DevDispatch Recommends: June 2022 Publications
The ripple effects of the war in Ukraine are beginning to surface and threaten livelihoods by compromising food security and compounding the global recession. In an interconnected world this means that the effects are felt globally. These reports published in June and shared in this article argue that bridging the technological divide, fighting for a gender inclusive society, developing favourable policy for SME operating environments and employing sustainable food systems will go a long way in lessening the effects of the crisis.
Enjoy these gems!
Bridging the Technological Divide : Technology Adoption by Firms in Developing Countries
By The World Bank
The report argues that technology is at the center of economic growth and development, and is essential in building resilience against unprecedented shocks including climate change and pandemics. It zones in on the implications of the lack of characterization of technology use within firms in developing countries, and presents evidence collected from the Firm-level Adoption of Technology (FAT) survey to address this knowledge gap.
In its findings, the report purports that most firms in developing countries are quite far from the technology frontier, and they may not be aware of the extent to which they lag. Secondly, technology adoption is a key driver of long-term growth through its positive impact on productivity, jobs, and economic resilience, and thirdly, in bridging the technological divide, access to reliable and high-quality infrastructure is a necessary condition for technology upgrading, but not a sufficient one.
The comprehensive 242 paged report is recommended for policy makers working within the job creation and technology sphere.
The levers of change: Gender equality attitudes study 2022
By UN Women, Kantar
The report reflects on the state of gender equality in the world and puts forward that currently, no country is on track to achieving it, which significantly compromises realising SDG 5.
Gender stereotyping has been identified as one of the main barriers to gender equality and a study informing this report was carried out to determine the extent of harmful gender-based stereotypes across countries, in order to monitor how – if at all – these stereotypes change over time.
Approximately 1,000 interviews were conducted in over 20 countries and some of the findings revealed that discriminatory social norms and attitudes continue to hinder progress for women and girls everywhere, and despite progress, women continue to face multiple barriers to political leadership and decision-making. COVID-19 has also set back attitudes towards domestic violence and education is essential to eliminate harmful and antiquated gender stereotypes.
The report is 158 pages long and is recommended for academics, policymakers, gender equality advocates, and civil society organizations focused on the subject matter.
June 2022 Global Economic Prospects
By The World Bank
The world is currently facing high inflation and slow growth according to the June Global Economic Prospects report, and this is one of the unfortunate repercussions of the worldwide recession stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outlook looks gloomy with global growth expected to slow sharply from 5.7% in 2021 to 2.9% this year which reflects nearly a third cut to the January 2022 forecast of 4.1%. The current war in Ukraine is attributed for this downgrade.
This edition of the Global Economic Prospects report also offers the first systematic assessment of how current global economic conditions compare with the era of stagflation of the 1970s—with a particular emphasis on how stagflation could affect developing economies.
The 176 paged report urges policymakers to focus on five key areas including:
- Limiting the harm to people affected by the war in Ukraine
- Countering the spike in oil and food prices.
- Stepping up debt relief efforts.
- Strengthening health preparedness and efforts to contain COVID-19.
- Speeding up the transition to low-carbon energy sources.
This resource is recommended for economists, financiers, and policymakers in Finance Ministries worldwide.
Guide to Recommendation No.189 on Job Creation in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
By ILO
Launched on the 27th of June to commemorate Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (MSME) this publication is the only international labour standard (ILS) that provides guidelines on general conditions to stimulate job creation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Recognising the important role of SMEs towards job creation, the publication breaks down the impact of COVID-19 on SMEs resulting in significant loss of income and massive unemployment. It also looks at the common challenges faced by SMEs including access to finance, access to training and access to information.
Recommendations made in the guide include:
- Adopting and pursuing appropriate fiscal, monetary and employment policies.
- Creating and strengthening an enterprise culture which favours initiatives, enterprise creation, productivity, environmental consciousness, quality, good labour and industrial relations, and adequate social practices which are equitable.
- Business pre-start-up, start-up and development assistance to enhance the growth, job-creation potential and competitiveness of SMEs.
The guide is a quick read with 42 pages, and is recommended for MSMEs.
Transit Oriented Development in practice.
A powerful example of impact on the ground in the area of Housing by our Brazil Cities team – and a story of how interventions in one city led to an approach that was scaled up and adopted as part of a Brazilian national law that set the standards for better quality social housing.
Three Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing
The blog raises three critical challenges: (i) importance of core services in informal settlements and slums, (ii) need to support housing rental markets, and (iii) making better use of underutilized land in city centers.
Can Housing Be Affordable Without Being Efficient?
The blog highlights the importance of giving due attention to building efficiency in affordable housing projects, both location efficiency and on-site energy and water efficiency. The key message: over their lifetimes, efficient homes are more affordable, healthier and provide better opportunities for residents than conventional buildings.
Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity June to September 2022 Outlook
By Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP)
For quick reads, check out these blog posts
In this outlook, FAO and WFP issue early warnings to 20 countries at risk of acute food insecurity referred to as hunger hotspots during the period june-September 2022.
The report argues that Ukraine being a major global food supplier, the ongoing war in the East European nation means current supply disruptions are aggravating already high international prices, which complicates access to food and could result in localized shortages.
Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen remain at the highest alert level and Afghanistan and Somalia have been added to the list.
The 55 paged report is a key resource for ministries overseeing national budgets and organisations supporting food security efforts.
Transit Oriented Development in practice.
A powerful example of impact on the ground in the area of Housing by our Brazil Cities team – and a story of how interventions in one city led to an approach that was scaled up and adopted as part of a Brazilian national law that set the standards for better quality social housing.
Three Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing
The blog raises three critical challenges: (i) importance of core services in informal settlements and slums, (ii) need to support housing rental markets, and (iii) making better use of underutilized land in city centers.
Can Housing Be Affordable Without Being Efficient?
The blog highlights the importance of giving due attention to building efficiency in affordable housing projects, both location efficiency and on-site energy and water efficiency. The key message: over their lifetimes, efficient homes are more affordable, healthier and provide better opportunities for residents than conventional buildings.
Malawi Economic Monitor, December 2020 : Doing More with Less - Improving Service Delivery in Energy and Water
By the World Bank
The pandemic has induced a sharp recession in many countries across the globe. Malawi’s economy has been heavily affected, with growth projected at 1.0 percent in 2020, down from earlier projections of 4.8 percent. With population growth around 3.0 percent, this represents a 2.0 percent contraction in per capita GDP. Political stability has returned following the June 2020 Presidential elections, which should support investment. However, global and domestic factors emanating from the pandemic are affecting Malawi’s economy, including: 1) disruption in global value chains and trade and logistics; 2) decrease in tourism; and 3) decrease in remittances. This has combined with social distancing policies and behavior to also reduce domestic demand. The Malawi Economic Monitor (MEM) provides an analysis of economic and structural development issues in Malawi. The publication intends to foster better-informed policy analysis and debate regarding the key challenges that Malawi faces in its endeavor to achieve high rates of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
(In)Visible The Digital Threats Muslim Women Human Rights Defenders Face in the Greater Horn of Africa
By Pollicy, Mardiya Siba Yahaya, and Neema Iyer.
The report explores the digital threats Muslim Women Human Right Defenders (MWHRDs) face while working to uphold gender and family law in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHoA). The research was carried out to better understand some of the threats and challenges faced by MWHRDs in their online activism, in a bid to to recommend long-term actionable strategies for Muslim organizations working on family law reforms, movements and activists in the GHoA region.
Some of the key findings in the report include: challenges to secure funding for advocacy in the region, MWHRDs face threats of violence from religious leaders due to their inherent challenge of patriarchal systems within their countries and communities. Some of the threats they experience in their daily lives include sexual violence, trolling and misinformation, financial violence, threats of murder, verbal abuse and harassment. Digital inequalities also pose accessibility threats specifically regarding their access to digital spaces, and ensuring online safety given that they struggle with basic digital engagement skills.
The report contains 60 pages worth of key information for activists, cyber security policy makers and women’s rights advocates within the Greater Horn of Africa and beyond.
Global SDG Accountability Report
By the Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network.
This report serves to ascertain the level of accountability for the Sustainable Development Goals at a subnational, national and international level. Information gathered from the SDG Accountability Survey serves as the basis of this report by collecting reflections and inputs from stakeholders around the world.
Split into four sections the report looks at:
1. The foundations of the 2030 Agenda – which explains and contextualises the SDGs;
2. A snapshot of SDG accountability – which outlines the challenges being faced by stakeholders in implementing the SDGs especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic
3. Building a Global Multistakeholder Movement for SDG Accountability – which focuses on case studies of different stakeholders and their role in accountability and how they can improve accountability
4. Recommendations to Advance Accountability for the SDGs & the 2030 Agenda – which summarises the findings of the report and provides recommendations for specific stakeholders.
This report is an asset for the media, parliamentarians and national human rights institutions. It’s 101 pages but is organised such that it can be read in sections relevant to the information you are looking for.
The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Education, Livelihoods & Food Security Status: Policy Implications For Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
By P. Tamasiga, A.T. Guta, H. Onyeaka, H. Nkoutchou and M.S. Kalane.
Sub-Saharan countries were particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the COVID-19 as they were already experiencing weak health care systems, low financing for testing and very few resources for response measures. This data-driven report outlines the key trends of the COVID-19 pandemic by region, highlighting case trajectories, lockdown and containment measures, economic impacts, education impacts and health impacts. South Africa still accounts for the highest number of cases and deaths followed by Ethiopia and Nigeria.
Along with containing COVID-19, Central Africa is still facing the additional challenges of pre-existing health concerns, especially malaria.
The policy implications are focussed on supply chains, trade and market access, food and agricultural production, misinformation and the media, health, education and strategic communication. Sub-Saharan Africa has already been deemed to be the most at risk for food insecurity and this is expected to increase 2.5 fold.
Global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2021
By WHO
This report looks into how effective the strategies planned for 2016-2021 have been in the fight against HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs. Progress has indeed been made despite the disruption of the global pandemic but in the same breath, there are still many targets that have not been reached. The number of new HIV infections has fallen by 23% to its lowest rate since 2010 with 1.7 million new infections in 2019 however this is far from the target of only 500 000 new infections.
Stigma and lack of resources to implement people-centred policies and services still remain the largest hindrance. COVID-19 severely affected the ability for people to get tested easily. This report analyses the success and shortfalls of each WHO region. The report recommends that the only way to try and get back on track is for governments to collaborate their efforts into universal health care systems beneficial for the most vulnerable.
This report is targeted at anyone who works with marginalised communities of people infected by HIV, hepatitis or any STIs and is also a good read for health care workers and policy makers. It is moderately long at 108 pages.
Mainstreaming gender in urban public transport
By Stockholm Environment Institute
Africa is the fastest urbanizing continent, yet walking still remains the most affordable mode of transport in urban areas. This is due to a lack of service provision. There is also a large gender inequality problem when it comes to transport both in operation and in use. This report seeks to shed light on the under researched matter of women’s participation in transport decision making and their use of public transport systems.
The report uses the case studies of Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kampala by interviewing all members of society from taxi drivers to policy makers in the ministries of transport and transport planners. The report identifies accessibility and safety of public transport systems, sexual assault and harassment, lack of integrated and gender sensitive urban planning and underrepresentation as larger barriers towards gene=der mainstreaming in transport.
This report is the perfect short read for city and transport planners at only 40 pages.
Terrorism in the Sahel Facts and Figures
By NATO Strategic Direction- South, ACSRT
The fight against terrorism in the Sahel is still a major issue that deserves attention as the number of terrorist attacks has increased by 18.5% in 2020. This report analyses current and past data to show a conclusive analysis on the rate of terrorism. The largest threats come from the following terrorist groups Boko Haram, ISGS, JNIM and ISWAP and the most affected countries are Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad.
This analysis is taken in the form of quantitative analysis with a lot of informative graphs and infographics as well as qualitatively by looking at the types of attacks. The report concludes that 2020 has been the most intense year in terms of terrorism in the Sahel.
This report is target to all members defence ministries and counter-terrorism organisations. It is a very brief read with only 37 pages.