09 September 2022
West Africa/Fisher Women: Processor, trader and distributor women are vital for West Africa’s fishery sector. Job insecurity, lack of finance, lack of availability of fish (because of depletion of fish stocks “due to climate change, pollution, over-fishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing”) and child care make them vulnerable to shocks. The author’s study during Covid times shows that their resilience must not be over-stretched. “Women are adept at coping because they have to be. Compared with men, women carry a disproportionate burden of ensuring food is on the table for their families.” Fisher women need more support from government – on the political level and financially.
https://theconversation.com/west-africas-fisher-women-are-experts-at-coping-with-job-insecurity-but-policymakers-are-using-their-resilience-against-them-188027
Nigeria: The public universities’ lecturers’ strike which started in mid-February 2022 is the 17th lecturers’ strike since 1999. The most important reason is the issue of salaries caused by “underfunding of the system and the failure of the government to implement an agreement it reached with our union in 2009”. Even “a very senior professor earns less than US$1,000 per month”. Most of those who can move abroad. Despite lack of adequate funds, new universities are created. The strikers’ demands are listed towards the end of the article. If it wasn’t for corruption, the necessary funds would be available.
https://theconversation.com/17-strikes-in-23-years-a-unionist-explains-why-nigerias-university-lecturers-wont-back-down-190170
Jabeur: Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur will face Polish Iga Swiatek – the world’s current number 1 – in the women's final in the US Open in New York on Saturday.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/6283189
08 September 2022
African children out of school: On the continent, around 98 million miss out on school – that number has increased by 20 million since 2009. Numbers for Nigeria are estimated to be 20 million, 10.5 million for Ethiopia, 5.9 million for Congo-Kinshasa and 1.8 million for Kenya. Covid has of course worsened things.
BBC Africa Live 08 September 2022. 15:42
Malaria vaccine: Oxford University has developed a vaccine against malaria with a two year protection of 80%. “(A)t least 100 million doses could be produced at low cost next year.” WHO will shortly be asked for approval of the vaccine.
BBC Africa Live 08 September 2022. 8:03