POVERTY AND TREATMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN AFRICA

Thought Questions:  What is poverty?  What do you think are causes of poverty?  What is a “literacy rate?”  What is life expectancy?

Nigeria Facts:  About the size of California  Ethnic conflict and political uncertainty  Prevent Nigeria from benefiting from its natural resources

Nigeria’s economy  Major oil-producing country  Oil prices affect country’s economy  Many people work on subsistence farms  Subsistence farms- small plots where farmers grow only enough food to feed their families Rubber, peanuts, palm oil, cacao (tropical tree used to make chocolate and cocoa)  Nigeria has not grown enough food crops  Food must be imported

Nigeria’s People  250 ethnic groups  Hausa  Fulani  Yoruba  Ibo  Many African Languages  Use English in Business  50% Muslim, 40% Christian, 10% traditional  60%live in rural areas  Cities rapidly growing

Nigeria’s Government  Won freedom from Britain in 1960  Ethnic and religious disputes  Ibos tried to break free  Civil war resulting in 2 million deaths  Today a federal republic  Trying to build stable government

Causes of poverty in Africa  Wars  Foreign debt  Lack of education  Disease  AIDS

Basic Facts about Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa  More than 1/3 of the people live on <$1/day  Most people produce barely enough food to support their families  Many people undernourished

Women’s Roles  Women work hard to produce about 80% of the food for the region.  Fewer opportunities for jobs than males.  Men leave to work in cities or towns

Affect on Children  Children forced to leave school and go to work  Number of working children today: 80 million  Number of working children by 2015: 100 million  Child trafficking  kidnapped=> forced to work Physically abused Big concern for human rights activists

Men At Work  Work often backbreaking  Low pay  Dangerous  Mines  Accidents common  Hot, narrow, poorly lit tunnels lead to many accidents

AEC  African Economic Community (AEC)  Worked to increase trade  Interdependence  Attract tourism  Increased privately owned businesses

What’s Getting Better?  Improve farming methods  Encourage growth of small businesses What’s Staying Bad? AIDS Terrorism