Friday, August 25, 2017
Niger tries to slow birth rates with “husband schools”
The more (children) the merrier, or is it? As the population of Niger is expected to triple by 2050, government officials, health workers, and local women leaders are working to curb their nation’s birth rate. At 7.6 children per household, Niger’s birth rate is the highest in the world – and is outgrowing the government’s capacity to provide food and work for its people.
More young women are having conversations about contraception and early marriage – and taking steps to shift their paradigms about having children. As male spouses traditionally have the final say on the number of children they want, “husband schools” are being formed to educate men about maternal health and the potential benefits of smaller families.
Rising sea levels drive gentrification in Little Haiti
The tide of gentrification is rolling in. As climate change causes sea levels to rise rapidly, people living along Miami Beach, Fla., are relocating to higher ground. At 10 feet above sea level, Little Haiti is becoming a hot spot for climate gentrification, a form of gentrification that takes place when wealthy folks who are threatened by climate change move to low-income areas that are less affected by it.
The irony is not lost here: Little Haiti, a historically Black neighborhood, was established by Black folks in response to racist practices like redlining, which prohibited them from living along the coast with White people.
Chile lifts its absolute ban on abortions
Monday was a “historic day for the women of Chile,” as President Michelle Bachelet tweeted following the court ruling that relaxed one of the world’s strictest abortion bans. After almost 30 years of living under a full abortion ban, women in Chile can now have a legal abortion in the case of rape, endangerment to the mother’s life, or fatal birth defects.
As sexual and reproductive rights activists continue to push for decriminalization of other forms of abortion, this law is indeed a historic step in that direction.