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Sex work and compromised health: Health conditions and the barriers to accessing treatment services in Pelourinho, Salvador
Get PDFSex workers remain one of the most marginalized populations in Brazilian society, both coming from and living within realities defined by poverty and poor health. Through partnership with Força Feminina – an organization located in Salvador, dedicated to aiding local sex workers– I explored the day-to-day health complications sex workers encounter and the impact these problems have on quality of life. I then questioned how discrimination and stigma impact a woman’s willingness to prioritize her health and seek out healthcare services. To pursue these questions, I utilized participant observation, interviews with 4 staff members – a pastoral educator, financial coordinator, and two social educators – and a focal group with 4 of Força Feminina’s women.
I concluded that in terms of physical health, STDs remain rampant among the sex worker population. Mental disturbances influenced by violence and drug abuse also pose immense challenges to daily life. However, when women seek help from health clinics, they are often met with severe discrimination or inhibited from accessing services due to SUS’s disorganization. These results indicate that the physical and mental health problems experienced by the sex workers of Pelourinho can often be attributed to structural violence rooted in governmental neglect and institutionalized racism. These systems create and perpetuate vulnerability among marginalized populations, especially those like the poor, black, uneducated, drug using sex workers of Pelourinho, Salvador.
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Profissionais do sexo continuam a ser uma das populações mais marginalizadas da sociedade brasileira, de onde as mulheres vêm e vivem dentro de realidades definidas por pobreza e saúde mal. Através da parceria com a Força Feminina – um organização localizada em Salvador, dedicada a auxiliar os profissionais do sexo – explorei os complicações de saúde que profissionais do sexo enfrentam e o impacto dessas problemas na qualidade de vida. Depois eu questionei como a discriminação e o estigma afetam a vontade de uma mulher priorizar sua saúde e procurar serviços de saúde. Para seguir essas questões, usei engajamento ativa e observações participantes, entrevistas com 4 membros da equipe – um coordenador pastoral, coordenador financeiro, e dois educadores sociais – e um grupo focal com 4 mulheres da Força Feminina.
Concluí que, em termos de saúde física, as DSTs permanecem desenfreadas entre a população de profissionais do sex. Distúrbios mentais influenciados pela violência e abuso de drogas também representam imensos desafios para a vida diária. Mas quando as mulheres procuram ajuda das clínicas de saúde, muitas vezes são encontradas com discriminação grave ou impedem o acesso aos serviços devido à desorganização do SUS. Estes resultados indicam que os problemas de saúde física e mental experimentados pelos profissionais do sexo do Pelourinho podem ser atribuídos a violência estrutural enraizada na negligência governamental e no racismo institucionalizado. Esses sistemas criam e perpetuam a vulnerabilidade entre as populações marginalizadas, especialmente aquelas como as pessoas pobres, pretas, sem educação, que usam profissionais do sexo do Pelourinho, Salvador
Assessing the Successes of and Challenges Facing Civil Society Organizations in South Africa, in Influencing Gender-Based Violence Policy
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to explore how South African civil society organizations (CSOs) influence government policies that are put into place to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV). The project seeks to determine what strategies for influencing these policies have been the most effective and had the greatest impact, what factors have contributed to the organizations’ successes in influencing these policies, what challenges have been experienced in attempting to influence these policies, and what best practice for civil society actors attempting to influence such policies might be. The research focuses on the experiences of seven women working that currently work or have worked for various CSOs and coalitions attempting to influence GBV prevention and response policies in South Africa. The examined organizations include MOSAIC, the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), Sonke Gender Justice, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, and the Shukumisa Campaign. Oral interviews with staff members from these five organizations, as well as two interviews with anonymous participants with years of experience working with various CSOs in the sector, were the primary method of data collection for this project. These interviews were supplemented by desktop research on GBV policy and public participation in South Africa. Through these research methods, this study interrogates how civil society has influenced GBV policy in South Africa, and how, drawing on learnings and insight in this regard, it might have a greater impact in the future, shining a light on the issue of GBV, participation in the policymaking process by survivors of GBV themselves, and nonprofit effectiveness in policy influence in South Africa
Motivations and Obstacles on the Long Walk to Integration: Determinants of Six Cape Town Chinese Immigrants’ Political Participation
Get PDFPolitical participation is a fundamental component of democracy. But the level of immigrants’ political participation is generally lower than for people who are perceived as natives. This paper identifies the determinants of six Chinese immigrants’ political participation in Cape Town, part of a group that has a long history of political integration but is still often seen as passive and apolitical. It argues and tests the effect of five main determinants related to the length of residence, interaction with the local Chinese association, socioeconomic background, language ability and prior political experience, and social perceptions. Data comes from interviews conducted with Chinese immigrants who are from very different walks of life and have various political experience in Cape Town in the summer of 2017. The empirical results show that, with small individual-level variations, the political participation of Chinese immigrants is a function of a longer period of stay in South Africa, the good language ability, high-level socioeconomic background and membership in the local Chinese association. In addition, prior political experience in China, a non-democratic regime, and the extent to which Chinese immigrants feel welcome in the society also shape the level of engagement in politics
Agricultural Responses to Climate Change: A Study of Adaptive Farming Methods in Kizanda Village
Get PDFAgriculture is vital to the economic and social systems in Tanzania, composing 30% of the country’s GDP as well as 80% of employment (FAO, 2014). Despite agriculture’s important role, it remains one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. Current trends project global average temperature to increase by 0.8-2.6 degrees Celsius, leaving farmers to face changes in rainfall, soil quality, and new pests and diseases (IPCC, 2007). Farmers will be forced to adapt to the changing climate if they are to sustain their livelihoods and the Tanzanian economy. For these reasons, it is important to understand the types of adaptation strategies farmers use, and why. The following study examines the ways in which farmers in Kizanda Village adapt to environmental stress caused by climate change. Through in-depth interviews with farmers (n=45), this study looks at both agricultural and social adaptations to gauge how food, farming, and education are impacted by climate change. This study shows that the majority of farmers have already observed negative impacts of climate change and implement a variety of strategies to cope with these changes. Farmers reported changes in crop quality, temperature, rainfall, and soil since they started farming. These farmers display adaptive capabilities despite their limited access to agricultural education and other resources
An Ethnobotanical Examination of Traditional Medicine in Ngezi Forest Reserve
Get PDFTraditional medicine is an important aspect of the both the culture and health of communities worldwide. Ngezi Forest Reserve is a protected area on Pemba Island which is part of the Zanzibar Archipelago. This forest contains a wealth of botanical diversity which includes many species of medicinal plants. Traditional healers (waganga) use these medicinal plants to heal members of the community. Interviews and forest walks with these healers were supplemented by consultations with a botanist to determine medicinal value of the forest and the surrounding areas. In compiling information from 15 healers in the area, 98 species of medicinal plants were identified (most of which were outside of the forest), as well as a wide variety of uses and preparations. Priority medicinal species, which are used frequently by healers but are decreasing in abundance, include Mjafari and Msoo. Recommendations were made for the protection of these species while still accommodating their usage in traditional medicine in the area
A Comparative Case Study of American and Ugandan Refugee Policies
Get PDFThis research was conducted in order to expand upon current understandings of the policies affecting refugees in Uganda and the United States (U.S.). Appreciating both policies and implementation strategies for each country is critical in providing the ability to fully grasp the reality of the refugee crisis faced by countries all over the world.
This study employed field-based research, including observations, focus groups, and interviews with refugees and those who implement refugee policies. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and implementing partners of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uganda were interviewed, along with officers and commandants in the Office of the Prime Minister. Research was conducted within Kampala, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, and Bidi Bidi, the largest refugee camp in the world. Virtual interviews assisted in collecting information concerning U.S. policy. Additionally, a thorough exploration of the legal frameworks through which refugees exist, both in the U.S. and Uganda, was conducted through documentary research.
Preliminary research found that America and Uganda maintain distinctly different refugee policies. America’s Refugee Act of 1980 focuses exclusively on resettlement. This contrasts with Uganda’s Refugee Act of 2006, which emphasizes local integration and repatriation strategies. The research revealed that financial and infrastructure resource constraints, compounded by developmental obstructions, are among the most important implementation issues affecting refugees, especially in Uganda. These challenges highlight the complex nature of implementing refugee policy, as well as the intricate relationship that refugees have with national development
Neoliberalismo & Pensamiento Crítico: Relaciones entre la Educación Popular y sistemas actuales chilenos / Neoliberalism & Critical Thinking: Relations between Popular Education and current Chilean systems
No full textEl objetivo de este trabajo es explorar el vínculo entre la teoría de la educación popular y los sistemas neoliberales en Chile. Intenta a entender cómo es la educación popular y como aparece en los pensamientos políticos de los estudiantes, especialmente sobre el neoliberalismo, y cómo afecta a sus vidas después de que se gradúan. Entrevistas con unos exalumnos de un liceo que practica la educación popular están usados para describir sus experiencias como estudiantes del colegio y como personas que participan en un mundo neoliberal. Se encuentra que los estudiantes consiguen una nueva forma de ver el mundo y una nueva manera de tratar a los otros. Además, se puede ver que su educación les deja mirar la realidad del neoliberalismo y como existe en sus vidas y en las vidas de sus compañeros. Este trabajo es significativo porque los valores y resultados de la educación popular son importantes si queremos crear un mundo mejor.
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The objective of this paper is to explore the link between the theory of popular education and neoliberal systems in Chile. It tries to understand how popular education is and how it appears in the students\u27 political thoughts, especially about neoliberalism, and how it affects their lives after they graduate. Interviews with former high school students who practice popular education are used to describe their experiences as college students and as people who participate in a neoliberal world. It is found that students get a new way of seeing the world and a new way of treating others. In addition, you can see that their education allows them to look at the reality of neoliberalism and how it exists in their lives and in the lives of their peers. This work is significant because the values and results of popular education are important if we want to create a better world
Prevalence of Moniliophthora roreri in Theobroma cacao in relation to clone variety, community composition, environmental factors in an organic cacao farm in Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panamá: A case study
Get PDFMoniliophthora roreri, or Frosty Pod Rot (FPR) is a widespread pathogen that affects the fruit of Theobroma cacao, a tree commonly known as the cacao tree. Often, cultivators seek to control spread of M. roreri through fungicidal compounds. However, these fungicides place selective pressure for resistance on M. roreri. Additionally, they can have adverse environmental and human health effects and are difficult to integrate into practice for smallholders. Therefore organic farms in Bocas del Toro in western Panama, have turned to biocontrol agents to reduce the spread of M. roreri. These strategies include increasing hybrid variety, modifying community composition, altering environmental factors, and changing the spatial composition of the cultivars. In this study I analyzed the prevalence of M. roreri in cacao pods in relation to T. cacao clone variety, community composition, and environmental factors. A significant relationship (P=0.00171) and a moderate negative correlation (R2 = -0.40) between M. roreri affectation and overall plot diversity was found. This suggests that the diversity of community composition is a factor which influences overall M. roreri affectation
The Shifting Roles of Dai Maas: An Intersection of Healthcare and Female Empowerment in Rural Udaipur
Get PDFTraditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), known as dais in an Indian context, have historically served as women’s primary caregivers throughout their pregnancies and during childbirth in rural regions where access to formal healthcare institutions is nearly impossible. With a heavy reliance on traditional knowledge passed down through generations, dais have aided with home deliveries for millennia. Approximately 15 years ago, however, groups such as WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, and the UN began addressing India’s high maternal mortality rate (MMR), thereby instigating the discouragement of home deliveries in favor of the encouragement of institutional deliveries. Infrastructural changes were established to improve accessibility to formal healthcare institutions, government schemes were introduced to incentivize women for hospital births, and new health worker positions were created to promote this transition. Government-run dai-training programs came to a standstill, leaving NGOs to train and support these women, thereby shifting the modern dai’s role. This study explores the perceptions of dais, mothers who have birthed with dais, NGO dai trainers, and other healthcare professionals to understand the current relevance of trained dais and how their roles, responsibilities, and birth outcomes have recently shifted since the governmental push towards higher rates of institutional delivery. Findings – developed through collaboration with local Udaipur NGO Seva Mandir – suggest that although dais’ roles have shifted from traditions of the past, their current responsibilities of accompanying women to navigate hospital environments, serving as emotional support systems, providing extensive health education, and acting as links to essential healthcare are nonetheless integral contributions to the rural Indian healthcare system and female empowerment
A Critical Examination of the Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Literature in Nunavut, Canada
Get PDFThis paper attempts to study the climate change vulnerability and adaptation literature in Nunavut, a province in the Canadian Arctic. The paper begins with a review of literature produced by Inuit organizations on colonization in the Canadian Arctic and Nunavut specifically, then systematically reviews the literature on climate change vulnerability and adaptation. Using a post-colonial analysis, this study found that while the climate change vulnerability and adaptation literature attempts to attend to colonial histories and legacies, it often falls short. Climate change vulnerability and adaptation literature had minimal representation of colonization, residential schooling, sanatoria, and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. This may perpetuate unequal power relationships between researchers and participants, and can potentially lead to maladaptation. The literature references mining and shipping more often, however they rarely mention or attempt to quantify the vulnerabilities these activities pose to communities in the Canadian North. The paper ends with recommendations for future research