By Emanne Khan Photographs of post-conflict peace negotiations typically feature government officials signing treaties, shaking hands or engaging in other acts of goodwill. Often missing from these images are the nongovernmental actors who may not sign treaties, but nonetheless play important roles in the negotiation process. For example, a single Italian non-governmental organization (NGO) was […]
By Mahesh Karra Over the summer, Boston University student researchers from the Human Capital Initiative returned to Africa after nearly two years to resume field projects, reconnect with colleagues and research partners, discuss research findings with local communities and policymakers and propose new initiatives with field teams. I led the BU team that launched and […]
By Anastasiia Arbuzova Investments in transport infrastructure are a long-proven driver of economic development. Transport can facilitate trade by connecting geographically distant areas, leading to economic integration and increased competitiveness of low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, increased mobility spurs human development since it allows for better access to healthcare, education and other essential services. Thus, […]
By Emanne Khan The Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar have been described by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as “one of, if not the, most discriminated people in the world.” Since 2017, more than 750,000 Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar as refugees due to systematic persecution and targeted violence at the hands of Myanmar’s government, which […]
The converging roles of women and men in the labor market is one of the most significant economic and social developments of the past century. Nevertheless, gender equality in labor market outcomes has remained elusive, even for the most developed economies in the world. A growing literature documents a sharp divergence in labor market trajectories […]
By Laura Aquino Imagine you need to print your thesis or dissertation. You go to a print shop near Boston University, leave your manuscript and prepare to collect it in a couple of days. What would happen if, when collecting your thesis, you find that some pages were printed incorrectly? Would you have to pay […]
By Yunus Kurt Family planning is a series of important decisions on when/if to have children, and it involves a wide range of contraceptive methods. Abundance of contraceptive methods offers a larger set of alternatives to women in their contraceptive decision-making. However, a larger set of alternatives means more information to process and might introduce […]
By Vidhu Priya Mukundan In 2020, the World Health Organization reported that out of the 1.9 billion women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in the world, 1.1 billion women have a need for family planning. However, only 842 million women who report a need for family planning are using contraception, leaving 270 million women with […]
By Anjali Kini Meghalaya, located in the Northeast of India, is one of the few still existing matrilineal societies in the world. It is also one of the few states in the country where the sex ratio is not skewed (989 as per the 2011 census and among the highest in the country) and female […]
By Julia Maselli The topic of gender equality and empowerment, and the role of women in development has been long discussed among scholars and researchers for decades. During 2020, the government of Meghalaya, India decided that, among a plethora of COVID-19 policies and regulations, they would also commit to gender empowerment protocols. The State of […]