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Thursday, May 14, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Women & Economy
Amidst Controversy, World Bank to Review Influential Rankings
The World Bank released its 10th annual Doing Business report on Monday, using the occasion to track business- and investment-friendly reforms put in place around the world over the past decade.
The Face of Food Security Is Female
In a major endorsement for investment in women - the bulk of food growers in the developing world - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said food security could not be achieved without women, and that the world's hungry also needed leaders to prioritise actions.
Amid Food Crisis, Caribbean Agriculture Going to Seed
With the average age of a farmer in the Caribbean now 62 years old, there is growing concern that commercial agriculture is on a path to extinction – a dire scenario for a region already shouldering a massive food import bill.
Cooperatives Help Women Farmers Tighten Ranks
It is a tried and tested truth that when women come together in groups they can address their issues more powerfully than they can as individuals.
Violence Against Women Surging in India
As gender-based violence across India becomes more frequent, and more savage, increasing numbers of women are speaking out against the cruelty.
Giving Women Land, Giving them a Future
Clarisse Kimbi barely ekes out a living from a tiny parcel of land in Kom village in the North West Region of Cameroon. Today, the mother of six finds it hard to put food on the table for herself and her children. But five years ago she, her husband and children were considered well-off.
Women Are the New ‘Emerging Market’
Empowering women in the business world is not only a smart political decision, but also makes good economic sense.Experts Urge Focus on Microeconomics in Maghreb
A failure to focus on small-scale economics could be the most significant obstacle to stability in North Africa in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, economists, diplomats and development workers warned here on Friday.
Cooperatives Summit Celebrates Power in Diversity
The migratory seeds of cooperatives were sown and first thrived in Europe, but have since adapted to the climate of nations worldwide.
Co-operatives Hold Their Own in Free Market Jungle
Cooperatives may face an immense challenge in garnering broader public recognition among consumers, but when it comes to chasing growth, they haven’t held back.
Q&A: Global Economy, Meet One Billion Co-op Members
The international rally to take the global cooperative movement to the next level is in full swing at the International Summit of Cooperatives here, which kicked off on Monday.Guatemalans Turn to Mutual Aid to Overcome Poverty
"Our economic situation improved a great deal because we obtained more income for our families" as a result of setting up a social enterprise, Matilde García, who makes fashion jewellery in the municipality of Pastores, 60 km west of the capital of Guatemala, told IPS.
Cooperatives Champion Balance Between People and Profit
The banner year for the global cooperative movement is winding down into its last months, but its leaders have echoed a resounding message: cooperatives, a values-based business model, can usher a transition to a more socially responsible economy.
For Development, Jobs May Outweigh Growth, World Bank Says
The World Bank warned Monday that over the next decade and a half, the world will need to create 600 million new jobs, particularly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, just to maintain current employment rates.
U.N. Chief Fires Up Private Investment for Global Energy Solutions
Following a lukewarm outcome of the Rio+20 sustainable development negotiations in June, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is moving full-steam ahead on a new initiative aimed at leveraging public-private partnerships to bring modern energy to over one billion people by 2030.
Giving Women Farmers the Tools to Prevent Food Insecurity
If women had equal access to productive farming resources, they could increase their yields by 20 to 30 percent and potentially raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5 to four percent.
Côte d’Ivoire – New Cassava Varieties Bring Women Autonomy
Women farmers in Côte d'Ivoire are achieving greater autonomy and economic independence thanks to new varieties of cassava.Women Redefine Japan’s Work Culture
Unhappy with her employer of five years, Chikako Harada, 34, quit three months ago and has just started on a new job with a large Internet sales company.
OP-ED: Women and Girls at Heart of the Blue Revolution
World Water Week recently concluded in Stockholm with a special emphasis on the linkages between water and food security.
How to Get People to Make More Babies in Singapore
How to get Singaporeans to have more babies has become a major part of the debate about this country’s future, and the government is encouraging people to speak out on the issue.
Cuban Women Face Challenges of Self-Employment
Beatriz Lemes took her time deciding, and finally agreed “apprehensively” to take the job of heading a state-run company that is making the transition to financial autonomy, a system that is spreading throughout Cuba and is testing women’s capacities, among other things.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Around the world, women make great contributions to different economies. From the field of business, to carrying the bulk of unpaid care, women are essential to economic growth. However, due to gender inequality, women face economic discrimination. Taking many forms, including disproportionate wages, greater exposure to vulnerable employment, and reduced economic opportunity, this inequality continues to curtail economic development. Yet women continue to work past these obstacles and reduce this disparity, furthering economic empowerment. These stories help to identify women’s economic struggles, and those that are working towards empowerment.
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Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
