Off the main streets in Gonder, Ethiopia, poverty becomes starker. Credit: James Jeffrey/IPS
PHILADELPHIA and NEW DELHI, Mar 13 2020 (IPS) – With about 109 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populous nation in Africa after Nigeria, and the fastest growing economy in the region. However, it is also one of the poorest, with a per capita income of $790.
About 80% of the Ethiopian population lives in rural areas, but these are increasingly migrating to urban areas due to a lack of job opportunities. However, with unemployment levels at 16.5%, the situation in urban areas offers even fewer possibilities of finding employment.
Poverty is predominantly a rur…
The following opinion piece is part of series to mark the upcoming International Women’s Day, March 8.
Credit: GGGI
SEOUL, Republic of Korea, Mar 8 2021 (IPS) – As the global effort to address climate change has strengthened over the last few years, so has the realization that rising temperatures and climactic disruptions disproportionately impact women, particularly in developing countries, as they tend to be and are thus overrepresented in resource-intensive economic sectors. Furthermore, inherent in gender inequality are disadvantages for and discrimination against women in all facets of society, including in the economy and politics. Thus, it is unfortun…