Issue VI: September-December 2008

The year is declared as the International Year of Sanitation 2008 to not only raise awareness on the issue that there are 2.6 billion people without access to basic sanitation but also to emphasize the need to accelerate the pace of achieving the MDGs. According to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals Report 2008 the world is said to have made strong and sustained progress in reducing extreme poverty however, the progress is being undercut by higher prices - particularly of food and oil. And as many speculated on the nature and consequences of the financial crisis the crumbling of the global market that forced the government of the wealthiest nations to come up with rescue packages speaks of the severity. The economic meltdown has directly affected the livelihood of many and caused sufferings for millions across. It is also useful to note that a new UN report (MDG Gap Task Force Report 2008) finds significant progress in providing debt relief to the world’s poorest countries, but not so in fulfilling trade and development aid commitments.

As we approach the end of the year 2008 we are set to release our next issue of the newsletter. The combined issue includes the article by Dr. Biswajit Nag on regional cooperation with a dimension on gender. He points out that although some of the concerns have been incorporated in the agreements it is yet to be backed by financial support. Manish Kumar Shrivastava in his paper draws our attention to the impact of trade liberalization on women in the Caribbean. It is interesting as women in the Caribbean have been in the core of economic activities for the last few decades. The engendering piece studies the effects of development policies on women in canneries and processing plants in the tuna industry in the Pacific Island Countries. Finally, we also have an important interview with the expert Ms. Farida Akther, Executive Director, UBINIG, Bangladesh. Her interview gives us insight into the textile sector which involves large number of women in Bangladesh. As Bangladesh prepares for the general election we hope that representative democracy is restored.