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The global pandemic's impact goes beyond the known risks to human's health. It has also affected economies, directly and indirectly, changing people's everyday lives harming sustainable growth and progress. Additionally, the pandemic has dramatically affected people's access to basic services in some places.&nbsp;But what are basic services? And why do they matter?&nbsp;The United Nations defines basic services as public service systems that meet basic human needs, including drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, energy, mobility, waste collection, health care, education and information technologies. The government's job is to provide access to basic services to all its citizens. The UN has formulated nine key indicators to facilitate and ensure that all men and women, particularly the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources and access to basic services. These indicators are:&nbsp;<h2>1) Access to Basic Drinking Water Services:&nbsp;</h2>This means access to clean, fresh drinking water from an improved source that is available with a collection time of not more than 30 minutes for a round trip. Improved sources include: piped water, boreholes or tube wells, protected dug wells, protected springs, and packaged or delivered water.&nbsp;<h2>2) Access to Basic Sanitation Services:&nbsp;</h2>Such as the use of improved facilities that are not shared with other homes. Improved facilities include: flush/pour flush to piped sewer systems, septic tanks or pit latrines; ventilated improved pit latrines, composting toilets or pit latrines with slabs. It also includes access to sanitation services and hand washing facilities with soap and water.&nbsp;<h2>3) Access to Basic Hygiene Facilities:&nbsp;</h2>Like having access to a hand washing facility on-premises with soap and water. Hand washing facilities may be fixed or mobile and include a sink with tap water, buckets with taps, tippy-taps, and jugs or basins designated for hand washing. Soap can be in bar soap, liquid soap, powder detergent, and soapy water but must not include ash, soil, sand or other hand washing agents.&nbsp;For many low and middle-income countries, achieving universal access to basic drinking water, sanitation and hygiene remain a high priority.&nbsp;<h2>4) Access to Clean Fuels and Technology:&nbsp;</h2>Refers to the carbon emission rates and the targets set for each country. It also includes the use of fuel at homes, such as coal, gas, electricity or wood.&nbsp;<h2>5) Access to Basic Mobility:&nbsp;</h2>Is about having access to transport both in rural areas and having convenient and affordable access to public transport in the city.<h2>6) Access to Basic Waste Collection Services:&nbsp;</h2>Focuses on having regular and effective waste collection services within rural and urban communities. A collection service may be 'door to door' or depositing into a community container.&nbsp;<h2>7) Access to Basic Health Care Services</h2>Such as access to doctors, hospitals, clinics, labs, radiology services, and preventive health services.<h2>8) Access to Basic Education&nbsp;</h2>Provides populations of both genders and any economic background with the basic tools to become economically productive, develop sustainable livelihoods, contribute to peaceful and democratic societies and enhance individual well-being.&nbsp;<h2>9) Access to Basic Information Services&nbsp;</h2>Refers to having access to the internet. We talked a lot about this topic in our previous blog post, <a href="https://contest.diproinduca.com/blog/the-internet-is-building-bridges-for-tomorrow?redirect_to=%2Fblog%3Flimit%3D9%26offset%3D0%23the-internet-is-building-bridges-for-tomorrow">"The Internet is Building Bridges for Tomorrow." </a>check it out to find out more about the importance of the internet for communities to grow.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Panama and the Ngöbe-Buglé Region Case Study:&nbsp;</h1>According to the UN in Panama, 91% of the indigenous population in the Ngöbe-Buglé Region live in extreme poverty. Their location in remote and inaccessible areas raise the cost of traditional sanitation solutions, limiting investment and private participation. With this in mind, a joint program was designed to empower the Ngöbe-Buglé women to manage their water and sanitation systems.&nbsp;Before the program, communities had no access to water nearby. As a result, women were in charge of finding and collecting the water, often spending excessive amounts of time and energy.&nbsp;Traveling daily for water can also bring physical problems and increase the risks for injury. In addition, it often left women unable to participate in other activities such as education, income generation, politics, or rest and recreation. Lastly, the lack of accessible services leads to much tension within the household, thus increasing the vulnerability of women to domestic violence.As a result of the program, Rural Water Management Committees were formed, and Water Safety Plans and plans for managing three water basins were created. In addition, the Cerro Ñeque Hydrological Reserve was restricted and is now a protected area.&nbsp;5,834 people now have continuous access to safe drinking water, thanks to the program. Learn more about it by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp5QI3wqHSA">watching this video&nbsp;</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;

Lack of access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is often an outcome of poor development policies, poor planning and mismanagement of infrastructure.

When Drinking Water Takes More than a Trip to the Fridge

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Thinking Cap OnAccess to drinking water, bathrooms and hospitals is often taken for granted when we live in developed countries. However, some people might not have easy access to basic services, even within these countries.&nbsp;Learn about your community: do some research about the basic needs available in your community. For example, do you know where water comes from? How much does it cost to have running water at home? Do you use water consciously? Discuss with your parents and find out what you can do at home to prevent wasting water.&nbsp;Expand your research and learn how many local hospitals are near you and how easy it is to access health care. Then compare with other countries.&nbsp;

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As you might have read by now, The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Goal 1 focuses on ending poverty for all.&nbsp;One of the targets for this goal is to ensure that all men and women, particularly the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources and access to basic services, such as health, clean water, and education. It also looks into guaranteeing ownership and control over land and natural resources and access to appropriate technology and financial services, including microfinance. The aim is to reach this target by the year 2030. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has slowdown significantly the progress on poverty reduction since 2015, with the global rate of extreme poverty rising in 2020 for the first time in over 20 years.&nbsp;In a previous Goal 1 post, "<a href="https://contest.diproinduca.com/blog/understanding-poverty-and-social-enterprises?redirect_to=%2Fblog%3Flimit%3D9%26offset%3D18%23understanding-poverty-and-social-enterprises">Understanding Poverty &amp; Social Enterprises</a>", we talked about 'Social Enterprises' and how these can help boost economies by empowering the local communities. We encourage you to check it out - if you haven't done so already - to better understand the overall impact of Goal 1. However, on this occasion, we want to talk about empowering women to end poverty.&nbsp;For example, did you know that even today, women in half of the countries around the world are unable to have equal land and property rights? That means in many cases that if a male family member (father or husband) dies, the women might suddenly be left homeless or have no right to keep the land they live in.&nbsp;Let's explore further.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1 style="text-align:justify;">Equal Rights to Ownership&nbsp;</h1>Securing land ownership is key to eradicating poverty, increasing agricultural investment and ensuring food security and is an essential element of climate action and climate resilience. Yet, women still face many barriers and have far weaker rights to land than men. Land serves as a foundation for security and shelter but also, in some cases, is central to income and women's livelihoods. Like for example, when land is used for farming.&nbsp;According to UNWomen.org, gender inequality is still a significant cause and effect of hunger and poverty. It is estimated that 60% of chronically hungry people are women and girls. Yet, studies suggest that women make up about 43% of the agricultural labor force in developing countries. Evidence indicates that if these women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20 to 30% raising total agricultural output in these countries and reducing the number of hungry people in the world by around 12 to 17%.&nbsp; &nbsp;"Without land to build or maintain a home, to farm or leverage for economic gain, to inherit from a relative, and to use as her own, women's security, prosperity and dignity remain compromised." - Stand For Her Land.&nbsp;Stronger land rights can empower women while increasing investments in land, spending on food and education, and improving child nutrition – lifting whole families and communities for an equal world. With this in mind, nonprofit-organizations such as <a href="https://stand4herland.org">Stand For Her Land</a> are helping women close the gap between law and practice worldwide. In addition, knowledge sharing with the women involved allows us to understand the barriers that affect women's rights to land ownership, which is why organizations like Stand For Her Land are so significant.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1 style="text-align:justify;">Main Barriers for Women&nbsp;</h1><ul><li>Lack of access to credit to invest in farming, farming technology and better crop planning</li><li>Social norms about land; Land and land ownership are still considered a man's thing.&nbsp;</li><li>Religion&nbsp;</li><li>Law affecting marital property and inheritance</li></ul>Do you know of any women-owned farms in your area? Or have you thought about becoming a farmer or agricultural engineer? Agriculture is an exciting global industry, constantly innovating and an essential contributor to the national economy.Look out for any female lead farms and find out how you can get involved! Follow the conversation online, have a look at what the experts are saying #agriculturelife #sustainableagriculture&nbsp;&nbsp;

To eradicate Poverty we must achieve  equal rights of land, access to basic services, technology and economy resources available for all.

The Future is Female: Women in Agriculture

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Thinking Cap OnHead over to National Geographic's article <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/partner-content-empowering-female-farmers">"Empowering Female Farmers." </a>and look out for the term "Crop Gap". Then, discuss with your parents, teachers or peers the importance of "Crop Gap" and think of ways to help prevent it from happening.&nbsp;You too can act to support women small-scale farmers – to fight with them against hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.

Even in the 21st century, eliminating poverty remains one of the most significant challenges facing humanity. In the last few decades, we have improved life for many people, with the number of people living in extreme poverty dropping by more than half between 1990 and 2015. However, too many people are still struggling for the most basic human needs.&nbsp;Poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money to buy things. The World Bank Organization describes poverty as:"Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, it is fear for the future, living one day at a time."&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>What Are Basic Human Needs?&nbsp;</h1>The basic human needs cover the essential things we need to survive; these include food (including water), shelter, and clothing. More recent studies also include sanitation, education, and healthcare access as part of the basic human needs.&nbsp;These basic human needs and the ability of a country to cover these needs for its citizens are considered when measuring absolute poverty levels in developing countries.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Measuring Poverty&nbsp;</h1>There are different ways to tell if a country is rich or poor. One is by evaluating the levels of basic human needs covered, as explained above. Another is by calculating the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country or calculating the Human Development Index or HDI.&nbsp;<a href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/gross-domestic-product-GDP/627635#:~:text=Gross%20domestic%20product%2C%20or%20GDP,of%20time%2C%20usually%20a%20year.">Gross Domestic Product (GDP) </a>is the money made from trade from inside the country. In other words, it is the total goods produced by a country in a specific period minus imports.&nbsp;A common equation for GDP is:GDP = consumption + investment + exports - importsHowever, GDP doesn't measure the sustainability of growth. A country may achieve a temporarily high GDP by over-exploiting natural resources, but this high level will not be sustainable for a long time. Because of this, many economists don't believe GPD is a reliable measurement, and it should be looked at in conjunction with other factors in determining poverty levels.&nbsp;The Human Development Index (HDI) is determined by considering the nation's life expectancy - how long people live - and adult literacy rates. Places in Africa like Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Mali are the poorest, with Sierra Leone having the lowest HDI ranking in the world.&nbsp;<h1>According to the United Nations (2015)</h1><a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2019/goal-01/">About 736 million people still lived on less than US$1.90 a day</a>; many lack food, clean drinking water and sanitation.&nbsp;Rapid growth in countries such as China and India has lifted millions out of poverty, but progress has been uneven. Women are more likely to be poor than men because they have less paid work, education, and own less <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/measuringpoverty#1">property</a>.Half of all people living in poverty are under 18 years old.10 per cent of the world's population live in extreme poverty, down from 36 per cent in 1990.&nbsp;<h1>World Summit for Social Development&nbsp;</h1>In 1995, after the cold war had ended, globalization became a top topic. It was clear that the way forward for all economies would rely on collaboration and trade. However, more than a billion people were still living in extreme poverty. Millions of people were unemployed, and a growing number of societies were breaking along racial, ethnic or social fault lines.It is then, in 1995, when the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) is born, with its first convention taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark. Representatives of 186 countries—including 117 heads of State or Government —agreed to make social progress a priority issue at the international level. The mission: to "eradicate absolute poverty by a target date specified by each country in its national context."&nbsp;In the United States, the equivalent measures are called self-sufficiency standards or living income standards.The United Nations General Assembly met again in a special session in Geneva in June-July 2000 to assess the achievements made at the Social Summit of Copenhagen and discuss new initiatives. An agreement was reached on a wide array of initiatives to reduce poverty and spur job growth globally.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Social Enterprises: Growing from Within&nbsp;</h1>Social enterprises are businesses that trade to intentionally tackle social problems, improve communities, provide people access to employment and training, or help the environment. You would think all companies should be social enterprises based on that, but in reality, not all businesses focus on social responsibility and care but on profit growth.&nbsp;Social enterprises commit to reinvesting a majority of profits/surpluses into achieving their social/environmental objectives. This is a fundamental difference between social enterprises and traditional businesses.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1>Benefits of social enterprises:&nbsp;</h1><ul><li>They aim to create a stable level of employment</li><li>They implement social change</li><li>They look to create inspiring and innovative solutions</li><li>They want to help members of society</li></ul>However, it is not all good. Social Entrepreneurship also has some disadvantages, such as:&nbsp;<ul><li>Lack of support and funding</li><li>Need hard work to get success</li><li>Social factors will affect to achieve</li><li>Hard to gain trust from others</li></ul>Social enterprises can have a massive positive impact in reducing poverty, especially in rural areas where small interventions make a huge impact. For example, Easy Solar, a social enterprise in Sierra Leone, provides pay-as-you-go solar-powered lighting and charging systems to people with no electricity access.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The basic human needs cover the essential things we need to survive; these include food (including water), shelter, and clothing. More recent studies also include sanitation, education, and healthcare access as part of the basic human needs.

Understanding Poverty & Social Enterprises

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Thinking Cap On:Create a social enterprise to tackle a social or environmental issue in your community. First, determine what problem you want to solve, for example, lack of access to educational programs for a disadvantaged area or a food bank programs for kids/families. Then draft a plan of action. What kind of business can you open that can help the community by re-funding profits? How would you call your business, and how would you make sure everyone knows about it? Share with us! We would love to hear your social enterprise ideas!&nbsp;&nbsp;

No Poverty

When Drinking Water Takes More than a Trip to the Fridge

The Future is Female: Women in Agriculture

Understanding Poverty & Social Enterprises