HEART

Period Poverty Impact on the Economic Empowerment of Women

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 15:46:33 +0000

The aim of this review was to present the recent evidence on the period poverty (lack of access to sanitary products, WASH facilities, dignity, and information about menstruation) impact on the economic empowerment of women. Improving menstrual health management (MHM, also known as ‘period poverty’) can substantially improve girls’ education, health and wellbeing. The literature, as well as experts consulted for this rapid review, confirm that that MHM has an impact on the lives of women and girls, albeit indirectly (expert comment).

Given the shortage of information on period poverty globally, the expected sensitivities around the topic, and the lack of standardised tools and methods (Phillips-Howard et al., 2016), evidence is predominantly provided from qualitative, participatory, and descriptive methods. It is difficult from the qualitative studies to determine the extent to which period poverty impacts any of these outcomes or economic empowerment, or how influential period poverty contrasts with other challenges facing women and girls in the contexts studied.

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Inclusive and Special Education Approaches in Developing Countries

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 16:16:46 +0000

The aim of this review was to present the recent evidence on the effectiveness of inclusive and special education approaches in improving learning and behavioural outcomes, with a focus on developing countries, particularly Ethiopia. One of the key difficulties surrounding inclusive education in developing countries is the lack of research about education in these countries. Although there has been an increase of research in the last 5 years, robust, empirical evidence for low- and middle-income countries is still lacking, and difficulties around clear definitions of inclusive education and comparability of data on education of children with disabilities, makes it difficult to assess to what extent they are being left behind.

In particular, there is limited long-term data and evidence around learning achievements and outcomes for learners with disabilities, making it difficult to enact systemic changes to the education system that would improve learning achievements for children with disabilities (Schuelka, 2013). For most studies reviewed, data were lacking on whether outcomes differed according to gender, or whether interventions were cost-effective. The lack of data comparing different approaches that try to improve educational inclusion and outcomes for children with disabilities makes it difficult to judge what approach is most effective (Kuper et al, 2018).

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Cultural Practices on Burial and Care for the Sick in South Sudan

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 15:28:50 +0000

Literature on cultural practices for burial and care for the sick among individual ethnic groups in South Sudan was very limited. However, it clearly points to the importance of proper burials among all ethnic groups: these typically entail washing the body of the deceased; it can take several days before burial takes place; and graves are often located within or close to family homesteads. South Sudan is incredibly diverse with over 60 different ethnic groups, within each of which there are further subdivisions. The largest ethnic group, the Dinka, for example, are divided into at least 25 ethnic sub-groups that each have their own distinct cultural practices, dialects and traditions (Cultural Atlas, n.d.).

Given the exceptional diversity of the social landscape of South Sudan, it is perhaps not surprising that there is a dearth of literature on the cultural practices of individual ethnic groups. Moreover, much of the ethnographic literature on South Sudan dates back several decades, notably the work by renowned anthropologist E. Evans-Pritchard who died in the 1970s. This review found some material on burial practices of different ethnic groups in South Sudan, but virtually no information on practices of caring for the sick. Overall, the literature highlights that proper burials in South Sudan are seen as critical both for the deceased and for the living. The majority of tribes in South Sudan practise either Christianity or syncretisms of Christianity and traditional African religion. Ancestors have a significant role in all ethnic groups. Graves are generally located within or close to family homesteads: they are important for maintaining connections with ancestors and family land, and increasingly, as proof of land ownership.

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Barriers to women’s economic inclusion in Tanzania

Wed, 23 May 2018 13:53:15 +0000

The main barriers to women’s economic inclusion in Tanzania are: time poverty (because women have to spend so much time on household chores); lack of education; reproductive health pressures; lack of assets and access to financial services; in the case of agriculture – lack of access to male labour and inputs such as fertiliser; in the case of entrepreneurship – a difficult legal and regulatory framework and lack of access to business development services; and cultural norms which see women’s role as carrying out household chores and caring for children. This report follows on from one mapping women’s economic exclusion in Tanzania and focuses on the barriers women face in labour force participation. The review draws on a mixture of academic and grey literature. ]]>

Disability Stigma in Developing Countries

Wed, 09 May 2018 11:40:56 +0000

Across the world stereotypes, prejudice, and stigma contribute to the discrimination and exclusion experienced by people with disabilities and their families in all aspects of their lives. This rapid review looks at available evidence on the drivers of disability stigma in developing countries, and promising strategies for addressing these. ]]>

Better jobs and livelihoods for young people in Africa – a spotlight on demand

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 12:36:35 +0000

If young people in Africa are to find jobs, policies must focus on creating many more opportunities for young people to gain work. The key problem is not an inappropriate supply of young people’s labour to labour markets, but an insufficient demand for what young people have, or could have, to offer. The policy focus on youth employment arises from concerns around violence and missed economic opportunities, but “youth” are a poorly defined and heterogeneous demographic. What is clear from numerous empirical studies on young people’s engagement with work in Africa is that they do not generally lack the skills or education to work, nor are idle by choice. Young Africans are better educated than ever before and actively seeking jobs. As policymakers increasingly recognise, the provision of opportunities to work is the main challenge. New and more effective policy directions are needed to create and reimagine livelihood opportunities in environments in which paid work remains limited. Sustainably addressing youth un/underemployment in Africa depends on rethinking employment in favour of demand-oriented policies that create more jobs (as well as rethinking welfare systems and trade policies), rather than focusing on producing ever better job-seekers. ]]>

Youth employment & citizenship: problematising theories of change

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 05:59:27 +0000

In recent years, funding for youth employment interventions has rapidly increased. However, there is limited to no evidence that interventions that build skills and knowledge lead to sustained employment and increased earnings. There is also no evidence that youth employment interventions have positive impact on peace and stability, or can lead to youth empowerment in a broader sense. This calls for revisiting the dominant assumptions and theories of change that underpin existing interventions. This Emerging Issues report is based on a review of existing meta-analysis studies on the impact of youth employment interventions as well as qualitative research on the experiences of youth. It argues for more clarity of purpose of different youth interventions and to diversify theories of change to be responsive to different political and economic contexts. Existing theories of change can be enhanced by adopting ideas and approaches for strengthening youth active citizenship.

The current world population is the youngest it has ever been with 1.8 billion people in the 10–24 age group. The figures have spurred enthusiasm about the potential demographic dividend that will possibly accelerate economic growth. However, almost 43% of the global youth labour workforce is either unemployed or working but still living in poverty, which means there may not be a demographic dividend. This realisation has driven interventions that seek to get large numbers of youth into formal employment or become productive citizens in other ways. At the same time, large youth populations are presented as a ‘ticking time bomb’. Un/underemployed youth are considered a major security risk, especially in urban areas, and more recently, unemployed and disaffected youth have become associated with youth recruitment to extremist groups. It is thus not surprising that youth employment interventions have gained immense popularity in the last two decades and that they are needed to serve economic as well as security
purposes, such as countering violent extremism.

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Aid Agency Approaches to the Design and Delivery of Basic Education Programmes

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 13:24:05 +0000

This report provides a global selection of case studies providing evidence of approaches to the design of basic education interventions by aid agencies.

In keeping with the request, the scope of the report focuses as far as possible on outcome-driven approaches, and includes an analysis of any evidence of programmatic responsiveness to need and context.

The study concludes with a summary of the major themes for basic education provision emerging from the selection of case studies.

Key findings from this study include:

The importance of data use to manage the effective design and delivery of programme interventions
The value of enabling localised and/or decentralised approaches to programming to enhance systemic capacity and identify and address localised contextual challenges
The relative ineffectiveness of direct interventions to improve learning outcomes unless supported by parallel interventions to improve systemic quality at a local level
The effectiveness of community and household financing and grants schemes as a means of overcoming basic poverty barriers and improving school enrolment and participation
The relative value of systemic and community interventions to support school management at school and district level

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Disability in North Africa

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 11:32:13 +0000

While there is not a clear picture of disability in North Africa, the available evidence suggests that people with disabilities are doing less well in comparison to people without disabilities as a result of factors including marginalisation, stigma, lack of awareness of disability prevalence, lack of comprehensive protection and enforcement of the rights of people with disabilities, and inaccessible environments, services and workplaces. Such exclusion has costs for wider society and the lives of people with disabilities. This rapid review provides an overview the experiences of people with disabilities in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. Given the time limitations and the state of the evidence it cannot be said to provide a comprehensive picture of the situation but does highlight the major issues arising from recent English language literature published on the topic. ]]>

Disability in South Sudan

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 08:54:19 +0000

Decades of conflict in South Sudan, pre and post-independence in 2011, poverty and poor access to services have increased the rate of disability and rendered people with disabilities more marginalised and excluded as a result of the numerous attitudinal, environmental, and institutional barriers they face, and the lack of concerted efforts to include them. This rapid review identifies the available evidence on the experiences of people with disabilities living in South Sudan. There are still numerous evidence gaps in relation to the experiences of people with disabilities living in South Sudan as very little research has looked at disability in South Sudan and the available evidence base is extremely limited. Much of the available information focuses on Juba rather than the rest of the country. Further research with people with different types of disabilities, and in different areas of South Sudan is needed to more fully understand the experiences of people with disabilities living on South Sudan, the barriers and challenges they face, and how they and their families have responded to them.

Persons with disabilities include ‘those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’ (UNCRPD, 2006; MoGCSWHADM, 2013, p. 8). Despite decades of conflict and its impact on poverty and services, leaving many South Sudanese with different types of disabilities, there are no official statistics in relation to disability prevalence.

According to a national census carried out in 2008, before the 2011 independence of South Sudan, persons with disabilities accounted for 5.1% of the population, although the census is controversial and the number of disabled people believed to be an underestimate (Legge, 2016, p. 1; Anyang, 2016, p. 4; Sida, 2014, p. 1). This is due to both issues with how disability was defined and the likelihood that stigma prevented people from identifying themselves as being a person with disabilities (Legge, 2016, p. 1).

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