https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/aug/25/high-birth-rates-poverty-undermine-generation-african-children-odi-report
The article from the link above discusses how Africa will soon make up about half of the world's poorest population by the year 2030. In its entirety, Africa is the second largest continent in the world. Although the economy is improving, 1 out of 5 children born in Africa will live in poverty due to extremely high fertility rates and severe inequality. Although it is estimated that the number of African children living in poverty will be reduced from 216 million in 2012 to 148 million by the year 2030, their numbers are still going to make up half of the world's poorest individuals. Other countries are developing at much faster rates and are able to get their people above the poverty line through economic growth and new developments. Roughly, every woman in the continent is having about 6 children. The reasoning behind this increased fertility derives from the fact that it is very hard to receive contraceptives in Africa. Moreover, men are more resistant to such barrier methods because it infringes on their masculinity and overall culture. In addition, child marriages and rape are becoming rampant as well. With women giving birth at a much lower age, they have more time to reproduce throughout their lifetime.
In this weeks reading, Sachs explains why developing countries continuously fail to achieve economic growth. One of the points he elaborated on was the Demographic Trap. Overall, this refers to developing countries having high birth rates and low death rates. In the end, the population rises in a country that cannot support such tremendous growth. With too many babies being born, each child that comes into the world gets less and less. The developing country does not contain enough resources to help stabilize their country's growing population. A continuous cycle is occurring that cannot be stopped nor reduced. Individuals standards of living are also decreasing as the population rises; people are in turn relying on the children being born for economic soundness.
Overall, I believe the change has to come from the parents who are giving birth to these children. Instead of relying on their children to get them out of the Demographic Trap, they should focus their attention and efforts on themselves. Women in Africa should receive a higher level of education, or any sort of education, in order to improve their lives and become more pertinent members of society. They can utilize their information and teach their own children. With more educated individuals in the continent, Africa will slowly rise from the Demographic Trap and start developing at an increased rate. In America, women are having children at a later age or even sometimes not having any children at all. They are focused on their work life and their success rather than solely on having children and reproducing. They contribute more to society and have a plethora of knowledge under their belts. Africa needs to follow this trend and increase the education and schooling in the continent in order to escape from this trap.
Many women in Africa do not have the option to get an education. It's not their choice. The society does not afford them the opportunity to go to school. It needs to start with a government that puts women and men as equals. Education is extremely important for development in so many ways. There are countless studies that show when you do not education the women in society your country will not prosper to its fullest potential. To say that it starts with parents getting an education is not necessarily right because that's not always an option. Governments need to be held accountable. Additionally, not all developing countries want Western ideals. There is a fine line between helping a country develop and imposing values on them.
ReplyDeleteYes, but governments needs to be held accountable for administering education to adults. They need to realize that it is different to have educated and successful children when they are growing up in an environment which displays the opposite. The option for education should automatically be there. Moreover, sometimes Western ideals are synonymous with the ethically moral ones. For instance, a woman should herself choose whether to use a form of contraceptive or not - not her spouse. Western ideals developed through time and progress; there's something to learn from them.
ReplyDeleteI partially agree with the idea that the parents shouldn't rely on their children and should focus on themselves. However, I think the government has a crucial and important role to play. They should focus on developing institutions that will specifically target growth in their resources, that would allow overall economic growth. Perhaps they should also create a system that would implement a policy in which it becomes mandatory for women to receive contraceptives. I agree that education would significantly help improve the living conditions and help escape the trap, however, I also think the government has to go far beyond that.
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