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Sunday, November 15, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Population
POPULATION-U.S.: Bush Denies Money to U.N. Population Fund
In another apparent bow to the Christian Right, U.S. President George W. Bush has denied 34 million dollars in funding approved by Congress for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) because of its presence in China.JAPAN: Older Women Want to Keep Looking Younger Longer
At 49, Kaoru Shimada makes sure she works out five times a week at a local gym to maintain her slim figure. She also spends tens of thousands of yen annually on various beauty treatments in a bid to keep herself looking youthful.ARGENTINA: Soup Kitchens – a Permanent Fixture
Soup kitchens are mushrooming in crisis-stricken Argentina, and are gradually becoming a permanent fixture due to the growing number of people falling through the state's weakening safety nets, a phenomenon that worries social activists.PHILIPPINES: Filipinos Still Lining up to Leave Country
Shortly before the United States held its Fourth ofRIGHTS: UNHCR, Kenyan Politicians Agree to End Refugee Crisis
Hopes for an end to the crisis at Kenya's two refugee camps have been raised following a meeting between the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, and Kenyan politicians this week.PAKISTAN: Cultural Norms Key to Encouraging Smaller Families
With the birth of a son last month, 50-year-old Rao Abdul Rashid and his wife are now content that their family is complete. It was not so with three daughters, they say.JAPAN: Fertility Clinics Boon to Women in Conservative Society
Japanese nurse Kuniko Nakayama recalls the darkest days of her life -- the time she had tried but failed to get pregnant.THAILAND: Monks Offer Solace, Rehabilitation for Drug Addicts
Against the peaceful surroundings atop a hill in this town just outside the Thai capital Bangkok, young men and women are gathering in front of a registration desk in Khaopermsrisawang temple.JAPAN: Spiritual, Religious Groups Rise amid Material Affluence
Ichiro was unemployed 10 years ago when he joined a 300-strong organisation led by a leader who encourages followers to get in touch with their inner feelings to "understand" themselves better.CUBA: Stiffer Controls to Prevent Repeat of ‘Rafters’ Crisis’
Authorities in Cuba have stepped up controls along the coast to prevent an exodus of would-be emigrants trying to make the dangerous 90-mile journey across the Florida strait to the United States, like the one seen in the summer of 1994.POLITICS: Study Criticises Israel for Using Heavy Weapons
As the situation in occupied territories continues to deteriorate, Israeli forces battling Palestinians are deploying heavier and more sophisticated weapons, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said Friday.RIGHTS: Russian Women Trafficked for Sex Trade all over the World
The trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children from Russia is "easily tolerated" by authorities in that country and other nations, the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) warned Friday.PHILIPPINES: Overseas Church Scandals Shed Light on Errant Priests
At the Catholic shrine marking the 1986 uprising against the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, every mass used to begin or end with a "Prayer for Peace" to help the Philippines in its transition to democracy.RIGHTS-PAKISTAN: Married Women Resort to Illegal Abortions, Too
Sajjida's husband told her early on that he wantedRIGHTS-BANGLADESH: Sex Workers Say They Have Rights Too
As 22 sex workers representing fellow workers from different parts of the country each lit a candle, strong voices rose in unison singing 'We shall overcome someday.' Thus began the first-ever national conference of sex workers in Bangladesh.DEVELOPMENT: Civil Society Fights Hunger in Brazil
Hunger is still a problem for a portion of Brazil's population, despite the substantial growth of agricultural output and a mushrooming of poverty-alleviation programmes run by civil society, several of which have provided impressive results.REFUGEES-CANADA: Claimants Rush Border to Beat New Law
Border checkpoints in Canada's two largest provinces have been swamped by refugee claimants rushing to enter before a new immigration law took effect Friday.VIETNAM: Surrogate Pregnancies Make Officials Uneasy
Tran Thi Lam Chi and Tran Thanh Phong have been married for five years now and want to have a child more than anything else.MIGRATION-MEXICO/U.S.: Death on the Border
More than 20 Mexican emigrants die each month in their attempts to cross the border into the United States, an ongoing tragedy that the two governments promise they will halt through bilateral agreements and increased border controls - but they have so far been unsuccessful.HEALTH-THAILAND: Drugs, HIV/AIDS Make a Lethal Mix
Drug abuse and HIV/AIDS together make a risky, potentially lethal mix for young people in Thailand, a country that has both a serious HIV/AIDS pandemic as well as a growing problem with amphetamine use.RIGHTS-BANGLADESH: Here, Marriages are Men’s Territory
The questions asked her by the parents of her would-be groom were plenty, and many of them were bordering on the insulting.« Previous Page — Next Page »
One Thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Relocated from Tomping Camp in South Sudan. Credit: UN Photo/Isaac Billy
It took hundreds of thousands of years for the world’s human population to cross one billion in 1804. Approximately 200 years later, the population has multiplied sevenfold. In 2023, the global population crossed 8 billion, and is expected to reach 9 billion before 2050. With the planet more crowded than ever, it is essential to keep track of population trends, urbanization, migration, and reproduction across the world.
Life expectancy has seen significant strides in the past century, largely due to economic development and increased standards of living. On the contrary, trends in global fertility are shifting, with certain regions in Africa and Asia reporting higher rates, while parts of Europe and North America report stagnant or lower rates. This is in part due to differences in sexual and reproductive healthcare, as well as societal and economic conditions around the world. For example, child marriage is prevalent in certain societies, where childbearing is also considered a familial duty. Meanwhile, stagnating economies frequently experience lower marriage and childbearing rates.
The increase in migration and urban development around the world is also linked to global population trends. By 2050, it is expected that approximately 66 percent of all people will live in cities. Furthermore, global crises such as warfare and natural disasters also prompt transnational migration. Transnational migration is linked to a variety of socioeconomic issues in both host and receiving countries: migrants often leave developing countries with less access to educational and economic opportunities and arrive in developed countries where they are frequently the targets of ethnic, racial, and cultural discrimination, and economic exploitation. Recent crises in Europe and the United States demonstrate the importance of advocating for migrants worldwide. As migrants from the Global South are increasingly stripped of their legal and civic rights in unlawful deportations, or targeted in acts of identity-based violence, it is essential to keep track of population trends and protect the human rights of migrant populations. Climate-related disasters are now a major driver of displacement, with nearly half of all new internal displacements in 2025 being disaster-related.
IPS is devoted to covering issues surrounding population trends, migration, and reproduction through its compelling articles, which use both statistics and human stories to provide readers with robust and informative viewpoints.
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