Mind the Gender Gap: A Picture of the Socioeconomic Trends Surrounding COVID-19 in the Caribbean with a Gender Lens

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Giles Álvarez ◽  
Jeetendra Khadan

This paper provides an insight on the gender impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Caribbean. The analysis makes use of the April 2020 online COVID-19 survey that the Inter-American Development conducted in all six Caribbean Country Department member countries. We find that the pandemic is having different effects on men and women. For example, job losses have been more prevalent amongst single-females, whilst business closures have been more prevalent amongst single-males. Quality of life also seems to have worsened more for single-females than for single-males and partners (married or common law partnership) and domestic violence against women has been on the rise. Although the coverage of social assistance programs has increased substantially during the pandemic, we find that more targeting of households with single females could be beneficial, particularly as they show lower levels of financial resilience. Going forward, we recommend further gender targeting in social assistance programs and the collection of gender-disaggregated data that will allow for more thorough investigation of the gender effects of these types of shocks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Rodionova ◽  
E. D. Kopnova

The relevance of the chosen topic is closely related to the development of a system for monitoring the implementation of the May Presidential Decree (2018) to increase life expectancy and improve the quality of life of the population. It has been stated that despite the positive dynamics of life expectancy over the past decade, Russia still has a huge regional differentiation (16,6 years for women, 18,2 years for men in 2016) and an average gender gap - 10,6 years. The choice of factors affecting the gender gap in life expectancy in Russian regions is supported by a conclusion most common in foreign studies that climatic conditions, living conditions, the quality of food and drinking water, alcohol consumption are essential components of public health and life expectancy.The article provides an overview of studies on assessment factors of life expectancy, presents the authors’ approach to identifying gender gaps in life expectancy, living conditions, and lifestyle affecting the indicator of life expectancy. The paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of gender gap in life expectancy in Russia and foreign countries. The paper studies the correlation between living conditions and lifestyle, and life expectancy.Classification of the regions by the life expectancy at birth for men and women is an important component of this study. The authors used Rosstat data for 2016 and the k-means method to select three clusters of Russian regions taking into account gender, living conditions and lifestyle. The paper identifies similar health problems of the regions that are associated with alcohol consumption, poor nutrition and poor quality of drinking water, poor housing and living conditions. The lowest life expectancy rates for men and women are recorded in regions of the 1st cluster (Jewish Autonomous Region, Republic of Tuva, Chukotka Autonomous Area). High mortality rates are a result of external causes. There is a poor quality of drinking water and poor nutrition, excessive alcohol consumption, and inadequate housing conditions.Based on the obtained results were determined possible reserves for reducing the gender and regional differentiation of life expectancy.



Fermentation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Tinashe Mangwanda ◽  
Joel B. Johnson ◽  
Janice S. Mani ◽  
Steve Jackson ◽  
Shaneel Chandra ◽  
...  

The rum industry is currently worth USD 16 billion, with production concentrated in tropical countries of the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific regions. The primary feedstock for rum production is sugar cane molasses, a by-product of sugar refineries. The main variables known to affect rum quality include the composition of the molasses, the length of fermentation, and the type of barrels and length of time used for aging the rum. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the impact of these variables on rum quality, and to highlight current challenges and opportunities in the production of rum from molasses. In order to achieve this, we review the relevant contemporary scientific literature on these topics. The major contemporary challenges in the rum production industry include minimising the effects of variability in feedstock quality, ensuring the fermentation process runs to completion, preventing microbial contamination, and the selection and maintenance of yeast strains providing optimum ethanol production. Stringent quality management practices are required to ensure consistency in the quality and organoleptic properties of the rum from batch to batch. Further research is required to fully understand the influences of many of these variables on the final quality of the rum produced.



2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy M. Yeh ◽  
Ashley Y. Song ◽  
Douglas L. Vanderbilt ◽  
Cynthia Gong ◽  
Philippe S. Friedlich ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Our objectives were (1) to describe Care Transitions Measure (CTM) scores among caregivers of preterm infants after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and (2) to describe the association of CTM scores with readmissions, enrollment in public assistance programs, and caregiver quality of life scores. Methods The study design was a cross-sectional study. We estimated adjusted associations between CTM scores (validated measure of transition) with outcomes using unconditional logistic and linear regression models and completed an E-value analysis on readmissions to quantify the minimum amount of unmeasured confounding. Results One hundred sixty-nine parents answered the questionnaire (85% response rate). The majority of our sample was Hispanic (72.5%), non-English speaking (67.1%) and reported an annual income of <$20,000 (58%). Nearly 28% of the infants discharged from the NICU were readmitted within a year from discharge. After adjusting for confounders, we identified that a positive 10-point change of CTM score was associated with an odds ratio (95% CI) of 0.74 (0.58, 0.98) for readmission (p = 0.01), 1.02 (1, 1.05) for enrollment in early intervention, 1.03 (1, 1.05) for enrollment in food assistance programs, and a unit change (95% CI) 0.41 (0.27, 0.56) in the Multicultural Quality of Life Index score (p < 0.0001). The associated E-value for readmissions was 1.6 (CI 1.1) suggesting moderate confounding. Conclusion The CTM may be a useful screening tool to predict certain outcomes for infants and their families after NICU discharge. However, further work must be done to identify unobserved confounding factors such as parenting confidence, problem-solving and patient activation.





Author(s):  
Arja Rautio ◽  
Natalia Kukarenko ◽  
Lena Maria Nilsson ◽  
Birgitta Evengard

Climate change in the Arctic affects both environmental, animal, and human health, as well as human wellbeing and societal development. Women and men, and girls and boys are affected differently. Sex-disaggregated data collection is increasingly carried out as a routine in human health research and in healthcare analysis. This study involved a literature review and used a case study design to analyze gender differences in the roles and responsibilities of men and women residing in the Arctic. The theoretical background for gender-analysis is here described together with examples from the Russian Arctic and a literature search. We conclude that a broader gender-analysis of sex-disaggregated data followed by actions is a question of human rights and also of economic benefits for societies at large and of the quality of services as in the health care.



2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 317
Author(s):  
Ismael Cabero ◽  
Irene Epifanio

This paper presents a snapshot of the distribution of time that Spanish academic staff spend on different tasks. We carry out a statistical exploratory study by analyzing the responses provided in a survey of 703 Spanish academic staff in order to draw a clear picture of the current situation. This analysis considers many factors, including primarily gender, academic ranks, age, and academic disciplines. The tasks considered are divided into smaller activities, which allows us to discover hidden patterns. Tasks are not only restricted to the academic world, but also relate to domestic chores. We address this problem from a totally new perspective by using machine learning techniques, such as cluster analysis. In order to make important decisions, policymakers must know how academic staff spend their time, especially now that legal modifications are planned for the Spanish university environment. In terms of the time spent on quality of teaching and caring tasks, we expose huge gender gaps. Non-recognized overtime is very frequent.



2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 1550005 ◽  
Author(s):  
NIR KSHETRI ◽  
DIANA ROJAS-TORRES ◽  
MARLENY CARDONA ACEVEDO

Diaspora networks' non-economic remittances in the forms of social, political, cultural and technical contributions to their homeland play important roles in entrepreneurship and economic development. In this paper, we examine the effects of such remittances on entrepreneurship development in economies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). We analyze how factors such as migrants' skills and education and characteristics of the host country are likely to affect non-economic remittances and their contribution to entrepreneurship and economic development. We offer some examples of initiatives taken in the home country and the host country to maximize the potential non-economic remittances and their impacts on entrepreneurship development in the home country. A key lesson and take-away that we can gain from entrepreneurially successful efforts of some economies is that the primary focus of diaspora policies need to be centered on utilizing various forms of non-economic remittances in stimulating the quantity and quality of entrepreneurial activity.



2021 ◽  
pp. 1050-1059
Author(s):  
И. Л. Сизова ◽  
Н. С. Орлова

В статье рассматриваются социальные процессы, сопровождающие реализацию политики «активного долголетия» в российской социальнотрудовой сфере. В первом разделе статьи кратко представляются основы концепции «активного долголетия» и обсуждаются возможные социальные механизмы ее применения. Особое место здесь отводится анализу социальных прав, которые формируют основу для разных моделей развития общественного благосостояния и качества жизни населения. Во втором разделе на базе парадигмы конструктивизма в социальных науках и теории символической власти П. Бурдьё предлагается авторский вариант изучения структур восприятия и оценивания населением реализованных государственных реформ. В третьем разделе представлены результаты эмпирического анализа серии полуструктурированных интервью с основными субъектами социально-трудовой сферы и текстов обращений граждан в органы государственной власти. В заключение интерпретируется символическая борьба вокруг восприятия политики «активного долголетия» в России. Авторы приходят к выводу о том, что ожидается новый всплеск программ социальной помощи пожилым и рост пассивности в их трудовом поведении. The article examines the social processes accompanying implementation of the policy «active aging» in the Russian social and labor spheres. The basic concepts of «active aging» are briefl y introduced and possible social mechanisms of its application are discussed in the first section of the article. Special importance is given to the analysis of social rights which form the basis for different models of the development of public welfare and the population’s quality of life. In the second section, author’s version of studying the perception and assessment structures by the population of the implemented reforms of the State are proposed on the basis of the paradigm of constructivism in the social sciences and the theory of symbolic power by P. Bourdieu. In the third section the results of an empirical analysis of a set of semi-structured interviews with the main subjects of the social and labor spheres and the texts of citizens’ appeals to government bodies are presented. In conclusion, the symbolic struggle around the perception of the «active aging» policy in Russia is interpreted. The authors conclude that a new surge in social assistance programs for the elderly and an increase in passivity in their work behavior are expected.



2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-637
Author(s):  
Sarita Mahabir-Lee ◽  
Vivian Rambarath-Parasram


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