Role of self-help groups on socioeconomic development and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)among rural women in Cooch Behar District,India

This study examines the transformative role of self-help groups(SHGs)in the socioeconomic development of rural women in Cooch Behar District,India,and their contribution toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)of the United Nations.In this study,we explored the effect of SHGs on rural women by specifically addressing SDGs,such as no poverty(SDG 1),zero hunger(SDG 2),good health and well-being(SDG 3),quality education(SDG 4),and gender equality(SDG 5).Given this issue,a cross-sectional survey and comparison analyses are needed to assess the socioeconomic development of rural women and their awareness level before and after the participation of rural women in SHGs.The survey conducted as part of this study was divided into three sections,namely,demographic characteristics,socioeconomic development,and awareness level,with each focusing on different aspects.A group of 400 individuals who were part of SHGs completed the questionnaire survey form.The results showed that the participation of rural women in SHGs significantly improved their socioeconomic development and awareness level,as supported by both mean values and t test results.Memberships in SHGs and microcredit programs were the major elements that boosted the socioeconomic development of rural women,which also achieves SDGs 1,2,3,4,and 5.This study revealed that participation in SHGs and related financial services significantly aided rural women in economically disadvantaged communities in accumulating savings and initiating entrepreneurial ventures.Moreover,participation in SHGs was instrumental in enhancing the self-confidence,self-efficacy,and overall self-esteem of rural women.Finally,doing so enabled them to move more freely for work and other activities and to make family and common decisions.

A Historical Review of the Development of Women’s Higher Education in China (1908-2020): Stages, Explanations, and Trends

The development of women’s higher education in China can be divided into four stages:emergence(1908-1948);foundation(1949-1976);accelerating development(1977-2008);and the qualitative leap(2009-2020).This work considers the principal institutional mechanisms that contributed to this development.First,flexibly planned parenthood gradually promoted gender equality and openness in society facilitated by systematic“awards,grants,and loans”initiatives to support women’s higher education economically.Second,compulsory education ensured that left-out and migrant children had access to higher education.Third,effective connectivity across different education types bridged education gaps between those with different levels of education.Fourth,China made great efforts to invite and integrate international experiences that promoted the development of women’s higher education.Looking beyond these achievements,we also discuss the future trends of women’s higher education in China.

Pioneering a New Realm of Human Rights Civilization in the Chinese Path to Modernization——An Overview of the Symposium on“The Chinese Path to Modernization and the Promotion of Free and Comprehensive Human Development”

On October 14,2023,a symposium themed“The Chinese Path to Modernization and the Promotion of Free and Comprehensive Human Development”was held in Changchun,Jilin Province,China.More than fifty experts,scholars,and researchers from national institutions and universities engaged in discussions and exchanges on human rights on the Chinese path to modernization,including the path,practice,knowledge systems,and civilization forms of human rights.This symposium played a significant role in advancing the construction of the disciplinary system,academic system,and discourse system of human rights in China.

The Market Development of Children’s Go Training and the Difficulty and Countermeasure Analysis of Go Training

The children’s Go training market is experiencing vigorous growth but also faces several challenges.As the importance of Go in cultural education increases,the market expands,with growing demand and involvement from training and educational institutions.However,the market encounters difficulties such as a shortage of high-quality Go coaches,uniformity in training content and methods,and high training costs.To address these issues,measures can be taken to strengthen the team of Go coaches,diversify training content and methods,and optimize the training cost structure,thereby promoting the healthy development of the children’s Go training market.

Women’s empowerment and food consumption:Evidence from female-headed households in Tanzania

Despite the growing recognition of women’s increasing role in the household and corresponding empowerment programs in sub-Saharan Africa,intensive research on the relationship between women’s influence and household food consumption is minimal.Using the most recent(2017-2018)national household survey data from Tanzania,this study examined the influence of women’s empowerment on household food consumption.First,we compared the monthly consumption of eight food categories between female-headed households(FHHs)and male-headed households(MHHs)using both descriptive statistics and the propensity score matching(PSM)method.Furthermore,we adopted the two-stage Linear Expenditure System and Almost Ideal Demand System model(LES-AIDS)to estimate income and price elasticities for the two household types.The results show that FHHs consume bread and cereals,fish,oils and fats,vegetables,and confectionery(sugar,jam,honey,chocolate,etc.)more than MHHs.Moreover,FHHs have a significantly higher income elasticity of demand for all food groups than MHHs.They are also more price elastic than MHHs in meat,fish,oils,fats,sugar,jam,honey,chocolate,etc.

The Three Principles of Institutional Safeguards for Women's Participation in Legislation in China

The participation of women in legislation is an important aspect and means of safeguarding women’s rights.Feminist theory,based on criticism of both the“citizenship identity theory as rights”and the“citizenship identity theory as responsibilities,”proposes the“citizenship identity theory as subjectivity.”Observing the current practice of women’s participation in legislation in China,two institutional safeguard principles can be summarized:the“minimum proportion”and the“influence evaluation.”However,each of these principles has its inherent limitations.Therefore,it is necessary to supplement them with the principle of“subjective participation”in a reflective manner.This principle requires women to participate substantively in the legislative process as subjects,express women’s needs and demands,input women’s perspectives and experiences,and reconstruct the distribution of rights and responsibilities in the existing legislation.The three principles complement each other and work together to comprehensively constitute the institutional structure of women’s participation in legislation,thereby promoting the reproduction of corresponding action structures.

A systems perspective on national prioritisation of sustainable development goals:Insights from Australia

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)requires effective national initiatives and resource allo-cation.Yet,the simultaneous attainment of all goals is hindered by constraints such as limited budgets and resources,varied national priorities,and the intricate nature of the goals.As we approach 2030 and beyond,an urgent need for an effective,data-driven prioritisation system exists to optimise what can be accomplished.A considerable knowledge gap persists in identifying the priority areas that demand concentrated attention and how their improvement would propel overall sustainability goals.To bridge this gap,our study presents a priori-tisation approach that identifies significant SDG indicators based on urgency and impact,utilising Benchmarking,Bivariate,and Network analysis.Furthermore,we introduce an innovative Impact Index(IMIN)to assess an indi-cator’s extensive effect on the SDG network.This system carries significant international relevance by establishing a robust framework to identify key,potent,and interconnected indicators.It supports decision-makers worldwide in comprehending their nation’s SDG performance and promotes efficient resource allocation.In the specific con-text of Australia,our analysis spotlights several impactful,yet underperforming SDG indicators.These include the protection of Freshwater,Terrestrial,and Mountain Key Biodiversity Areas(KBAs),the share of renewable energy and energy intensity level of primary energy,targeted research and development,gender equality in national parliaments,and carbon-efficient manufacturing,amongst others.

People's Well-rounded Development:The Value Orientation of Common Prosperity in the New Era

Achieving common prosperity for all is an important feature of Chinese modernization and an essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics,with the core value orientation of promoting the people’s well-rounded development.This reflects the close relationship between people’s well-rounded development and common prosperity and implies that common prosperity is not just an economic issue,but also a political matter,a moral subject,and a human rights goal.Being“people-centered”is the core positioning of common prosperity,with its inherent collective and individual attributes.In terms of the object dimension of prosperity,it encompasses a wide range of rights such as material and spiritual well-being,which are advanced in a coordinated manner,and a deepening level of guarantee gradually improving.In the practical concept of“shared development,”it emphasizes the unity of state obligations and individual responsibilities,as well as the phased approach and promotion of common prosperity through the rule of law.Therefore,the essence of common prosperity lies in shifting from a“material-centered”perspective to a“people’s well-rounded development-centered”perspective.It combines the principles of fairness and inclusiveness with the recognition of diverse developmental needs.The focus is on enhancing the subjective initiative of the people,aiming to truly achieve the happiness of the people and promote people’s well-rounded development through the realization of“common prosperity.”

Counteraction to China?Impact of the U.S.International Development Finance Corporation on China’s Development Finance

The United States passed the Better Utilization of Investment Leading to Development(BUILD Act),as a counterweight to China’s overseas development activities.Under the Act,the US established a new federal agency,the U.S.International Development Finance Corporation(DFC),to enhance U.S.development financing capabilities.To better understand the impact of the DFC on China’s development finance,this article analyzes the DFC’s purpose,functions,structure,and funding.Then it focuses on the purpose of establishing the DFC,providing a preliminary analysis of the potential motivation for its establishment.It also compares the China Development Bank(CDB)and the DFC based on their focused sectors.Finally,through an in-depth analysis of financial frictions in China-U.S.relations,this article argues that the DFC competes with China’s overseas development financing activities in the context of broader strategic competition between China and the U.S.

Blood Lead Dynamics of Lead-Exposed Pregnant Women and Its Effects on Fetus Development

The dynamics of blood lead (Pb-B) and blood zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP-B) of women in early pregnancy and parturient women with lead exposure and the effects on fetus development were investigated. Pb-B of lead-exposed women was high: 0.984 μmol/L (20.38 μg/dl) and ZPP was 84.52μg/dl. Cord blood Pb-B was 0.896 μmol/L(18.56μg/dl)and cord blood ZPP was 69.24μg/dl. In the control group, Pb-B was 0.261μmol/L(5.41μg/dl), ZPP-B, 37.59 μg/dl, cord blood, Pb-B 0.34 μmol/L (7.93 μg/dl), and cord ZPP-B 49.0μg/dl. There was a significant correlation between blood lead and blood ZPP, maternal Pb-B and cord Pb-B, maternal Pb-B and cord ZPP-B. The significance of the consistency of high level Pb-B and the effects on fetus development is discussed.

Explore the Factors Hindering Women's Development from Various Dimensions

The objective of this paper is to pave the way for better development of women's roles in current society.As known to all,in all fields,politics,business or science,rarely there're women who make it to the top.Subjectively,women themselves are to blame for their lack of confidence and perseverance.It's the internal and also significant reason.Objectively,gender discrimination should shoulder a substantial measure of responsibility.This point constitutes the external reason which cannot be overlooked.

Women Empowerment in Household Economic Development:Lessons From Poverty Reduction for Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam

This paper reviews the poverty reduction process in Vietnam and experiences of decision-making empowerment in household economic activities for ethnic minority women in their efforts to reduce poverty.The study analyses data from the Gender Equality Survey,covering 950 households in matrilineal ethnic groups(in the South of Vietnam)in 2018 and life stories of women from Hmong,Tay,Khmer,and Xo Dang ethnicities.The analysis reveals a strong engagement of ethnic minority women(both matrilineal and patriarchal groups)in household economic decisions.They have overcome various cultural barriers to take initiatives in accessing to bank credit,which has been used for developing household livelihood.Thanks to their own efforts and supports from the Women’s Union,many ethnic minority households have escaped from poverty,ended food shortage,and started commercial production.As a result,ethnic minority women have been increasingly active in both their family and community.

Socio-Economic Implications of Recurrent Flooding on Women Development in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Niger Delta Area of Nigeria

The main purpose of this study is to identify the socio-economic implications of re-current flooding on women development in southern Ijaw Local Government Area. Generally, flooding may result in socio-economic, ecological and health problems. This study assumes that on flood days the movement of customers and sellers tends to be hindered, thus resulting in the retardation of transactions and the reduction of daily income earned. The study compared the situation of female traders with that of male traders. Both primary and secondary data were used in this study. Primary data were collected using an open-ended questionnaire. A total of 83 questionnaires were randomly distributed to members of four communities, which were selected through stratified random sampling procedures. Also 33 randomly selected women and men respectively, engaged in marketing activities from open and locked-up shops, were sampled to observe the level of their personal income (in Naira), from customers patronage during 3 flood days and 3 non-flood days. Other data and information were obtained through Key Informants Interview (KII), and observations. Hypotheses I and II were tested using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical model. Null hypothesis I (H0), which states that “There is no statistically significant difference in the income earned by men and women traders from marketing activities on flood days and non-flood days in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State”, is accepted (F-value: 3.8723939, P-value: 2.494E-05), whereas null hypothesis II (H0), which states that “There is no statistically significant difference in the income earned by women traders from marketing activities on flood and non-flood days in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, is rejected (F-value: 2.524902, P-value: 0.030069). Thus while there is no significant difference in the earnings of male and female traders on flood and non-flood days, there are significant differences in sales earning among women traders on those days. Factors affecting trading income on flood and non-flood days include accessibility to business premises by customers, ability of male marketers to afford non-easily flooded business premises;and women traders with limited resources often have less suitably drained premises. Reduced total household income can detrimentally affect food affordability, availability, household nutrition, family health and wellbeing. Recommendations highlighting the roles of communities, government and stakeholders in flood management are proffered.

The Evaluation and Analysis of the Government’s Entity Responsibilities of Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Development

During the past 40 years of reform and opening-up,the chinese government,on the basis of adhering to the constitutional principle of equality between men and women,has proposed and resolutely implemented the basic state policy of equality between men and women,and constantly explored and implemented ways and measures to promote gender equality and the women’s all-round development.in enacting laws,formulating policies,drawing up plans and deploying work,the chinese government has taken into account the practical differences between the genders and the special interests of women,promoted women’s equal exercising of their democratic rights,equal participation in economic and social development and equal enjoyment of the fruits of reform and development,and provided stronger systematic and institutional guarantees for women’s development.

Research on the Teaching Reform of Women’s Clothing Design Course under the Background of Cultural and Creative Industry Development

With the rapid development of China’s cultural and creative industries,the influence of cultural and creative ideas in fashion design is increasing,and art talents with innovative ability have become hot objects in the society.As the cradle of fashion design talents training and output,colleges and universities in our country shoulder the important task of training fashion design talents in the new period.In the current clothing design curriculum reform,school enterprise cooperation and collaborative innovation have become an important development direction.Under this background,this paper analyzes the teaching reform path of women’s clothing design course in Colleges and universities.

“Women Hold up Half the Sky”: Engendering the Right to Development

Societal institutions and structures shape particular experiences of socio-economic disadvantage for women.It is not enough to simply extend a fixed bundle of socio-economic rights to women and men alike, but to infuse such rights with substantive equality. Based on discussing the link between the right to development and socio-economic rights, I discuss how gender inequality shapes particular experiences of socio-economic disadvantage for women, which impede the exercise of their right to development. I examine a potential approach for engendering the right to development which synthesises socio-economic rights and substantive equality to capabilities. Finally, I evaluate the extent to which CEDAW represents this optimal synthesis, albeit with some important limitations.