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Blog post
How is COVID-19 affecting gender inequality in low-income countries? Insights from Sierra Leone
Gender disparities in social and economic outcomes, already larger in the developing world than in the rich countries, have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Policy action is vital to address the compounding of existing inequalities and to protect the most vulnerable women. Editor’s note: This article is part of our International Women’s Day series. COVID-19 has...
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Blog post
The gendered impacts of COVID-19 in Mozambique: Challenges and way forward
Despite reducing gender inequalities over the past two decades, COVID-19 threatens to erode Mozambique’s gains as the pandemic’s social and economic consequences disproportionately impact women and girls. To prevent backsliding and continue progress towards gender equality, Mozambique needs greater investments in access to basic services, enhanced social protection...
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Blog post
Energy and empowerment in Lebanon: Impact of reliable energy supply in changing women’s lives
The effects of poor-quality energy supply are not gender neutral, and fall more heavily on women. New research from Lebanon explores how sustained energy access enhances women’s day-to-day lives and better protects female-headed households. While access to sustainable energy is a necessary development goal for all countries, the co-benefits brought to gender equity should...
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Blog post
Four ideas to bring clean power to fragile states
Energy access has the potential to catalyse enormous social and economic gains in fragile states. Below are four ideas from global leaders to make this a reality. Affordable and reliable electricity is critical to improve education, health, and job creation, and can contribute significantly to peace and stability. Without it, fragile countries will be left even further...
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Blog post
The impact of COVID-19 on smallholder farmers in India and the way forward
IGC’s look at COVID-19’s economic influence in developing countries continued with an event focused on India, where the pandemic reveals the increasing vulnerabilities of smallholder farmers and an agricultural market badly in need of reform. Nearly 90% of India’s agricultural sector is made up of small and marginal farmers. These farmers are particularly...
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Blog post
Powering up energy investments in fragile states
On 24 February, 2021, IGC’s Council on State Fragility and the g7+ Group of 20 fragile and conflict-affected countries launched the Call to Action: Powering up energy investments in fragile states. On this occasion, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (former President of Liberia), Namita Vikas (Founder and managing Partnrs, auctusESG) , David Cameron (Former Prime Minister, United...
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Blog post
How the pandemic can be a catalyst for city climate action
Recovering from the socioeconomic shock of COVID-19 will not be easy. Effective decisions on where to put investment will be the key to unlocking greater prosperity for developing cities. We discuss what actions developing cities could focus on to kickstart their economies while helping the global fight against climate change. The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic...
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Blog post
The value of a ‘seat at the table’: Elite interference in Lebanon’s public procurement
Elites in weak bureaucracies have ample incentives to interfere in public procurement. New research from Lebanon shows how billions of dollars in foreign infrastructure funding are more likely to be contracted to firms that are politically well-connected. To improve public infrastructure procurement, greater accountability from elites is needed. The explosion at...
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Blog post
Nutrition in India: A look at the policy Initiatives, investments, and outcome indicators
With an aim to decrease malnutrition, India has implemented several nutrition interventions in the last half century, including the National Food Security Act 2013, NIPCCD, ICDS and the mid-day meal scheme. Even with strong constitutional and legislative policy, plans, programme commitments and institutions, as well as a spurt in GDP growth, dietary diversity and...
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Blog post
How transport reforms have impacted urban connectivity in Kenya
For this third blog in our series on Chinese and African urbanisation, we explore how transport reforms have affected the delivery of urban connectivity infrastructure in Kenya, and how this compares with the different growth experiences of Chinese cities. Early investment in transportation has been a fundamental feature of China’s relatively successful urban and...
Blog post
Vaccine uptake and resistance: Lessons and policy levers
As new variants of COVID-19 are disrupting global efforts to end the pandemic, governments need to work faster to immunise populations and curtail the spread. This blog examines lessons and policy solutions for global immunisation efforts, drawing from recent evidence on vaccine acceptance in low- and middle-income countries. With the urge to vaccinate their populations...