Thursday, October 01, 2020

Coronavirus risks ‘greatest surge in child marriages in 25 years’

An schoolgirl in India pictured from behind — Image captionFamilies are being plunged into poverty by the pandemic, forcing girls in early marriages (file photo)

The coronavirus pandemic could lead to a spike in child marriages globally, reversing 25 years of progress on ending the practice, a charity has warned.

Save the Children said Covid-19 had put 2.5 million more girls at risk of early marriage by 2025.

The pandemic is increasing poverty, forcing girls out of school and into work or marriage, the charity said.

Girls in parts of South Asia, Africa and Latin America are most vulnerable.

The UK-based charity is calling on world leaders to commit more funding and support to efforts to address child marriage and gender inequality.

"These marriages violate girls' rights and leave them at increased risk of depression, lifelong violence, disabilities, and even death," said Karen Flanagan, a child-protection adviser for Save the Children.

She said that 78.6 million child marriages had been prevented over the last 25 years but progress to end the practice had "slowed to a halt".

How big is the problem?

Around twelve million girls are victims of early marriage every year, the charity says.

But its report finds that number is expected to rise markedly over the next five years as the economic consequences of pandemic take their toll.

In 2020 alone, another 500,000 girls risk being forced into child marriages and up to one million more are expected to become pregnant, the charity says.

If no action is taken, there could be 61 million child marriages by 2025, according to the charity, yet this estimate may only be "the tip of the iceberg".

Media caption'I want child marriage to end'

"The pandemic means more families are being pushed into poverty, forcing many girls to work to support their families and to drop out of school - with far less of a chance than boys of ever returning," Bill Chambers, the president and CEO of the charity, said.

"A growing risk of violence and sexual exploitation combined with growing food and economic insecurity also means many parents feel they have little alternative but to force their young daughters to marry older men."

'Girls give their bodies to older men'

For its report, Save the Children spoke to Esther, who lives in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lockdown measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in her community have closed schools and some public spaces.

She is enjoying helping her mother take care of their family's chickens for the moment but the economic impact of the pandemic is being felt - and particularly by girls.

"Many parents from my neighbourhood once sold goods at the big open-air market. But because of confinement, they don't do anything any more," Esther said. "Girls have to turn to older men to support themselves."

'I can never compromise my education'

The charity also spoke to Abena, a 16-year-old adviser to Save the Children in Ethiopia.

Abena has worked with local communities to stop girls being made to marry older men. Despite this, Abena's parents still wanted her to get married at 16 to "an educated and well-to-do man".

Abena persuaded them that she should continue her education.

Media captionIn Ethiopia, a scheme involving solar lamps is helping thousands of girls stay in school longer and avoid marriage until they are adults

"My answer was 'no way'," she said. "I can never compromise my education, and the marriage request itself is a violation of a girl's rights as long as she is under 18."

The charity's Global Girlhood Report 2020, which was released on Thursday, analyses the effects of Covid-19 on gender equality worldwide.

The report also found that:

Girls affected by humanitarian crises face the greatest risks of child marriage
Nine of the 10 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are considered fragile states
The pandemic has led to increased reports of gender-based violence around the world, with an estimated one in 10 girls having experienced rape or sexual violence
The UN expects an additional two million cases of female genital mutilation to take place over the next 10 years because of the pandemic

More on child marriage:

Media caption'It's Never Your Fault': The Nigerian teens aiming to end child marriage

Balrampur: Anger grows after new India 'gang rape' death

Published

image captionProtests over the death of a Dalit woman from Hathras district have broke out

The death of a second Dalit woman in a few days after an alleged gang rape has shocked and angered India.

The 22-year-old was dragged into a vehicle after going to apply for admission at a local school and raped, her mother told the BBC.

The news follows the death of another Dalit woman, 19, on Tuesday after an alleged gang rape by upper-caste men.

Dalits are at the bottom of the caste system. Despite laws to protect them they face widespread discrimination.

Both attacks took place in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. News of the first sparked protests in the streets in the state.

Police have registered complaints of rape and murder and arrested two men in connection with the latest case, which took place in Balrampur district.

The earlier attack happened some 500km (310 miles) away in Hathras district. The victim was grievously injured and died in a Delhi hospital on Tuesday after fighting for her life for two weeks.

Police said on Thursday that according to a forensic report the first victim was not raped. But a Delhi hospital recorded on admission that she was both raped and strangled on 14 September. The woman's family also said she had been raped - her mother telling media that she found her daughter naked, bleeding and seriously injured in a field.

The second victim also died on Tuesday but national media picked up the news on Thursday, after a heavy backlash on social media over sexual assault and caste violence in India.

Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, have suffered public shaming and attacks for generations at the hands of upper-caste Hindus.

What do we know about the latest incident?

The victim's mother told the BBC that the family started to panic when she did not arrive home at her usual time on Tuesday evening. She said her daughter had gone to a nearby school to apply for admission on Tuesday morning. When she was returning home, a group of three or four men stopped her and forced her into their vehicle.

The mother alleges that they drugged her before raping her. "They broke my daughter's leg, they broke her waist," she said, adding that the men put her in a rickshaw after and sent her home.

"When she arrived, she looked very weak. Our daughter couldn't speak or get up. When we asked her what had happened, she couldn't answer," she added.

**image captionProtesters took to the streets in the capital, Delhi**

Ten minutes later, the victim complained of a "burning sensation" in her stomach, prompting the family to rush her to a local hospital.

"But since her condition was very serious, the doctor asked us to take her to a larger hospital in the city - but she died on the way there," the mother added.

"While officials are not confirming whether the victim was raped, they have also not denied the family's allegation," local journalist Saurabh Mishra said.

What reaction has there been?

The news has spurred furious reactions on social media. The state's former chief minister, who sits in opposition now, hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

"After Hathras, another daughter has been gang raped and brutalised in Balrampur," Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, adding that the government should act quickly in this incident.

On Twitter, the case has been among the top discussion trends with thousands of tweets from political leaders and Indians decrying the attack.

image captionProtests over the Hathras attack broke out in Kolkata too

The previous incident also continued to dominate social media and news. Officials imposed Section 144 in the district, which means no more than four people will be able to gather - a measure often used to contain protests.

On Thursday, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, leaders of the opposition Congress Party, walked into Hathras to meet the victim's family after the leaders' vehicle was stopped by officials. Video footage on social media showed Mr Gandhi falling down in the ruckus which ensued as Congress party workers walked alongside the Gandhis, even as police officials try to stop them.

The two leaders were later seen being taken away in vehicles by police.

Startling pictures and video footage have also emerged showing of hundreds of workers from the Samajwadi Party, which sits in opposition in the state, being rounded up and detained by police in the area.

Earlier on Wednesday, activists condemned the police after the family accused them of cremating her body without their permission. Protests also broke out in Hathras and other cities, including the capital, Delhi.

A senior district administration official, however, denied the allegation, saying the family's consent had been obtained.

Rape and sexual violence have been under the spotlight in India since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a woman in Delhi, which led to huge protests and changes to the country's rape laws.

But there has been no sign of crimes against women and girls abating.

TURKEY
Strange sounds from underneath dried lake scare villagers
MANİSA – Demirören News Agency HURRIYET

Strange sounds and the smell of flammable gas coming from underneath the dried Lake Marmara in the western province of Manisa have scared locals, as the gendarmerie forces closed the area to the public following safety measures introduced Sept. 29.

“We used to fish in the lake for 20 years. Over time it dried, and we started using it for cattle rearing. Then one day, a villager warned us of some strange sound from deep under,” said Ahmet Ayyıldız, the muhtar (local head) of the Kemerdamları village where the lake is located.

According to the locals, a hole that did not exist before emerged on the lake, smelling pungent and making strange bubbling sounds.

“We threw a plastic bottle inside the hole and we saw it burn,” said the muhtar.

However, in a few days, the smell vanished but the sound of bubbles gradually increased.

As the locals started to fear the strange sounds from the hole, they called the gendarmeries who sealed the area following safety measures.

“We wonder what is going on and we are scared to death. Officials should start research as soon as possible,” said Hasan Koç, a villager.

Lake Marmara, located at the borders of Salihli, Saruhanlı and Gölmarmara districts, had once been a bird sanctuary for around 20,000 species before it dried a few years ago.

Palm Oil Hit Again as U.S. Blocks Top Malaysia Producer

Anuradha Raghu, Bloomberg News

A harvested palm oil fruit bunch sits on the ground at the IOI Corp. Gomali palm oil estate in Gemas, Johor, Malaysia, on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

Palm oil stockpiles in Malaysia posted a surprise drop as of end-May as production in the world's second-largest grower eased for the first time in four months. Photographer: Joshua Paul/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Palm oil is once again in the news after the U.S. blocked imports from one of the world’s top producers, a move that may restrict access for the edible oil and undermine the industry’s efforts to clean up its image.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection will detain shipments of palm oil and palm-based products made by FGV Holdings Bhd. on indications that the company uses forced labor. While North America only accounts for about 5% of the company’s sales, analysts say it could encourage other countries to follow the U.S. in launching their own investigations.

“This could potentially lead some countries to look into the issue of labor practice in FGV, and the industry,” said Ivy Ng, head of research at CGS-CIMB in Kuala Lumpur. While the allegations aren’t new, consumers may want to re-assess purchases and get suppliers’ assurance on fair labor standards, she said.

Malaysia-listed FGV sank 8.7% on Thursday, the biggest one-day slide since March, even as the company said it had taken steps to fix the issue and clear its name with the U.S. customs.

Labor Practices

This isn’t the first time palm oil has been the target of bans. In 2018, U.K. supermarket chain Iceland Foods Ltd. launched a campaign against using the oil over deforestation practices, while the EU has also sought to curb shipments for biofuel use on concerns over its sustainability. The latest blow comes as Malaysia, the world’s second-largest producer, grapples with a chronic worker shortage after the pandemic restricted travel.

While the U.S. order hasn’t impacted palm oil futures, “reputation-wise it’s a big blow” to FGV, said Sathia Varqa, owner of Palm Oil Analytics in Singapore. “The U.S makes up 2% to 3% of Malaysia’s annual exports, but it’s an important market given the large economy and the prospect for growth.”

(Closes FGV’s shares in fourth paragraph)

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2020/09/us-says-it-will-block-palm-oil-from.html

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