Towards equal opportunities in the Sahel

[Inkriql]

Flooded with depressing headlines and even worse forecasts, it is easy to forget that in many ways the world today is better than ever. Since 1990, almost 1.1 billion people left through their own means of extreme poverty. Today the poverty rate is less than 10%, the lowest level in history. In almost all countries, people are healthier and better educated than ever. But, as the Goalkeepers report just published by the Gates Foundation underlines, economic tightness remains the norm for many people in the world who still face major obstacles to building a healthy and productive life.

This applies especially to the poorest residents of the Sahel region, in sub-Saharan Africa. The Sahel countries are among the last in the world in the Human Capital Index, which measures the effect of health and education on the productivity of the next generation of workers. According to this report, a child in Chad is 55 times more likely to die in the first five years of life than another in Finland. Nearly half of Chad's residents live below the poverty line, only 50% of children attend school, and only 15% of sixth grade students can read a simple story. Add to poverty climate change, wars and forced displacement, which make it even more difficult for families to invest in their development.

To ensure that all people (not only those who have been lucky enough to be born under comparatively privileged geographical, gender or socioeconomic conditions) can realize their potential, governments must invest more in the formation of human capital. This implies strengthening educational systems so that the inhabitants can obtain the skills they need to prosper economically. And it also means guaranteeing access to quality health services and nutrition. Just as poor nutrition and other health problems reduce productivity for adults, children have a difficult time learning (not to mention becoming healthy and productive adults).

But, in order to make the most of these investments, in addition to general initiatives, services adapted to the needs of girls and women are also needed, from family planning to childhood and adulthood.

These services can extend the schooling of girls, so they will gain the knowledge and skills they need to have an effective participation in the workforce. By allowing girls and women to choose to delay pregnancy and upbringing until they are ready, these services not only contribute to the empowerment of women, but also promote economic progress.

The health and education of mothers are transferred to families, especially because women tend to invest in children a greater proportion of their income. Through this channel, health services aimed at women end up helping to raise living standards and break the cycle of poverty, while encouraging wider economic development.

To help countries realize these benefits, in 2017 the World Bank created the Human Capital Project, which works to catalyze investments in health and education and guide them towards providing equal opportunities for prosperity to all people. The Bank is also collaborating with its partners to increase by 50% the general provision of resources to the creation of human capital in Africa by 2023, with special emphasis on fragile and war countries.

    In 2017, the World Bank created the Human Capital Project to catalyze investments in health and education and guide them towards the provision of equal opportunities

Our experience working in difficult contexts shows that, to maximize these investments, countries must apply an integrated multisectoral strategy, adapt interventions to the needs of each community and involve all stakeholders, from religious leaders and health workers to Mothers and husbands. A good example is the Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project in the Sahel (SWEDD), which is supported by the United Nations Po[CENSORED]tion Fund, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners for development

The SWEDD project works closely with the Sahel Governments to help them provide health and nutritional support, promote gender equality, improve the quality of schools and create social safety nets. In support of this process, innovative initiatives have been undertaken in a wide variety of countries, from Benin to Ivory Coast.

In Burkina Faso, married men or married couples attend more than 1,600 "husband clubs" where they learn about the importance of family planning and the more equal distribution of household chores. In Mauritania, the SWEDD project works with community and religious leaders to help reduce gender discrimination, violence against women and child marriage.

In Chad, training programs with SWEDD support provide women with work-out skills, such as driving tractors or installing solar power generation systems. And in Mali, the project distributes bicycles to facilitate girls' school attendance and helps midwives provide crucial health services before, during and after childbirth in poor areas, which reduces maternal and child mortality.

In order for the world to continue improving, not to mention achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it is necessary that poor countries such as those of the Sahel reinforce their foundations of human capital. It will not be easy, but experience shows that with sustained investment, good coordination and an inclusive strategy, it is possible.

Annette Dixon is vice president of the Human Development area at the World Bank Group. Hafez Ghanem is vice president of the World Bank for Africa.