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In 1994 an estimated 800,000 people of Rwanda, the majority Tutsi, were murdered in a state-sponsored genocide. Women suffered disproportionately. When the genocide ended, more than 70 percent of the Rwandan population was female and 50 percent of all households were headed by women. Despite their woundedness, women stepped up to rebuild a new Rwanda in which gender equality and women's rights were negotiated. The government of Rwanda recognized their efforts and used the international agreements of the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals to integrate gender equality and women's rights into its Vision 2020 strategy. Questions arise about how these rights have been implemented and translated into day-to-day lives of ordinary Rwandans, specifically women. This paper presents the results of a qualitative pilot study that sought to explore how Rwandans understand women's rights and their implementation at the community level. A total of 37 women and men (32 and 5 respectively) contributed to focus groups and individual interview data. The findings indicate that women possess capacities to spearhead socioeconomic projects when they have strong and supportive social networks, modern infrastructure with accessible technology, and good governance. Rwandan women are also a heterogenous group with varying needs. Gender diverse women, such as poor single mothers and 2SLGBTQIA+ persons may need specific laws and policies to protect their rights as marginalized groups. The support and role modeling of other women may specifically be useful with rural women to overcome intersecting and persistent inequities. Implications for each of these findings are discussed for policy, research, and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the women-centric development schemes and programs launched by the government for the tribal people in India in general and the female members of the Lodha community in particular, and the impact of the development schemes on the livelihood of these women. This microstudy was carried out on the Lodha, a particularly vulnerable tribal group for their extreme backwardness among the tribal communities of India, living in a village named Goaldihi in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. The women in this community seem to carry a triple burden of backwardness, firstly for being women, secondly as Scheduled Tribe and thirdly as PVTG, and to remove which the government has planned certain schemes for their development. The realization of the aims of development from the perspectives of millennium development goals reveals a dismal picture. This paper examines the dominant paradigms of development and the state's role in it to understand the trajectory of development practices among a denotified (earlier branded as criminal tribe), traditionally foraging tribe in contemporary India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid progress in life science research in recent years has brought about major changes in pharmacists' professional functions and roles and responsibilities in human healthcare and research areas. Recently, the terms "sustainability" have been frequently used in various areas, academic conferences and journals. Furthermore, in the medical field, sustainability and healthcare are now required of pharmacists in their roles and responsibilities. In particular, the role of pharmacists in the medical field is attracting attention in terms of sustainability and healthcare. This paper includes the following contents. 1) What is sustainable ? 2) Contribution of sustainability in health care in the medical field, 3) From Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 4) How SDGs spread from MDGs, 5) Role played by pharmacists in "creating sustainability". The present manuscript shows that the role of pharmacists in sustainable healthcare is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine the unequal and inadequate access to opportunities by both men and women in South Africa, as well as the progress made in achieving gender equality and promoting women's empowerment, which are embedded in the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, respectively. The paper is virtuously theoretical and relies upon literature to present its arguments, soliciting information from published journals, reports, and previous studies. Access is primarily a gendered phenomenon worldwide, pertaining to the subsets of, inter alia, access to information, rights, land, money, education, skills, political participation, and opinion. Gender equity and equality are high on the developmental agenda of women in almost every country. South Africa, being part of international treaties and conventions on gender equity, is obliged to advance the empowerment of women and eliminate all forms of gender discrimination. The development of women, their access to essential resources, and their participation in important positions of decision-making are still challenges in most countries. It is commonly known that everywhere in the world, women face constraints that limit their capacity to contribute to production, well-being, decision-making, growth, and most importantly, empowerment, which in turn promotes independence. Women face discrimination in access to productive resources such as land; they face wage inequality in rural labor markets; and they are also more likely to work part-time, seasonal, and/or low-paying jobs when engaged in wage employment. Despite the Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998 and the inauguration of the Annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children by the South African government, which are aimed at fighting the perpetual inequalities and abuse of women and children, gender inequality, women's disempowerment, and unequal access to opportunities are still predominant in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were an important precursor to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, identifying the conditions that made the MDGs successful enhances our understanding of global goal‐setting and informs the global endeavour to achieve the SDGs. Drawing on a comprehensive review of 316 articles published between 2009 and 2018, we identify six factors that have enabled or hindered MDG implementation. Our analysis stresses the importance of path dependencies and shows that the MDGs catalysed changes only for those countries with sufficient resource availability, administrative capacity and economic development, as well as adequate support from external donors. National ownership and NGO pressure bolstered efforts to implement the MDGs. These findings suggest that globally agreed goals do not easily trickle down from the global to the national level. Thus, this article adopts a forward‐looking perspective and draws key lessons for the current implementation of the SDGs in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leadership is an important factor in building collaborative governance, even leadership capacity would also affect the effectiveness of ongoing collaborations. This study aims to describe the map of leadership and collaborative governance studies through a Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) over a period of 5 years. This period was chosen in connection with the transition period from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) The literature studies that were conducted cover the years of 2013 to 2018. The results showed that research on leadership and collaborative governance varied greatly and it was necessary to do a mapping to see the trends. The most widely used research method is qualitative, and the trend of publication shows a very significant decline, especially in 2013-2018. Based on these results, research on leadership with a focus on collaborative governance research is important to be carried out in order to produce various innovations and scientific development (body of knowledge).

Punjab is striving hard to catch up health standard as defined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) milestones. The international development partners have also joined hands with the Punjab government in its efforts to bring about improvement in the health status of the people of Punjab. This article presents an analysis of the issues in the health sector of the Punjab province and the subsequent efforts of the government to take on these challenges and their effects on the society in the said period. Status of the millennium development goals has also been discussed in with special reference to the health indicators in the Punjab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the development discourse is profoundly political. Despite a range of innovations the situation remains much the same, and has led over time to the dominance of the economic growth model. Whilst academic/ideological vigour, policy relevance and institutional support, together with intellectual independence, are essential; too radical an alternative approach would be dismissed by mainstream opinion, either by design or neglect. To survive and to remain influential, any alternative requires the mainstream to engage with it for political feasibility. The development discourse has thus evolved through a delicate balancing act, acknowledging a need for a cautiously optimistic outlook. By tracing changes in two approaches to development (basic needs and human development) and in two global development goals (millennium development goals and sustainable development goals) through their selection and use of indicators, this article explores both the explicit and the implicit power of the mainstream in the past and present alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There was a growing realization that Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are overarching, ambitious, complex, and less impactful. Consequently, the 193 member countries of the United Nations (UN) came out with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a well‐thought‐out global development agenda in the year 2015. By involving the private sectors in the designing of SDGs, UN has rightly identified their potentials in offering solutions to the most relevant sustainability challenges. SDGs came into force in January 2016 across the globe when corporate social responsibility (CSR) was already legalized in India. There has been a whooping investment of approximately Rs. 15,000 crores by nearly 20,000 companies every year under CSR in the country. However, it is argued that the contributions to SDGs are not substantial. Based on review of relevant literature, the current paper makes a modest attempt to explore the connections between CSR and SDGs in contemporary India. Further, it critically examines how CSR in India contributes to SDGs. The paper also analyses the underlying reasons for the inadequate engagement of CSR with SDGs. Despite CSR practices in India having linkage with the SDGs, the outcomes are not as per the expectation as a number of firms operate with less involvement and strategic efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International efforts have taken place to alleviate poverty by adopting several obligations within the international society; one of these obligations is the provision of safe access to water and sanitation. The MDGs helped people around the world to gain improved water sources and better sanitation. Although the sectoral aid increased from 20% between 1990 and 1992 (only 4.9% distributed for water supply and sanitation (W&S)) to 35% between 2002 and 2004 (only 3.9% allocated for W&S), facts showed that the allocated aid was biased to social aims rather than infrastructural targets. In this study, I am focusing on the donors' commitment for W&S, whether their ODA for these two sub-sectors is aligned with the intentions of the SDGs. I find that donors allocated W&S aid by focusing on governments in general with higher governance indicators, and that poorer countries received a higher allocation of aid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development in Bahrain is considered one of the national core objectives in the Government Action Plan. Bahrain has enacted environmental legislation and adopted the National Environment Strategy. This study examines the appropriateness of the current environmental legislations in the context of SDGs. To achieve this goal; a scoping review was conducted to assess their compatibility. The study revealed that the successful integration of SDGs with the current environmental legislations can be carried out by recognising the challenges highlighted in the 2030 Agenda. This study suggests the quick-updating of the current environmental legislations in line with SDGs. There is still room for improvement, and more comprehensive and sustainable approaches need to be developed in the environment dimension to stay on track to reach the SDGs. The policies should factor in the possible linkage opportunities to develop a holistic management approach in the implementation, considering the international conventions' obligations. The study can be deemed as the first attempt to examine the consistency of the SDGs with the national environmental legal framework, which can be employed to enhance the sustainable practices. Moreover, the study develops a simple framework that can assist in reviewing, keeping the legislations and strategy consistent with the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the progress in the provision of basic services in urban slums in Bangladesh during the transition period of millennium development goals (MDGs) to sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach – The study used a mixed method of research. The empirical part of the research was conducted in three Blocks of Rupsha slum in Khulna city. Randomly selected 120 households were interviewed through a structured questionnaire; three focus group discussion sessions (FGDs) were also conducted. Progress in the slum residents’ access to basic services during the transition from MDGs to SDGs is tacked based on primary data. The User Satisfaction Index (USI) and Network Analysis tools in ArcGIS are used to identify the gaps in service provision. Findings – Findings show that a very significant proportion of families (56.67%) encounter an acute level of difficulties to gain smooth access to water services. About 89% of respondents have only access to a common or shared toilet facility where one common toilet is used by 20–25 persons. About 31% of families are unable to send their children to primary school even after four years of the adoption of SDGs. Achievements in most indicators of basic services in the slum are in general lower than the national level. Moreover, there exists spatial variability within the same slum. After four years of the transition from MDGs to SDGs, most of the services are poorly satisfying the residents of the Rupsha slum, and water service provision is in worse condition. The findings of this study have unveiled that while achievement in target areas is appreciable at the macro level, at the micro-level; however, good achievement in the provision of few basic services in the low-income settlement is more rhetoric than reality. Therefore, a lot more work needs to be done during the SDG phase to give the slum residents a decent quality of life as they have missed the MDGs’ train. Originality/value – Study single-out works need to be done during the SDGs phase to give the slum residents a decent quality of life as they have missed the MDGs’ train.

Healthy oceans and seas are essential to our existence. They cover 70 percent of our planet and we rely on them for food, energy and water. Yet, we have managed to do tremendous damage to these precious resources. We must protect them by eliminating pollution and overfishing and immediately start to responsibly manage and protect all marine life around the world. Everyone is responsible for to make sure that we meet the Global Goals. Following 10 targets to create action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, such as (1) Reduce Marin Pollution, (2) Protect & Restore Ecosystem, (3) Reduce ocean Acidification, (4) Sustainable Fishing, (5) Conserve coastal & Marin areas, (6) End subsidies contributing to overfishing, (7) Increase the Economic benefits from sustainable use of Marin Resources, (8) Increase scientific knowledge, Research & Technology for Ocean Health, ((9) Support Small Scale Fisheries, (10) Implement & Enforce International Sea Law. SDG, is commonly popular as Global Goals, build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and aim to go further to end all forms of poverty. India is fully committed to follow. India has made steady progress towards achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in areas of health, energy, and infrastructure, as per NITI Aayog's latest SDG India Index. Overall objective of this paper to understand this interesting subject, role of UN and how India is responsibly responding to maintain sustainability in this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Achieving maternal health outcomes in the SDGs requires the implementation of more targeted policies and strategies. While the MDGs may have deepened our understanding in this regard, we know little about the trends in maternal health services utilisation among primigravidas, and how age and geographical regions could have influenced these trends. In this study, we examined utilisation of antenatal and skilled delivery services among primigravidas in Uganda, a country with one of the highest maternal mortality ratios, and where early childbearing and its attendant challenges are common. Methods Guided by Andersen’s Behavioural Model, we fitted multivariate regression models to a pooled dataset of the 2006, 2011 and 2016 Ugandan Demographic and Health Survey (n = 3477) to understand the dynamics in Antenatal Care (ANC) and Skilled Birth Attendance (SBAs) utilisation among primigravidas. Post-estimation margins were employed to further highlight the effect of age and geographical regions. Results The analyses show an improvement in access to maternal health services among primigravidas from 2006 to 2016. Compared to 2006, primigravidas in 2016 were 48%, 24% and 2.98 times more likely to have early ANC, four or more ANC visits, and SBAs, respectively. Altogether, a primigravida in 2016 relative to 2006 was 42% more likely to meet all three maternal health service indicators. Post-estimation margins analyses on age and geographical disparities revealed that younger primigravidas have lower probability, while primigravidas in Eastern Region, one of the most deprived in the country, have the lowest probability of accessing maternal health services. Also, the study found education, wealth, women’s household decision-making power, place of residence as important determinants of ANC visits and SBAs. Conclusions Based on our findings, it is important to address the vulnerabilities of primigravidas, particularly younger individuals, in accessing early ANC. Uganda should scale-up decentralisation and integration of maternal health delivery in local communities as a strategy of addressing lingering geographical disparities, and ultimately improve maternal health outcomes in the SDGs period.

Abstract Background The role of global initiatives in catalyzing change within national contexts is complex and less understood. Addressing adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Kenya requires concerted efforts of both state and non-state actors and more importantly, a supportive environment. This paper deconstructs the moral and social narratives of adolescents’ and young people’s sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) in Kenya as driven by the powerful discourse and ideologies pre- and within the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) era. Methods Literature was systematically searched in PubMed and Medline with policy documents obtained from government agencies from the pre-MDG period (2000 and earlier) and within the MDG period (2001–2015). Literature with a substantial focus on SRH were eligible if they captured the different facets of ASRH in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The results were reviewed and synthesized to disentangle the moral and social narratives of AYSRH in Kenya with an MDG lens. Results The evolution of AYSRH policies and programmes in Kenya was gradual and largely shaped by prevailing development threats and moral and social narratives. Pre-MDG period was dominated by issue-based policies of population growth and high fertility rates, with a focus on married population with strong cultural and religious barriers to AYSRH; early to mid-MDG was mainly influenced by the threat of HIV/AIDS, culminating in the first Adolescent Reproductive Health and Development Policy in 2003. However, the policies and subsequent programmes focused on abstinence only and medical narratives, with persistent religious and cultural opposition to AYSRH. Late-MDG saw more progressive policies (these are policies that refer to those that tends towards acceptance of liberal social reforms and which sometimes are contrary to entrenched social norms, beliefs and practices), high government commitment and a refocus on SRH issues due to sustained early childbearing, culminating in the revised Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy of 2015. Conclusion Debates in the translation of global goals and commitments to policy and practice at country level need to account for national level realities in AYSRH reforms. The findings contribute to critical evidence for strategic policy and programming approaches for AYSRH in Kenya and in SSA and for the realization of their rights within the context of sustainable development goals.

Millennium development goals have remained the overarching development framework to achieve a set of important eight goals worldwide. The goals with measurable and time bound objectives express widespread public concern about poverty, hunger, disease, unmet schooling, gender inequality, and environmental degradation. Under changing climatic scenario and other environmental illness, there is a widespread understanding that worldwide environmental objectives need a higher profile alongside the poverty‐reduction objectives. Consequently, in September 2015, the Heads of State and Government agreed to set the world on a path toward sustainable development through the adoption of the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" which includes 17 sustainable development goals, with 169 targets comprising social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development—all to be achieved by 2030. The goals provide a framework for shared action "for people, planet, and prosperity," to be implemented by "all countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership." The paper documents and the pathways to ensure a sustainable future as well as dignified life for all people of India and means to mobilize scientific, technological, and social movements to address the challenges ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we identify two missing dimensions of the Human Capabilities Approach (HCA)—the collective and the productive—and in doing so we advance a 'productionist' perspective on development, centred around the idea of 'collective productive capabilities'. Bringing production back to the core of the development agenda calls for an integration of the HCA and those contributions which have focused their attention on the social, economic and institutional processes of learning, centred around productive organisations and systems. The lack of this focus on collective productive capabilities undermined the Millenium Development Goals Agenda and is still having negative impacts on the ways in which the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda is understood and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past twenty years, innovation has slowly, but steadily, become an important presence in development cooperation discourse and practice. The ambitious UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda has accelerated this trend, providing a strong framework for the main argument in favour of an innovation agenda for international development: without new ideas and innovative solutions, solving the current global development challenges will not be possible. Although this innovation-push is in line with a wider predominant view of innovation as an inherently positive force of progress, that alone does not explain when, how, and why innovation becomes a key topic in the field. This paper seeks to fill this gap in the literature, providing an initial overview of innovation in development cooperation in the post-2000s. It argues, firstly, that innovation has always been part of international development policy and practice. Secondly, it links the recent strengthening of the innovation discourse to three trends in the systemic transformation of the field: the triumph of metrics-based agendas, the ICTs and digitalization revolutions, and the role of private sector actors. It concludes by critically assessing the implications of this narrative in changing the politics of innovation towards more inclusive sustainable development policies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General from 1997 to 2006, was the most famous and charismatic of all UN SGs. How did he become SG, from his childhood in Ghana to his election as SG ? What appraisal of his 10 years as UN SG ?

There is no gainsaying the fact that one of the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals is to end poverty in all its form by 2030. However, the continuous increase in poverty level has generated a lot of debates among policymakers and scholars while government keeps formulating policies to avert the situation. Thus, with SDGs in view, the study took into cognizance the MDGs before it and what hindered it from the full actualisation of its goal, specifically MD Goal 1a "eradicate extreme poverty". Using quantitative data, the study examined the implementation of MDGs and pinpointed the factors that affected the implementation of the MDG poverty reduction strategy. These factors include corruption, lack of awareness, politics of poverty, non-poor targeted, etc. On this basis, the paper suggests that, if Ogun State will achieve SDG1 by 2030, factors such as good leadership, identification of the poor, awareness and infrastructural opportunities will need to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rwanda met the Millennium Development Goal targets for access to drinking water and sanitation. However, the WASH practices of high-risk communities are undocumented. Lack of information may hide disparities that correlate with disease. The purpose of this study was to assess WASH and childhood diarrhoea in Bugesera District. A survey was administered to caregivers. Water and stool samples were collected to assess physical and biological characteristics. Focus groups provided information on community context. Analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square, logistic regression, and thematic analysis. Piped water and unimproved sanitation were used by 45.28 per cent and 88.38 per cent of respondents. Most respondents (51.47 per cent) travelled 30-60 minutes per trip for water and 70 per cent lacked access to hand-washing near the latrine. Diarrhoea was less prevalent in children who used a toilet facility (p = 0.009). Disposal of faeces anywhere other than the toilet increased the odds of having diarrhoea (OR = 3.1, 95 per cent CI = 1.2-8.2). Use of a narrow mouth container for storage was associated with decreased intestinal parasites (p = 0.011). The presence of a hand-washing station within 10 metres of the toilet was associated with lower odds of intestinal parasites (OR = 0.54, 95 per cent CI: 0.29-0.99). Water and sanitation access, water handling and storage, and unsanitary household environment underlie high diarrhoeal disease prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates what kind of international development assistance regime was in place before it was superseded by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper identifies that regime as one of "poverty reduction," which was maintained by soft laws, peer pressure and peer reviews, and institutionalization by the major donors. It finds that the "poverty reduction regime" was internationally agreed-upon and established, and had highest acceptance among certain Sub-Saharan African, South and Southeast Asian, and Central and South American low-income, high-aid dependency countries. Relatedly, there was considerable overlap of these recipients with the Nordic Plus donor group's focus countries. However, it was found that among countries with a high degree of affiliation with the regime, actual results were low compared to less-receptive countries. Finally, this paper suggests that in order to consider the establishment of an appropriate international development assistance system in the SDG era, and to promote the development of the recipients concerned, it is necessary to develop measures to maximize the roles of various actors and to build a platform where various actors can effectively cooperate together, in the same way that "the Paris declaration on aid effectiveness" played its role in the "Poverty Reduction Regime". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rwanda met the Millennium Development Goal targets for access to drinking water and sanitation. However, the WASH practices of high-risk communities are undocumented. Lack of information may hide disparities that correlate with disease. The purpose of this study was to assess WASH and childhood diarrhoea in Bugesera District. A survey was administered to caregivers. Water and stool samples were collected to assess physical and biological characteristics. Focus groups provided information on community context. Analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square, logistic regression, and thematic analysis. Piped water and unimproved sanitation were used by 45.28 per cent and 88.38 per cent of respondents. Most respondents (51.47 per cent) travelled 30-60 minutes per trip for water and 70 per cent lacked access to hand-washing near the latrine. Diarrhoea was less prevalent in children who used a toilet facility (p = 0.009). Disposal of faeces anywhere other than the toilet increased the odds of having diarrhoea (OR = 3.1, 95 per cent CI = 1.2-8.2). Use of a narrow mouth container for storage was associated with decreased intestinal parasites (p = 0.011). The presence of a hand-washing station within 10 metres of the toilet was associated with lower odds of intestinal parasites (OR = 0.54, 95 per cent CI: 0.29-0.99). Water and sanitation access, water handling and storage, and unsanitary household environment underlie high diarrhoeal disease prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]