The Girl Effect

[Andiferous]

I feel almost... treasonous for not linking youtube. But I rather like this itty video as a feminist and a humanist. I thought it was worth watching. You might too.

The inertia of education, health and priviledge and their far-reaching consequences around the world. Short and interesting, and food for thought.

The Girl Effect

 

[Aught3]

Yes..overly simplistic though. I mean, what exactly are they planning to do?

Also, I lol'd when they suggested that life for a 12 year old girl in abject poverty was 'happy' after describing how miserable it was for a 15 yo.

 

[Andiferous]

I understand the skepticism and it's pretty much how I see everything, but I also appreciate things that make me stop and think.

That said, she wasn't happy at twelve, her future is out of her control at twelve and living in abject poverty. Even her little cartoony silhouette is rocking back and forth aside the giant number twelve like someone in distress.

I might have missed your reference, though.

I believe this video is meant to describe the maturation of girls in third world environments. Which scares me, really. I can only imagine it, and can't say that I really know enough to argue the stats. It is girl specific too, and I hope this doesn't turn men away. I can only barely imagine being left with the burdens of motherhood and other responsibilities in a third world environment, likely somewhat impared by the politics of being the 'weaker sex,' whilst suffering abject poverty and its various implications at the same time, and all this must be extra extra nasty. Something I haven't considered in much depth in the past.

Incidentally, there was a weird article in BBC last week about a ten year old girl having a baby, and her family thought it was perfectly acceptable.

 

[Aught3]

I think it's pretty well known that slowing down the reproductive rate is one of the best ways to attack poverty. It's just easier to focus on women than men if that is the goal. I just wanted to know what exactly their plans to go further were.

 

[Andiferous]

I think it's pretty well known that slowing down the reproductive rate is one of the best ways to attack poverty. It's just easier to focus on women than men if that is the goal. I just wanted to know what exactly their plans to go further were.

This is definitely ideal, and yes, solution to this is tricky. I don't agree with further imposing on girls by sterilisation or something else equally unethical. I thought the point of the video was to show the domino effect of poverty verses comfort in future generations; to encourage the general public to address the poverty as best they can, and promote education in an individual as investment into future generations, granting more opportunity and choices to those who follow. To suggest that helping a person now could improve the situation of their great grandchildren in a hundred years, and this suggests by extention that with such a strategy over time poverty may well diminish.

To address reproduction directly seems like such a band-aid thing, and despite being unethical, it probably won't fix the problem over the long run.

Or was my interpretation and thinking.

Edit: Saying that, I realise I didn't answer you. lol.

I'm not sure exactly what the plan was but I think it has something to do with micro-loans to girls specifically to improve poverty conditions and promote education, and hopefully with nice side effects as a bonus. But I haven't really done a lot of research on it.

 

[MRaverz]

What about the guys..? Sure they won't get pregnant etc, but poverty doesn't stick to one sex.

 

[Andiferous]

I understand. I don't completely agree with everything I've seen from then specifically, but I think the logic is that if you support the woman you support the children. All the many economic, political and educational whammies on women usually pass to the children at the same time and continue the cycle; so often what you do to the women you do to the kids by consequence.

Also, the idea that education and such for women can help stem overpopulation and correct nonsustainable birthrates that could make economic situations worse for families in general. And other things, like perhaps promoting equity between the sexes.

If you were to reverse the roles and only support the men, you're not guaranteed to impact children at all in many cases. Rape and such is a bigger problem there, and there are fewer legal ties to hold men responsible to their families in general. So I'm assuming, with women usually filling the default conditioning/socialising/education role for their children, improving their resources is most likely to trickle down to the next generation.

I don't think it's meant to be a discrimination thing, but more of a pragmatic "let's fix the underlying problems and see societal improvements in 15 years" kind of approach.

 

[Aught3]

Well, I like the microloan concept, a lot actually. It's something I've contributed to before. I think I just get sick of seeing 'education' as a panacea for every societal ill. What are you going to be educating them about, and why do you think it will help?

 

[Andiferous]

Well, I like the microloan concept, a lot actually. It's something I've contributed to before. I think I just get sick of seeing 'education' as a panacea for every societal ill. What are you going to be educating them about, and why do you think it will help?

Well there is the standard argument for earning potential of course.

There is the argument that education can help stem overpopulation and such; and overpopulation on a micro level could conceivably fix a family in a poverty cycle. So you could help correct that.

It also could raise the status of women in society, which in effect likely grants confidence, makes it more probable they will stand up for themselves and their family, and even just saying "no" when needed. On a family level, they could be better protectors.

Their education tends to trickle down to their children, which can be somewhat self-sustaining in the long run.

And all the obvfious stuff, like innovation and that kind of thing. When you're always fighting for your basic needs, education is low priorty; if you have education enough to reduce the emphasis on survival need, you might have the opportunity to make improvements to your community

I don't see how education could possibly go wrong.

 

[Aught3]

What if they spend all their time learning about theoretical physics?

If the education is in a trade-able skill, a bit of money management, and sex education then it makes sense.

 

[Andiferous]

What if they spend all their time learning about theoretical physics?

If the education is in a trade-able skill, a bit of money management, and sex education then it makes sense.

I'm not really an authority on the subject, but I was under the impression that much of the local educational programs were tailored to the region, so I assume there is a lot of practical information there. Although, I hope also they offer enough background that a person could earn bursaries or scholarships and move to higher education if the opportunity presented itself.

I do agree that an exclusively abstract education founded on alien culture is probably not all that useful to the population as a whole when not immediately applicable, and I suspect if this were the case, parents would hesitate before enlisting their kids in this sort of thing. It wouldn't make sense.

But just speculation there. I see what you're saying.