DevDispatch Recommends: September 2023 Publications
Rounding up Global Goals Week last week is our September recommendations focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We hope you find our selection insightful!
Legislating and enforcing the minimum age of marriage: A comparative study of experiences and lessons learned in ending the legalization of child marriage
By UN Women, The African Women’s Development and Communication Network, Equality Now, Partners for Law in Development, Musawah, and Unchained At Last
Inconsistencies still exist in relation to the minimum age of marriage in various countries. By 2019, an estimated 52% of countries had established the minimum age of marriage at 18 years, without gender disparities or exceptions. However, this was not the case in the remaining 48%. This comparative study examines the pillars of success by countries who have successfully put laws in place to advocate for 18, as the minimum age of marriage. This, in an effort to end child marriages.
The report makes recommendations to Governments, CSOs, Donors and the United Nations System to address legal gaps around child marriages. Each of these stakeholders will find this 139 paged study valuable in enforcing reforms related to child marriages.
Tracking Universal Health Coverage: 2023 Global Monitoring Report
By the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) falls under SDG target 3.8, and this report takes stock of the progress made towards achieving this objective. UHC will be successfully achieved when financial burdens do not impede people’s access to health services. Sadly, the publication reveals that the world is off-track when it comes to achieving this.
The 156 paged report asserts that financial protection is undermined by a heavy reliance on out-of-pocket health spending to fund health systems, especially in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. Proactive policy efforts are needed to decrease financial hardship from out-of-pocket payments. It also argues that continued progress in improving service coverage depends on concerted country efforts to improve services for noncommunicable diseases and those related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health. This is a key resource for health ministries and legislators within the sector.
Global Sustainable Development Report 2023: Times of crisis, Times of change: Science for Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Development
By the United Nations (UN)
The world is constantly evolving, add a fixed set of goals to the mix and the scales tilt even further. This report calls for a transformative approach to be employed, in order to accelerate progress toward the SDGs. This is due to the fact that in the past four years alone, the world has faced unprecedented challenges including the ongoing pandemic, rising inflation, and environmental disasters.
The report points out governance deficits, institutional capacities, financing and infrastructure as some of the impediments to transformation, and suggests science-driven transformations to enable progress toward the SDGs. This approach entails identifying key interventions that have systemic effects across the Goals, scaling up investment, mobilising the knowledge of scientists, practitioners and communities at all levels. It also calls for capacity building targeting all countries and institutions, enhancing policy learning and accountability while closely monitoring the impacts of interventions.
We recommend this 190 paged read for policymakers overseeing the SDGs in their respective countries.
Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023
By UN Women and the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs
This report presents a snapshot of the progress made towards achieving the 2030 SDGs, with a focus on gender across all spectrums. The beginning of the report includes statistics revealing the level of gender disparities, and it goes on to narrow down the focus to older women, looking at how well their rights are being upheld in this SDG blueprint calling for peace and prosperity for all.
Some of the findings of the report are:
- Despite improvements, opportunities to live a long and healthy life are not equal by sex or across countries.
- Poverty and income insecurity disproportionately affect women at older ages due to lifelong inequalities.
- Violence against older women is a significant public health concern.
This report is a quick read at 35 pages, and we recommend it for gender equality advocates and policymakers overseeing the development goals.
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.
Accountability Report 2023: G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa
By the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
For quick reads, check out these blog posts
In light of the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,United Kingdom, United States)’s commitment to closing the digital gender gap in Africa through digital financial services, a G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa (G7P) was formed to supporting African governments, regulators, banks and financial institutions to build more gender-inclusive, sustainable and responsible digital financial systems.
This report assesses the progress made by G7P towards closing the digital gender divide with a focus on digital safety. It also offers reflections on the progress of the partnership in its fourth year of implementation and provides recommendations for improving its collective impact. The report recommends commiting the first year to launching a more robust and comprehensive assessment.
This 22 paged brief is recommended for development practitioners researching women’s digital financial inclusion on the continent.
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.
Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities
By the World Health Organization (WHO), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), World Bank Group
This 240 paged report makes a case for renewable energy as a catalyst for universal health coverage, highlighting how access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, particularly electricity in health facilities, is critical to meeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3. It delves into what delivering healthcare in the climate change era looks like, techno-economic considerations for electrification of health-care facilities and shares case studies on India, Uganda and Nepal, to assess the state of electrification in the three countries.
Practitioners interested in energizing health will find this report insightful.
AfCFTA: A New Era for Global Business and Investment in Africa
By the World Economic Forum, AfCFTA Secretariat
The report details how public-private partnerships can support the implementation of the AfCFTA. It outlines high-potential sectors eyed to facilitate the AfCFTA through high trade volumes including the automotive industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transport and logistics. For each one, it highlights key trends and opportunities. One of the report’s go to chapters is an offering of operational tools for companies wishing to conduct operations in Africa.
Businesses within the continent and those wishing to invest in Africa should get hold of this 37 paged report.
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.