Human development and diversity Flashcards
List the multidimensional process of human development and ways to measure it
- UN Sustainable Goals criteria
- validity and reliability of development indicators and indices, including the human development index (HDI) and gender inequality index (GII)
- empowering women and indigenous or minority groups
When were the SDGs made?
25 September 2015
When do the SDGs need to be achieved?
2030
Who made the SDGs?
They were established by the United Nations General Assembly
What is one reason the SDGs were made?
The United Nations General Assembly made the SDGs to replace and build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which expired in 2015.
What is one reason the SDGs were made?
The MDGs showed that poverty can be reduced if structured targets are put into place, and so the SDGs are these targets.
Summarise the aim of the SDGs
The SDGs cover a wider base, focusing on development issues through a sustainable approach.
Define development
An improvement in the quality of life of people.
Define sustainable development
Development that seeks to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.
How many SDGs are there?
17 SDGs
How many subdivided targets are there for the SDGs?
The 17 SDGs are subdivided into 169 targets.
What do the SDGs cover and focus on?
The goals cover a variety of sustainable development issues and focus on many environmental challenges facing us today.
What do the SDGs range from?
They range from ending poverty and hunger, to combating climate change, making our cities more sustainable and protecting our ecosystems.
What are the SDGs considered to be?
The SDGs are considered to be aspirational and universally applicable; they are considered to be ‘Global Goals,’ the idea being that everyone should be actively engaged in helping to achieve them.
What would achieving the SDGs do?
Achieving the SDGs will make sure that a better planet is left for future generations.
What is SDG 1?
SDG:
- End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Target(s):
- By 2030 extreme poverty should be eradicated. At present this is measured as people living on less than US$1.25 a day.
- Ensure that everyone has access to basic services like medical care.
Present status:
- Today 836 million people live on less than US$1.25 a day.
What is SDG 2?
SDG:
- End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Target(s):
- End malnutrition by improving social programmes to make sure that sufficient food is always available.
- Increase agricultural production and prevent problems affecting yields such as flooding and drought.
Present status:
- Globally 2 in 9 people are undernourished.
What is SDG 3?
SDG:
- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Target(s):
- Educate people about family planning, reproductive health and the effects of drug abuse.
- Ensure everyone has access to good medical care and prevent the deaths of infants and children under the age of 5.
- Reduce by half the number of people who are injured or die in road traffic accidents.
Present Status:
- Today 6 million children die before the age of 5.
What is SDG 4?
SDG:
- Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Target(s):
- Ensure that everyone is educated and end inequality between males and females.
- Increase the number of schools, teachers and scholarships.
Present status:
- Fifty-seven million children do not attend primary school.
What is SDG 5?
SDG:
- Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Target(s):
- End all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls.
- Encourage equal opportunities to allow women to participate in all areas of life and have equal access to land, property, finance and resources.
Present status:
- Women on average earn 24% less than men earn.
What is SDG 6?
SDG:
- Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Target(s):
- Ensure everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.
- Reduce water contamination and protect and restore water-related ecosystems.
Present status:
- Today over 90% of the population have access to an improved water supply.
What is SDG 7?
SDG:
- Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Target(s):
- Develop and increase the use of renewable energy.
Present status:
- Twenty percent of the population do not have access to electricity.
What is SDG 8?
SDG:
- Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Target(s):
- End forced and child labour.
- Provide more jobs for young people and ensure a safe working environment for all.
Present status:
- Over 470 million new jobs are needed to provide work for new entrants to the labour market.
What is SDG 9?
SDG:
- Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.
Target(s):
- Ensure everyone has access to new technologies and the internet.
- Ensure businesses receive technical support and promote sustainable development.
Present status:
- Low-income countries invest less than 0.3% of their GDP in research and development.
What is SDG 10?
SDG:
- Reduce inequality within and among countries.
Target(s):
- Ensure that people do not face discrimination.
- Allow the safe movement of people and ensure that those who emigrate benefit from laws to protect them.
Present status:
- In 2015 income inequality increased by 11% in low-income countries.
What is SDG 11?
SDG:
- Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Target(s):
- Ensure everyone has access to safe, quality housing and transportation.
- Protect natural heritage and culture.
- Ensure communities manage their resources, monitor waste and air quality and tackle climate change.
Present status:
- Almost a third of urban dwellers live in slums.
What is SDG 12?
SDG:
- Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Target(s):
- Halve the amount of food waste and reduce, reuse and recycle resources.
- Promote sustainable lifestyles.
Present status:
- Every year over 1.3 million tonnes of food are wasted.
What is SDG 13?
SDG:
- Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Target(s):
- Ensure people are adequately prepared for natural hazards.
- Ensure governments tackle climate change and provide resources to combat it.
Present status:
- Almost 3% of the world’s population are affected by natural disasters every year.
What is SDG 14?
SDG:
- Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Target(s):
- By 2025 reduce marine pollution.
- Prohibit overfishing and reduce the impact of ocean acidification.
Present status:
- Forty percent of the oceans are heavily affected by human activities.
What is SDG 15?
SDG:
- Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Target(s):
- Conserve ecosystems by respecting international agreements.
- Prevent the extinction of species.
Present status:
- Every year 13 million hectares of forest is destroyed.
What is SDG 16?
SDG:
- Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Target(s):
- End world violence and combat crime and corruption.
- Ensure all children have an identity and a birth certificate. End all forms of child abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
Present status:
- It is estimated that 25% of births in low-income countries are not registered.
What is SDG 17?
SDG:
- Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Target(s):
- Countries should decide which goals are most important to them and the global goals should form part of the national plan.
- Help all countries meet these global goals by 2030. Developed countries should support less developed countries in achieving their goals, e.g. through multilateral funding.
Present status:
- In 2015, Official Development Assistance was US$131 billion.
What are many of the goals?
Many SDGs interlink and if one is not achieved it makes achieving another almost impossible.
What are seen as the two important SDGs?
Two important SDGs are Goal 4 and Goal 13 because if these goals are met other goals will also be achieved.
Why is the SDG Goal 4 seen as important?
Ensuring quality education is considered one of the most important SDGs and meeting the goals will help to achieve the other 16 goals. For example, education helps people to break out of the poverty cycle and leads to better-paid jobs, reducing inequality. People learn about disease prevention and healthy living, which increases life expectancy.
According to UN data, 57 million children are not enrolled at primary school and most of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa. Women and girls have less access to education, resulting in fewer job opportunities and on average lower-paid work for women.
What does goal 4 focus on in depth?
Goal 4 focuses on the provision of education facilities, increasing the number of trained teachers and number of scholarships provided for students in LICs. It recognises the importance of education for sustainable lifestyles. It also ensures that education is accessed by all, including indigenous people and those with disabilities or who are living in a vulnerable situation.
Why is SDG Goal 13 seen as important?
Climate change is an important SDG. Although there are 17 SDG’s, 12 of them can only be achieved if action is taken to reduce climate change.
Climate change already has an impact on every country. In the future we can expect the effects to be even greater. Climate change has led to coastal inundation, changes to weather patterns and more extreme weather events. If no action is taken to tackle climate change, it is expected that by the end of this century average global temperatures will increase by over 3°C.
Greenhouse gas emissions affect every country, regardless of where they originate. Due to their global nature, an international response is needed to tackle the problem. The COP21 agreement in Paris resulted in many countries agreeing to limit global temperature increase to less than 2°C. COP21 was adopted on 12 December 2015 and came into force on 4 November 2016. Some 146 parties have ratified the convention, which together produce 55% of total greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris agreement ensures that countries will continuously update their commitment to tackling climate change in order to meet the 2030 SDGs.
How will progress towards SDGs be measured?
With 17 Global Goals and 169 targets, measuring progress seems much more complicated than tracking the progress of the eight MDGs. In 2016, 230 indicators were selected to measure progress. These are a combination of economic, social and environmental indicators.
What progress has been made towards achieving the SDGs?
The SDGs were only established in 2015 and measures of tracking them were only drafted in 2016. So there is presently very little information available on progress.
Are countries legally binded to achieving the SDGs?
No
Why are a range of indicators used?
Because a range of physical, economic, social and psychological factors comprise our quality of life. Many people consider income to be most important factor but education, health, climate, happiness, job security, access to food and water all impact on our quality of life.
Are indicators easy to measure?
Some indicators of development are relatively easy to measure (e.g. income) whereas others, such as happiness, are much more subjective. These subjective factors may vary from one day to the next and from person to person even when they are living in similar situations.
What do social indicators reveal about a country?
Social indicators reveal how a country invests in the quality of life of its people.
List the common social indicators
- Infant mortality rate: the number of deaths of children under 1 year of age per 1000 live births in a country. This is considered to be an important measure as it is affected by the people’s knowledge of health, availability of resources and health technology.
- Child mortality rate: the number of deaths of children under 5 years of age per 1000 live births in a country.
- Life expectancy: the average number of years a person born today can expect to live.
- Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE): the number of years a person is expected to live in full health.
- Daily calorie intake: the amount of energy a person consumes in a 24-hour period.
- Adult literacy rate: the percentage of the adults in a country with basic reading and writing skills.
- Percentage of children enroled in schools (including primary, secondary and tertiary education).
- Average number of years in full-time education.
- Access to safe water: this measures the percentage of the population that can access adequate safe drinking water within a convenient distance of their home.
Where are regions/countries located with the higher and lowest infant mortality?
Countries with the highest infant mortality rates are located in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, such as Angola and the Central Africa Republic. In 2015, these countries had infant mortality rates of approximately 100 per 1000 live births. Countries with the lowest infant mortality rates are mainly in North America and Europe. Canada and Germany have infant mortality rates of less than 5 per 1000 live births. There is a negative correlation between income and infant mortality: the higher the income the lower the infant mortality. One anomaly is Chile, a middle-income country (MIC) that has one of the lowest infant mortality rates, less than 5 per 1000 live births.
Explain how adult literacy as an indicators is effective
Adult literacy rate is another key indicator as access to education impacts on many other indicators of development. For example, education often leads to greater gross national income (GNI). Female literacy is considered to be particularly important as there is a close correlation between female literacy and infant and child mortality rates.
How reliable are social indicators?
Many social indicators rely on the accurate collection of statistics and civil registration. Some countries may see an increase in infant mortality as they start to develop due to the fact that infant deaths are registered for the first time. It may even be difficult to make comparisons between wealthy countries. For example, Canada has high infant mortality rate compared to other high-income countries (HICs) due to the fact that it has a different definition of what constitutes a live birth.
Some indicators may be unreliable; for example, daily calorie intake. This does not take into account the type of food that is being eaten and some people may have a high calorie intake yet be malnourished. For example, a person may consume enough calories by eating five bowls of rice a day, but the rice does not provide them with a balanced diet so they may be malnourished. Similarly, the amount of calories required varies between individuals. Manual workers, for example, require more calories than office workers. Finally, too many calories may lead to obesity and will impact on other indicators such as life expectancy.
Although life expectancy is regularly used as an indicator of health it does not take into account the time spent living in ill health. One indicator that attempts to tackle this problem is the health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE). Life expectancy often varies greatly within countries and it is useful to study age-specific mortality rates.
What type of measure is a Human Development one?
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite measure of development.
What does that HDI is a composite measure mean?
This means that it covers different components of development. The HDI measures the development of a country in social and economic terms. The statistical measurement is based on three components: health, education and wealth.
How are the three components of HDI scored?
The scores for the three are combined and converted into an index with a maximum value of 1.0. The closer to 1.0, the higher the level of human development of the country.
Where are the regions/countries with the highest and lowest HDI?
Countries with the highest HDI values are located in North America and Europe and that the countries with the lowest HDIs are located in South Asia and Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. The country with the highest HDI (0.944) is Norway and that with the lowest HDI (0.348) is Niger. Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia are anomalies: Afghanistan has a lower score (0.465) than surrounding countries due to conflict, and Saudi Arabia has a higher score (0.837) than surrounding countries due to the wealth it generates from oil. Australia and New Zealand are the only countries in the southern hemisphere with a HDI greater than 0.9. Australia scores highly in all three categories and benefits from mineral wealth that is shared among a relatively small population.
What are the five highest scoring countries based on HDI?
1: Norway
- HDI: 0.944
- Life expectancy: 81.6
- Expected years of schooling: 17.5
- Mean years of schooling: 12.6
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 64,992
2: Australia
- HDI: 0.935
- Life expectancy: 82.4
- Expected years of schooling: 20.2
- Mean years of schooling: 13.0
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 42,261
3: Switzerland
- HDI: 0.930
- Life expectancy: 83.0
- Expected years of schooling: 15.8
- Mean years of schooling: 12.8
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 56,431
4: Denmark
- HDI: 0.923
- Life expectancy: 80.2
- Expected years of schooling: 18.7
- Mean years of schooling: 12.7
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 44, 025
5: Netherlands
- HDI: 0.992
- Life expectancy: 81.6
- Expected years of schooling: 17.9
- Mean years of schooling: 11.9
- GNI PPP per capita: 45,435
Why does Norway have the highest HDI score?
Norway ranks number one for HDI with a score of 0.944. It ranks highly on all three indicators with a life expectancy of 81.6 years, 17.5 years of expected schooling, 12.6 years of mean schooling and a high GNI PPP per capita of $64,992. Norway has held the top position for the last 12 years. Norway’s position is perhaps not surprising, being the second wealthiest country in the world. Norway’s wealth is mainly attributed to oil; it is the fifth largest exporter of oil in the world. Due to the country’s wealth it can afford to invest in providing good services for its citizens. The government invests heavily in the health care system and health is free for all, after a small initial charge. Another factor contributing to longevity is the quality of the environment: air pollution in Norway is almost the lowest in Europe. Similarly, education is free for all, including tuition for university-level students. Norway’s egalitarian values have also resulted in only a small gap between rich and poor.
Why does Niger have the lowest HDI score?
Niger is bottom of the list with an HDI of 0.348. Life expectancy is low at only 61.4 years, 5.4 years of expected schooling, 1.5 years of mean schooling and a low GNI PPP per capita of only $908. Niger is one of the poorest countries with two thirds of the population living below the poverty line. The government has little money to invest in the education or the health of its citizens. Literacy rates are low and it is traditional for girls to stay at home rather than attend primary school. Medical care is poor and clinics lack basic equipment and medicine. Many people suffer from infectious and parasitic diseases. Malaria is responsible for 20% of deaths in children under 5 years. Women often choose not to seek medical help and it is common for people visit local healers who rely on natural remedies and rituals. Niger has frequent droughts, resulting in crop failure and food shortages. Malnutrition is common, resulting in stunted growth for over half of the children.
Explain the advantages of how valid the HDI is as a measure of development
- The HDI considers three indicators rather than just one, making it a relatively more reliable measure of development. Qatar is a good example of why this is important. Qatar has one of the highest GNIs, at $123,124, but a relatively low mean number of years in schooling at only 9.1 years, giving Qatar an overall HDI of 0.85 and a rank of 32.
- The HDI tends to be used widely and reveals global patterns in development. The fact that it has been calculated since 1990 allows for a country’s development to be tracked over time. It does not rely solely on economic indicators to measure development but takes into consideration social indicators such as education. Education and health are considered to be key indicators of development and often lead to an improvement in other areas such as GNI.
Explain the disadvantages of how valid the HDI is as a measure of development
- One can still question the reliability and validity of the data collected. Average data are still used. This may hide extremes and does not show disparities within a country. A country may have developed urban areas but undeveloped rural areas, or there may be city-rich and city-poor areas. Some countries have a distinctive split between developed and undeveloped areas. For example, Italy has a richer north but the Mezzogiorno region in the south is relatively poor.
- Although access to education is included in HDI it does not mean there is equal access. Certain groups may have much better access to education than others. The HDI does not take into account any environmental indicators. Environmental factors are an increasingly important aspect of development, as seen in the SDGs. Human rights, gender disparities and corruption are also not considered.
What is a major obstacle to development?
Gender inequality
What do most girls and women face in many countries?
In most countries girls and women face discrimination in access to education, the job market, health services, levels of income and political representation.
Since when has the Gender Inequality Index been included in the UN Development Report?
The Gender Inequality Index (GII) has been included in the UN Development Report since 2010 and issues of gender appear to be receiving increasing media attention.
What is a similarity between HDI and GII?
They are both a composed measure.
List the three composite measures that the Gender Inequality Index is based on
- female reproductive health
- female empowerment
- labour market partcipation
How is female reproductive health measured in the Gender Inequality Index?
Maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rates. Maternal mortality is a measure of the number of deaths due to pregnancy-related causes per 100,000 live births. Adolescent birth rates are the number of births to 15–19-year-olds per 1000 women aged 15–19.
How is female empowerment measured in the Gender Inequality Index?
Measured by the share of parliamentary seats occupied by females and also the percentage of females compared to males aged over 25 years with some secondary education.
How is labor market participation measured in the Gender Inequality Index?
Measured by the percentage of females and males (aged 15 years and older) in the labour market.
What are five lowest scoring countries based on HDI?
184: Burundi
- HDI: 0.400
- Life expectancy: 56.7
- Expected years of schooling: 10.1
- Mean years of schooling: 10.6
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 758
185: Chad
- HDI: 0.392
- Life expectancy: 51.6
- Expected years of schooling: 7.4
- Mean years of schooling: 11.9
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 2085
186: Eritrea
- HDI: 0.391
- Life expectancy: 63.7
- Expected years of schooling: 4.1
- Mean years of schooling: 12.5
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 1130
187: Central African Republic
- HDI: 0.350
- Life expectancy: 50.7
- Expected years of schooling: 7.2
- Mean years of schooling: 11.7
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 581
188: Niger
- HDI: 0.348
- Life expectancy: 61.4
- Expected years of schooling: 5.4
- Mean years of schooling: 11.5
- GNI PPP per capita (USD): 908
What are the top 5 countries for GII based on the most recent data?
- Slovenia:
- GII: 0.016
- MMR: 7
- ABR: 0.6
- Women in government seats (%): 27.7
- Female education: 95.8
- Male education: 98.0
- Female labour force (%): 52.3
- Male labour force (%): 63.2 - Switzerland:
- GII: 0.028
- MMR: 6
- ABR: 1.9
- Women in government seats (%): 28.5
- Female education: 95.0
- Male education: 96.6
- Female labour force (%): 61.8
- Male labour force (%): 74.9 - Germany:
- GII: 0.041
- MMR: 7
- ABR: 3.8
- Women in government seats (%): 36.9
- Female education: 96.3
- Male education: 9.6
- Female labour force (%): 53.6
- Male labour force (%): 66.4 - Denmark:
- GII: 0.048
- MMR: 5
- ABR: 5.1
- Women in government seats (%): 38.0
- Female education: 95.5
- Male education: 96.6
- Female labour force (%): 58.7
- Male labour force (%): 66.4 - Austria:
- GII: 0.053
- MMR: 4
- ABR: 6.5
- Women in government seats (%): 30.3
- Female education: 100.0
- Male education: 100.0
- Female labour force (%): 54.6
- Male labour force (%): 67.7
What are the bottom 5 countries for GII based on the most recent data?
- Côte d’Ivoire:
- GII: 0.679
- MMR: 720
- ABR: 130.3
- Women in government seats (%): 9.2
- Female education: 14.0
- Male education: 30.1
- Female labour force (%): 52.4
- Male labour force (%): 81.4 - Afghanistan:
- GII: 0.693
- MMR: 400
- ABR: 86.8
- Women in government seats (%): 27.6
- Female education: 5.9
- Male education: 29.8
- Female labour force (%): 15.8
- Male labour force (%): 79.5 - Chad:
- GII: 0.706
- MMR: 980
- ABR: 152.0
- Women in government seats (%): 14.9
- Female education: 1.7
- Male education: 9.9
- Female labour force (%): 64.0
- Male labour force (%): 79.2 - Niger:
- GII: 0.713
- MMR: 630
- ABR: 204.8
- Women in government seats (%): 13.3
- Female education: 2.4
- Male education: 7.8
- Female labour force (%): 40.0
- Male labour force (%): 89.7 - Yemen:
- GII: 0.744
- MMR: 270
- ABR: 47.0
- Women in government seats (%): 0.7
- Female education: 8.6
- Male education: 26.7
- Female labour force (%): 25.4
- Male labour force (%): 72.2
In 2014 what was country was the most equal based on GII data?
Slovenia, with the lowest score of 0.016.
In 2014 what was country was the most unequal based on GII data?
Yemen with the highest score of 0.744.
Why does Slovenia have the lowest the Gender Inequality Index score?
Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. It has a population of just under 2 million people and a relatively low income compared to other European Union countries of only US$14,800 per capita. Women earn a similar income to men with only a 3% gender pay gap. This is the lowest figure in the EU. Slovenia is also one of the most equal countries in terms of income distribution. More females than males go on to tertiary education and there are many females in professional occupations. Slovenia ranks high in terms of HDI, with a score of 0.880 putting it in 25th place globally. Slovenia also experiences very low rates of violence against women. Some consider Slovenia’s position in terms of gender equality to be partially due to the Women’s Movement which has been active in the country since the mid-nineteenth century, and also due to its Communist past. Prior to independence, Slovenia was a Communist country and the role of women was promoted, giving women equal rights to work and a generous allowance for child care. When Slovenia transferred from Communism to democracy the gender equality policies remained and today they have been developed further. However, despite being the most equal country in terms in gender there are some improvements to be made in Slovenia. Fewer than 20% of government ministers are female and unemployment rates are higher for women than men.
Why does Yemen have the highest the Gender Inequality Index score?
Yemen is located in the Middle East and is one of the world’s poorest countries, with a GNI per capita (PPP) of only $3519. It has a desert climate with a population of around 26 million people. Yemen scores particularly poorly in the political empowerment component of GII: females have only 0.7% of seats in parliament. The mean number of years in schooling for women is only 1.3, although males only attend for 3.8 years. Yemen ranks 160 on the HDI with a score of 0.498. Yemen’s main religion is Islam and in Yemen, there are strict rules regarding the roles of men and females in society. Males are viewed as the financial providers whereas females tend to stay at home in domestic roles. Just 29% of females are literate compared to 70% of males.
What is the advantage to the Gender Inequality Index?
The GII considers three indicators of gender inequality, making it more reliable than a single indicator. It is a method of identifying and measuring a country’s gender inequality and has been used successfully to contrast gender inequality between countries. It enables governments to focus their efforts and target policies towards reducing gender inequality.
What are the disadvantages of the Gender Inequality Index?
- The GII measures empowerment by calculating the percentage of parliamentary seats occupied by females; however, it does not consider participation in local government or other public walks of life.
- Information about the type of employment carried out by males and females is not included. Certain jobs tend to be dominated by men. In the USA 99% of construction workers are male while 99% of secretaries are female. The inequality that exists between the number of males and females at Chief Executive Officer (CEO) level is well documented but again this is not considered. Unpaid work is also not considered and in many countries females still carry out the majority of housework and child care.
- Ownership of assets and violence against women are not included in the GII. Their inclusion could potentially give a better view of gender inequality.
What measurement is becoming increasingly popular for development?
The Gross National Happiness Index
When was the Gross National Happiness Index first published?
2012
Is the Gross National Happiness Index a composite indicator?
Yes
What are the components the Gross National Happiness Index considers?
- GDP (PPP) per capita
- healthy life expectancy (how many years a person might live in a healthy state)
- people’s willingness to donate to charity
- freedom to make life choices
- perception of corruption
- available social support
- laughter and feelings of worry and sadness
In 2016 what 4 countries were ranked the happiest?
- Denmark
- Switzerland
- Iceland
- Norway
In 2016 what 4 countries were ranked the unappiest?
- Burundi
- Syria
- Tongo
- Afghanistan
What has Bhutan done since 1971?
Bhutan has measured its success based on citizens happiness levels rather than economic indicators such as GDP.
What does the Gross National Happiness consider about its citizens and natural environment?
Gross National Happiness (GNH) considers the spiritual, physical, social and environmental health of both its citizens and the natural environment.
What are the advantages of the development indicators as a whole?
- Development indicators are important as they allow a country’s progress to be measured and tracked.
- They allow governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to make the correct decisions about where to target money and development projects.
What are the disadvantages of the development indicators as a whole?
- In some countries the data collected is incomplete, inaccurate and unreliable due to a variety of reasons. In the UK’s 1991 census a significant undercount of approximately 1 million people occurred. Many declined to participate in order to avoid registration for a newly introduced tax.
- Poor countries often struggle to find funds to carry out accurate surveys and questions may be asked and interpreted in different ways.
- Some countries manipulate or falsify data in order to receive aid; otherwise they may choose not to release their data.
- Indicators are always out of date because it takes time to collect, collate, process and publish the data.
- Most indicators focus on only one aspect of development and single indicators may not be a very reliable measure of development at all. For example, a country with a high GNI may have a very low level of education for females.
What type of correlation is there between income and life expectancy?
A positive correlation
Explain using examples why using life life expectancy or income is not a good way of measuring a country’s development?
For most countries, using life expectancy or income would be quite a good measure of a country’s development. However, the graph shows some outliers, including Lesotho, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Botswana. Botswana has an income (per capita) of US$17,200 and a life expectancy of 58.7 years. Most countries with that level of income would have a life expectancy of approximately 75 years. If life expectancy were used as a sole indicator of development for these countries, one would expect the country to be less developed and have a lower income than it actually does. All three countries have many people suffering from HIV/AIDS and due to this the average life expectancy is considerably lower than in other countries with similar incomes.
What happens in countries where few girls attend primary school?
High population growth tends to occur in countries where few girls attend primary school.
What are life opportunities still dependent on?
Gender
Do men still have more opportunities in HICs?
Even in HICs men tend to have more opportunities than women. They are better educated and earn higher incomes.
How many girls do not have access to education globally?
62 million girls
How many girls under the age of 18 marry every year?
15 million girls, this is equivalent to one marriage every 2 seconds.
How many women in 2015 were employed of working age?
Only 50% of women of working age were employed.
How many men in 2015 were employed of working age?
77% of men of working age were employed.
How much less does a women earn compared to a man in her lifetime in the UK?
In the UK a women earns £300,000 (US$360,000) less in her lifetime than a man.
Define empower
To give someone the power or authority to do something. In some societies women have very few rights compared to men. They are often restricted and regarded as second class citizens. Empowering women is providing them with the opportunity to embrace and make the most of their potential.
What SDG would improving the quality of life for women and empowering them to participate in all sectors of society refer to?
SDG Goal 5.
What is a major factor resulting in gender inequality?
Laws often discriminate against women and are a major factor resulting in gender inequality.
What does early marriage result in?
Girls who marry at a young age spend less time in education and if they enter the workplace tend to get low-paid and unskilled jobs. Many have children at a young age, jeopardising their health, and then take on the role of motherhood. They become dependent on their husband for income. This is a vicious circle that can be broken by setting a minimum age for marriage.
What country has the lowest age for marriage for women?
Iran has the lowest age at 9 years old.
What country has the highest age for marriage for women?
China has the highest age, for 22 years for men and 20 years for women,
What did Spain do in 2015?
Spain only increased from 14 to 16 in 2015.
Is the legal age for marriage in many countries enforced?
In many countries the legal age for marriage is not enforced.
What are examples of countries where the legal age marriage is not enforced?
In Nigeria, for example, the minimum age for marriage is 18 but in the predominantly Muslim north of the country more than 50% of girls are married by the age of 15. In Saudi Arabia there is no minimum age for a girl to be married. In 2010 the Saudi Human Rights Commission was involved in a case of a 12-year-old girl who was asking to be divorced from her 80-year-old husband.
What percentage of girls in Malawi marry before the age of 18?
Over 50% of girls in Malawi marry before the age of 18.
What is Malawi ranked in terms of child marriage in the world?
Malawi has the eighth highest rate of child marriage in the world.
Why do rural poor families allow their daughters to be married young?
In rural areas poor families often allow their daughters to be married in return for a kupimbira or dowry. A dowry is a gift, given by the husband to the bride’s parents on his marriage to their daughter. A family may select a rich man for their daughter to improve both their economic situation and their status within the community.
Why do many girls lack identification documents confirming their age?
Girls’ births are often not registered and therefore many lack identification documents confirming their age.
Why do girls often drop out of school?
Girls often drop out of school due to early marriage.
Between 2010 and 2013 how many girls in Malawi left school due to early marriage?
Between 2010 and 2013 over 31,000 girls in Malawi left school for this reason.
Between 2010 and 2013 how many girls in Malawi left school due to preganancy?
51,000 girls between 2010 and 2013 dropped out due to pregnancy.
What is one consequence of early marriage?
Early pregnancy is one consequence of child marriage and the number of girls giving birth at a young age is increasing.
What are the consequences of childbirth at an early age?
Childbirth at an early age often leads to complications and health problems for both the mother and child.
Is maternal mortality another indicator of a country’s development?
Maternal mortality is another indicator of a country’s level of development.
In Malawi what is the maternal mortality rate?
In Malawi maternal mortality rates are high, at 675 out of every 100,000 live births.
List the four interlinked problems contributing to the high number of child marriages in Malawi?
In Malawi poverty, lack of education, the prevailing culture and teenage pregnancy all interlink to contribute to the high number of child marriages.
What do girls forced into marriage at a young age often experience?
Often girls forced into marriage at a young age experience physical abuse at the hands of their husbands.
Why are girls who are reporting cases of physical abuse sent back home?
Girls reporting cases to the police are frequently sent home as there is a lack of funding available to deal with such issues.
Child marriage is the failure of what system?
Child marriage is also a result of the government’s failure to address the rights of women and girls, and a failure to empower them. Until recently there was no enforced government legislation designed to protect girls and allow them to break out of this vicious cycle.
When did the Malawi parliament ban child marriage?
On February 14t, 2017, Malawi parliament banned child marriage. It raised the legal age of marriage for girls from 15 to 18.
What campaign started in 2011 and what did it aim to do?
The campaign to stop child marriage began in 2011, led by an organisation called Let Girls Lead.
What did the organisation Let Girls Lead do to in order to stop child marriage?
This organisation encouraged girls to fight for their own rights and trained 200 of them to campaign for later marriage. Village chiefs were lobbied and asked to change local laws so that any man marrying before the age of 21 would be required to relinquish his land and pay a penalty of seven goats. Parents who married their daughters off at a young age would be required to undertake cleaning work in local clinics as a penalty.
What is another example of an organisation that helps with fighting against early marriage?
The Girls Empowerment Network (Genet) is another non-governmental organisation concerned with improving the rights and status of women in Malawi. Genet removes girls from child marriage and gets them back in to school. It also provides legal assistance to help prosecute those responsible for child marriage.
What does preventing child marriages mean?
Preventing child marriages should mean that girls are able to stay in education. They should be able to get a job, become independent and break out of the cycle of poverty.
How many indigenous people are there across 70 countries?
There are approximately 370 million indigenous people spread over 70 countries.
What percentage of indigenous people make up the global population?
Indigenous people make up about 5% of the global population.
What percentage of indigenous people make up the world’s population of poor people?
Indigenous people make up about 15% of the poor global population.
What do indigenous groups often lack?
Indigenous groups often lack access to basic services.
Define indigenous population
People that live in (or are attached to) traditional or ancestral territories, and who identify themselves as a distinct cultural group. Their ancestors lived in these places before modern states were established. They tend to separate from the mainstream society or culture (to some extent).
What type of organisation is the Rainforest Alliance?
A non-governmental organisation
When was the Rainforest Alliance established?
1987
How many countries does the Rainforest Alliance operate in?
78 countries.
What does the Rainforest Alliance do?
It works with forest communities to help indigenous people prevent deforestation carried out by transnational corporations. It aims to encourage sustainable development and considers the environment, economics and social rights of farming and forest communities.
What does the work carried out by the Rainforest Alliance link to?
Work carried out by the Rainforest Alliance has links to most of the SDGs.
What is considered the biodiversity capital of Peru?
Madre de Dios.
Where is Madre de Dios located?
Andean Amazon, Peru.
What is happening to the Andean Amazon?
The region is under threat from illegal logging, gold mining and unsustainable farming practices.
What has the Rainforest Alliance done to increase value of raw materials?
The Rainforest Alliance has helped develop forest-friendly community projects in the area and has provided training to indigenous forest communities, enabling them to increase the value of raw materials.
What initiative has the Rainforest Alliance done for the community?
The community previously harvested and sold unprocessed Brazil nuts. Nuts sold in this condition are of a lower commercial value than those that are processed. Through the Rainforest Alliance initiative the community is now able to shell and process nuts to produce Brazil nut oil and candied nuts. In this way the people of Madre de Dios are sustainably managing the forest and adding value to their primary products through processing.
In 2016 how many tons of shelled Brazil nuts did the community export?
In 2016 the community exported 4000 tons of shelled Brazil nuts at a value of over US$30 million.
What are examples of other projects to the Rainforest Alliance in the area of the Andean Amazon?
Similar projects in the area include funding to purchase sawmills and the establishment of furniture workshops that allow the community to make furniture, thereby adding value to the timber.
What have the similar projects to the Rainforest Alliance in the Andean Amazon do for the community?
These projects have led to an increase in the community’s income. They now realise the need to protect against the threats of illegal logging and mining. Recently the community, with help from the authorities, has successfully prevented illegal logging operations in the region. The livelihood and income of the Madre de Dios community have improved and they now understand the value of managing their forest sustainably.
Where is Nepal located?
Nepal is located in Southern Asia, situated in the Himalayas between China and India
Is there a large variety to Nepals physical environment?
Although much of the landscape is mountainous, the country has a variety of biomes, including tropical savannah and alpine shrub and meadow.
What does the physical environment due to Nepal?
The physical environment hinders the country’s development.
Summarise the earthquake that occurred in Nepal
- Date: April 25, 2015
- Magnitude: 7.8
- Location: Near Kathmandu, Nepal
- Population Affected: Over 8 million (approximately 28.4 million total population)
- Casualties: Approximately 9,000 dead, 19,000 injured
What is the economic state of Nepal?
- Country Status: Low-Income Country (LIC)
- GNI per Capita: US$2,500
- Agricultural Workforce: 76% of the population engaged in agriculture
What has the Western Uplands Poverty Alleviation Project (WUPAP) done in Nepal?
- Initiation: January 2003 by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) and the Nepalese government.
- Goal: Improve livelihoods for over half a million marginalized individuals.
- Budget: US$32 billion, primarily funded by IFAD.
- Focus Areas: Infrastructure, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities
What are the key activities of Western Uplands Poverty Alleviation Project (WUPAP)?
- Agricultural Projects: Investment in livestock production and goat-rearing techniques.
Infrastructure Improvements:
- 333 projects completed (e.g., drinking-water and irrigation).
- Electricity provided to 3,937 households.
Vocational Training:
- 14% of budget on non-agricultural income-generating activities.
- Over 888 individuals trained in various skills
What were the successes of Western Uplands Poverty Alleviation Project (WUPAP)?
- Improved access to drinking water reduced collection time for women.
- Increased crop production led to higher incomes and better nutrition.
- Formation of cooperatives for business development
What were the failures of Western Uplands Poverty Alleviation Project (WUPAP)?
- Underestimation of time required to empower illiterate populations.
- Gender-specific training limited women’s integration into broader programs
What is the poverty cycle?
- Issue: People living in poverty lack investment capacity, leading to low incomes and inability to save or afford education.
- Consequence: Children receive poor education, resulting in low-paid jobs and perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
