We all know that women are not treated well in many of the world’s countries, but I found this story about the status of women in South Sudan so poignant I have to share it. Women there as you might surmise are married as early as possible The government passed a law 8 years ago outlawing marriage before the age of 18, but the law is not enforced and in rural areas, it makes no sense to villagers. Wealth in measured in cows, and women bring cows as bride price. A woman is usually worth 20 to 40 cows, and an attractive woman who is seen as fertile, can bring up to 200 cows. There is no escape from this fate, only 7% of girls finish elementary school, 2% finish high school. As easily deduced education is Continue reading “The Women of South Sudan”
Tag: poverty
Global Education: 124 Millions Without
In the US we have problems with schools, asking if they are educating our kids or if they are as good as they ought to be. We do not ask whether schools should exist or whether kids should attend. That’s a key reason our problems with schools set us apart from those in a number of countries in East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, where almost 124 million children and adolescents, mostly between the ages of 6 and 15, are not able to go to school. The figures come from a recent Human Rights Watch report which was compiled using UNESCO Institute statistics and is based on HRW studies of 40 countries for some 20 years. The report Continue reading “Global Education: 124 Millions Without”
The Forgotten Widows
Widows as a group are not often thought about, and as a group of suffering women are usually forgotten. Yet, there are 258 million widows in the world. The number has increased 9% since 2010 due to conflicts in the Middle East. One widow in seven lives on $1 a day or less. The Loomba Foundation, a British charity has issued a report which they presented to the UN documenting the plight of these women. In the US a widow with children will face obstacles, but usually surmountable ones. For one thing in the US women can work, or go to school adding to their options as widows. The options before them may not Continue reading “The Forgotten Widows”
A $149 Million Mansion
Two figures from The U.S. Census Bureau’s data for 2014 provide a slice of reality: 14.8% of the U.S. population was living in poverty and the median income was $53,700. You may recall median means the point at which one half was living below $53,700, and the other half above.
Then there’s the unreal—or what seems unreal to me: A Beverly Hills mansion which was on the market for $195 million a few months ago and which has been reduced to $149 million. It was bought in 2007 for $35 million but extensive work is said to have been done. The $149 million estate includes 12 Continue reading “A $149 Million Mansion”