The Biblical Daughters of Tselophehad and the Modern Daughters of Botswana
While most of us take women’s inheritance rights for granted, women in many countries in our contemporary world are still caught in a thicket of competing national, regional, local, ethnic, tribal, and religious systems. Land titles and inheritance rights are vital in helping them achieve economic security. Even when secular laws grant them equality, social pressures often block them from accessing what is rightfully theirs. Bold, determined women are challenging these discriminatory norms. While researching my new book , I was astonished to encounter a 2013 High Court ruling in Botswana, the culmination of a five year legal battle waged by four elderly sisters, Edith Mmusi (then 80), Bakhani Moima (83), Jane Lekoko (77), and Mercy Ntsehkisang (68). These gutsy women petitioned, appealed, and ultimately triumphed in their quest to inherit their father’s property. Sound familiar? […]
Meeting Up with the Founder of Rainsaucers – Tom Spargo
Rainsaucers has tested their design in Guatemala, where it was well-received. Tom Spargo, founder of Rainsaucers, an innovative design for rainwater harvesting useful both in the USA and in the developing world, joined us at Castro Valley’s Dining For Women book event. Here is what Tom shared on the Rainsaucers blog: “It’s easy to lose focus when you run a busy startup. Sometimes you need to be reminded about why you started in the first place. […]
Ngozi Ifeoma Malo Links Energy Poverty to Violence Against Women
Eisenhower Fellow Ngozi Ifeoma Malo, a leader in Nigeria’s energy sector policies, regulations and programs. Eisenhower Fellows from around the world have gathered in Philadelphia, the program’s home base. Inquirer writer John Timpane interviewed some of the scholars to learn their stories. Nigerian participant Ngozi Ifeoma Malo highlights an important connection: energy poverty and global violence against women. […]
Kudos to Lucky Iron Fish (Tool #54)
Adding the Lucky Iron Fish to cooking pots lowers anemia. Lucky Iron Fish is a tool I bring with me to talks to show off as a great example of a low tech/high impact innovation. We have known about anemia forever, and here is a very low cost approach to enhancing iron intake. […]
Fair Trade Judaica Features Author Betsy Teutsch
Teutsch showing a blow-up of a page from her book at the FTJ party in Oakland. Photo: David Lindgren [...]
Kveller Post: Safer Births for the World’s Poorest
My son Zach with his newborn daughter, skin-to-skin Kangaroo Caring. Photo: Johanna Resnick Rosen This piece of mine went up at Kveller today. Enjoy! The excited voice at the other end of the phone was my son Zach: Our daughter-in-law was pregnant. We were over the moon with this happy news. Visions of grandparenthood flashed before me, but I also knew I was in for some jarring contrasts. During Becca’s pregnancy, I was holed up writing my book “100 Under $100: One Hundred Tools for Empowering Global Women,” featuring affordable solutions for helping the world’s poorest women work their way out of extreme poverty. In many regions of the world, birthing mothers and their babies routinely die from complications that can be prevented with tools that cost less than a latte. Joyfully tracking a North American pregnancy while writing about women and newborns denied even the basics of prenatal and newborn care certainly highlights the inequity of the global birth lottery. […]
Featured on Book Q&As With Deborah Kalb
Laskhmi Venkata, a widow who has inherited her husband's property, can now support her sons. Photo: Deborah Esposito [...]
Congratulations to Photographer Deborah Espinosa – Also Featured in 100 Under $100
Debbie Espinosa's USAID winning photo. One of my favorite tasks in researching 100 Under $100 was the photo [...]
Bringing 100 Under $100 to the University of Delaware
Author Betsy Teutsch discusses entrepreneurship and innovation in the empowerment of women worldwide. 3:03 p.m., March 25, 2015--The [...]
Marsha Wallace: 100 Under $100 Offers Proven, Practical, and Powerful Ideas
Marsha Wallace, co-founder of Dining For Women, now over 8000 members strong with 400+ chapters. A review by [...]
Launching 100 Under $100 with Dining For Women and Whole Planet Foundation
My book's official launch was for International Women's Day. To celebrate this, I was invited to a Dining For Women [...]
Women Voting: Ballot Box Power
Voters celebrate their first election day. Photo: Gender Concerns Women have voting rights in most countries, but are [...]
Widows: It’s Time for Inheritance Rights Reform
Photo: UN Women /Gaganjit Singh The number of widows worldwide is rising, due to the demographics of women [...]
Land Titles: Prosperity Boosters
Champa Sabar, a farmer in Odisha, India, shows her new land title, which is in the joint name of [...]
Combatting Sextrafficking
A camera at a border crossing in Nepal helps deter sextrafficking. PHoto: K.I. Nepal Sextrafficking preys on young [...]
Working to End Violence Against Women
Photo: Half the Sky Movement There are many legal tools to address violence against women; some already exist [...]
End Forced Girl Marriages
In rural Rajasthan, India, Vijaylaxmi Sharma, 24, who escaped her own child marriage ten years ago, helps save other [...]
Universal Birth Registration: Gateway to the Goodies
Refugees from Myanmar lining up to register their babies as Thai citizens, Photo: UNHCR/Kibae Park Without official birth [...]
Fair Trade: Connecting Producer to Consumer
Ecuadoran Roses from Hoja Verde Growers Fairtrade certification tracks products from growers or artisans to their final purchasers. [...]
Microfranchises: Supply Chain Management Meets the Kiosk
A Jita saleswomen shows her wares, Bangladesh. Photo: Hafiz One of the great challenges of poverty alleviation is [...]
