Sorry for not blogging lately, recently it has been crazy. Tomorrow we are going into Auroville which will be amazing, then the next three days we will be finishing up GIS. Time is flying! This morning we talked with Benjamin Budda (aka Buba) who is a UNDP official (United Nations Development Program). I learned a lot, 1st point being all UN officials agree Global Climate Change is happening as much as some people want to say it's not. 2nd that the human race passed Earths carrying capacity in 1983. That there is nothing that can be done to stop Global Climate Change, just things we can do to slow the process and make it easier to evolve with it. The Tsunami that killed 150,000 people in Indonesia, and 17,000 on the east coast of India, was one of the several storms that resulted from Global Climate Change (Hurricane Sandy was another event closer to home). All of these are excepted facts by the UN.
I also have learned there are several makes of cars in India that have lower emissions than(and are extremely cheap to manufacture and produce) any car in the US however due to them also being to inexpensive car manufacturers in the US have prevented these cars from reaching the US market. I also have learned that the UN has the Development Program department to help undeveloped countries deal with issues caused by Global Climate Change, and other issues. This is important because in these areas homes consists of thatched huts that can not with stand a storm surge, so a storm like sand would have demolished all the villages in the area I am in which is a relative big city compared to the ones in the US (small compared to Asia).
I also found out the UN's millennium goals, which are really interesting to learn about (if you are curious look them up). There are 7 of them, end poverty and hunger, universal education, gender equality, child health, maternal health, combat aids/HIV, environmental sustainability, and global partnership. All of which are vital whether or not you are a developing country or a developed country. The main ones we talked about are the universal education, gender equality, poverty, maternal/child health.
In most countries the societal structure is patriarchal. In most developing countries the sons stay with their parents where daughters when married off move into their husbands homes. Meaning that parents due to the fact that they lose their daughters don't want to invest very much into them. Where as for sons, they provide a retirement so you want your sons educated and well off. So if you have limited funds and can only send one kid off to school which one do you send, the one that is your future or the one you marry off? This leads to having more boys educated than girls.
Now most governments readily will admit that they want their women population working and being educated because they are just an untapped human resource who could help with everything from development to production. There are also studies performed that show that women (note this is in most cases, and also in developing patriarchal countries) when they earn the money for their household they spend 60% on the family, 30% on the home, and keep 10%. Where as men spend 70%-80% on themselves, spend 20% on the family and home. Now if the woman is bring in the money not only is the money being spent of the family and needs of the home but also she will save money and since she has a job she is financial independent from her husband. This is important because in most areas like here husbands beat their wives kids, and since their wives are dependent they can't leave and escape their situation.
So I guess what I have been trying to say is through providing an income and education to women, you are in turn providing strength and safety for the women and children. Kind of cool right? Yes and no there are other issues going on, women have responsibilities in their homes to make meals, keep the house clean, so if you telling them to work 40 hours a week on top of running a home you aren't making their lives any easier right? Nothing here is black and white it is all shades.
