverse institutions, as they work together to eliminate the violence perpetrated against our planet.

We need to ask ourselves this: by continuing to work – and work hard – within our respective silos (secular, religious, feminist, peacemaking, human rights, business, institutional, individual, national, regional, global, etc.), have we not, inadvertently, failed to address the interrelated forms of violence?

And if so, can the recognition of this pandemic of VAW, push us to work better together at a time when we face much polarization and fear – or are we destined to repeat some of the Covid pandemic’s mistakes? If we do, we risk our peaceful co-existence, and – heaven forbid – we may well risk losing the ability to exist on this planet.

Dr Azza Karam is President and CEO of Lead Integrity, and affiliate Professor at Notre Dame University’s Ansari Center for Religion and Global Engagement.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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