The eight Millennium Development Goals proposed by the UN during the Millennium General Assembly of 2000 will not be reached in Africa by 2015 if international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund continue to impose unethical and punishing economic policies through the Structural Adjustment Program (SAPs) on the poor and undeveloped countries of Africa and if the wealthy old core countries continue to break promises and hesitate to donate enough financial aid to Africa to help it recover from the destructive effects of the SAPs and the AIDS pandemic, and to also ensure gender equality and rights of women in Africa. The Structural Adjustment Programs The impact of the Structural Adjustment Programs imposed by International Financial Intuitions (IFIs) such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on the developing countries of Africa has led to the destruction of Africa’s social sectors and has handicapped Africa in its fight with poverty, the AIDS pandemic, and keeping children in school. The Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) are economic policies imposed on countries that borrow loans from the World Bank (referred to as “the Bank”) and the International Monetary Fund (referred to as “the Fund” or IMF). Originating from the right-wing neo-liberalism ideology of the Bank and the Fund (which are the International Financial Institutions or “IFIs”), the SAPs were created to establish a free market economic system in the borrowing (developing) countries, which lead to privatization within those countries. The Bank and the Fund tell the critics that the SAPs help ensure that the money lent will be spent in accordance with the overall goals of the loan and help in re... ... middle of paper ... ... it needs (four thousand instead of the needed twelve thousand) and nearly ten percent of the doctors (three hundred instead of the needed three thousand) for a population of over fourteen million. Malawi is the perfect example for a show of how destructive the Structural Adjustment Programs can be for a developing country and how much power it can give to the IFIs that they (an outer entity) can overrule the demands of a sovereign government and can thus have far greater influence over a country’s economy and development than the country’s government itself. The HIV/AIDS Pandemic Struggle of the Women To help the women in Africa in their struggle with the problems caused by the AIDS pandemic, we must first help the women have a voice and gender equality in the developed countries and the organizations of which these developed countries are a part of.
The good news is that if we act with urgency, we have a great chance to impact the lives of millions of Africans for the better. It seems obvious that, according to Kofi Annan's essay, the best way to do this is by targeting the women of Africa. Through the use of AIDS education, new drought-resistant crops, and international resources it is possible to reduce the spread of AIDS and, in turn, help to lower starvation rates.
This failure suffered by Africa has prevented it from attaining success and economic viability since it has been addicted to the aid and, therefore, become aid dependent, to the disadvantage of economic growth and responsible governance (Ashta, 2013).
19).This has led to Sub-Saharan Africa becoming dependant on the Global North to purchase their primary produce (Galbraith 2002, p. 25 cited in Gamage 2015, p. 9). This is problematic given that Africa also faces competition from Asia and Latin America in these industries which forces African farmers to further lower their costs which could include lowering wages for their workers. Employing such measures has led to negative rates of economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. For example, in 1975, regional per capital GNP stood at 17.6% of the world average and this had dropped to 10.5% in 1999 (Ferguson 2006, p. 9). Therefore even the core aim of neoliberalism which is achieving economic growth has not been achieved. It has been suggested that there has been economic growth since then but even if Sub-Saharan Africa is growing as a region, lowering wages means that the poorest will not receive any benefit from a better economy.Therefore, if neoliberalism is considered a political tool used to restore the wealth of the bourgeoisie then it inherently cannot be a viable tool
It addresses how aid to Africa increases the cycle of poverty and diseases because the nation becomes more dependent on others and will not work to improve their health problems. Although the Aid for AIDS as of 2003 has increased the amount of people on ARV treatment from three hundred thousand to over three million the rate of transmission is still high and treatment is not the only cure. The paper says if Aids increase, the disease will not go away and western donors will lose interest in a cause that is refusing to stop despite their
The policies dictated by the IMF during the 80s and 90s, which were influential in destroying the economies of many developing countries, offer one example of the technocratic approach going awry. Today the realities of the developing world vary from country to country, but experts continue to be obsessed with setting goals and expecting that governments will reach them, without taking into account the likely impact on the local
...astructure and sturdy economy. In many countries across Africa do get aid from other countries and have seen a slight improvement in there economies going from having fifty percent of the population in poverty to recently changing to forty seven percent (___). This show that with help Africa’s struggle against poverty will improve. Poverty in Africa also causes many other problems that are form from not having money. Poverty in needs to be one of the most important worries they have in Africa. Countries must assist Sub-Saharan Africa to help it conquer its struggle with poverty.
With repercussions like these, I think it is safe to say that the IMF and World Bank employ measures that keep poor countries poor or make them even more destitute. Their mission statements are great ideas at the core, but very poorly executed. If the governing bodies of the IMF and World Bank moved slower, implemented one or two strategies or practices at a time, and worked closely with member countries to get them out of debt the programs could sway public opinion back in their favor and producer more positive and consistent
To understand the efforts being made to help South Africa control this pandemic, an understanding of what the country is facing is essential. "The virus is like a snake," said Nomawethu Ngalimawe, a woman from a township outside of Cape Town, "It is killing everyone - mothers and children - and it moves in the dark and in secret" (Kapp, p1202, 2004). Ngalimawe took in her sister's orphan after she and her husband died from the circumstances of AIDS. Not long ago, Ngalimawe discovered that she also has the disease. Although her story is tragic, it is, unfortunately, a reality for many who live in South Africa at this time, especially women. The disease, in fact, is affecting women more and more. In Africa, "women now make up 60 percent of people living with HIV" (www.worldbank.org). This poses a serious threat to the development of the country "given that women are the main caregivers and the source of household labor, their illness means the collapse of family care and household income" (www.worldbank.org).
Onimode, Bade. The IMF, The World Bank and The African Debt: The Economic Impact. London ; Atlantic Highlands, N.J., USA : Zed Books, 1989.
Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) were neoliberal policies that were supported by the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) for implementation in developing countries. The policy consequences are still a controversial issue and the mere mention of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) can provoke heated debate. The effects of Structural Adjustment Programs are far and wide and the debates about its impacts still stand the test of time. While Structural Adjustment Program(SAPs) was regarded as a success story in some countries by analysts for mainly its regulatory role in public service reform (Jayarayah Cral, Barson William 1995) and that SAP was working ,but improper evaluation distorted its reality (P. Thandika Mkandawire, Charles Chukwuma Soludo 2003). It’s also widely criticized by other critics for its adverse effects on for instance agriculture;
the effect that the work of the IMF and the World Bank have had on the
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were created as a result of the Bretton Woods Conference. Both provide assistance to countries suffering economically. While the IMF is a cooperative institution that aims to create an organized global system of payments and receipts, the World Bank is an institution that aims to help developing countries (Driscoll 1). Both play a part in the economies of struggling nations with the goal of reducing their burden and helping them to survive in the global economic system. Unfortunately, in many cases their practices within developing nations have been seen to create more harm than good. This is possibly because both institutions use a one size fits all approach when aiding countries rather than gaining a deep understanding of each country they are involved in and catering their approach as a result. In this paper I will examine the practices of the IMF and World Bank in developing nations that have led to failure and the effects the policies had on these countries.
Living in the dawn of the 21st century, the idea of economic development permeates third world politics. Perhaps no single issue has raised so much hope, or so much scepticism, as the idea of development. Historically, attempts at economic development have resulted in varying degrees of success and failure. Nowhere has this been more apparent as in Africa. By the 20th century, Africa began to play an increasingly important role in the European economy. In the 1920's, Europe promoted Laissez-Faire policies in Africa, but gradually shifted towards protectionism and Neo-Mercantilism in the 1930's, and finally to disengagement in the 1950's. The purpose of this essay is to chronicle these changes in European perceptions of Africa's role in the global economy, and explain that although the outcome of these policy-changes eventually led to the end of colonial rule, the political, social, and economic effects of these policies made it impossible for the Africans to enjoy true independence.
...tries. These ideas were discussed in lecture on February 16th, 2011, as well as explored in Manfred B. Steger's, Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, and I.B. Logan and Kidane Mengisteab's article, "IMF – World Bank Adjustment and Structural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa." Instead of globalization as a positive system for SSA, it did the opposite, and made the region stagnant in economic terms. It was about expanding relationships among countries, but adjustments were creating barriers that prevented SSA from economic communications with other countries. Therefore, it contributed to colonialism after World War II; colonial powers were able to indirectly control what SSA could do, and whom they were able to contact. The World Bank as a financial institution affected SSA's economic industry, and was partly responsible for the control colonial powers had.
This paper is to research a project of the World Bank or the IMF that created problems for the