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africa now COMPILED BY OSWALD T. BROWN, WI CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Activists Raise Alarm Over Increasing Femicide Cases
Activists and Champions against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Rwanda and other countries have recommended mechanisms for the early detection of women who are affected by violence, addressing the root causes of violence against women and girls, and ensuring access to justice, The New Times, Rwanda’s leading daily newspaper, reported on Sunday, December 4, 2022. The reactions follow findings from a new study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women, which shows that, on average, more than five women or girls were killed every hour by someone in 5 Delegates follow a presentation during a meeting their own family in 2021. on Gender-Based Violence in Kigali on Friday, The report informs this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based December 2. Violence, an international campaign that kicked off on November 25.
An estimated 81,100 women and girls were killed intentionally last year as women and girls were particularly affected by gender-based violence in their own homes, according to the findings.
Of all the women and girls intentionally killed last year, some 56% or 45,000 out of 81,000 were killed by intimate partners or other family members showing that home is not a safe place for many women and girls.
Meanwhile, the report shows 11% of all male homicides are perpetrated in the private sphere.
The report stressed that although its findings on femicide were "alarmingly high," the real figures were likely to be much higher.
Africa was the second-deadliest continent when it came to family violence against women and girls, with 17,200 recorded victims, according to the report.
The report says that this year’s figures also show that over the past decade, the overall number of female homicides has remained largely unchanged, underscoring the urgency to prevent and respond to this scourge with stronger actions.
“Even though these numbers are alarmingly high, the true scale of femicide is higher. Too many victims of femicide still go uncounted – given inconsistencies in definitions and criteria amongst countries, for roughly four in ten women and girls killed intentionally in 2021, there is not enough information to identify them as femicide, especially for those killings happening in the public sphere,” reads the report.
As for regional disparities, while femicide is a problem that concerns every single country in the world, the report shows that in absolute numbers, Asia recorded the largest number of gender-related killings in the private sphere in 2021, whereas women and girls were more at risk of being killed by their intimate partners or other family members in Africa.
In 2021, the rate of gender-related killings in the private sphere was estimated at 2.5 per 100,000 female population in Africa, compared with 1.4 in the Americas, 1.2 in Oceania, 0.8 in Asia and 0.6 in Europe. WI
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Bahamas and Saudi Arabia Sign MOU on Knowledge Sharing in Tourism
The Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (MOTIA) and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the field of tourism during a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the World Travel and Tourism Global Summit held November 28 to December 1, 2022. Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper (left), who is also Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, announced the signing of the MOU in a statement released in Nassau on Friday, December 2. The statement explained that the MOU is a pledge that puts tourism to the forefront of the economic development and promotional relationships between the two countries.
DPM Cooper, who headed The Bahamas’ delegation that participated in the summit, said the agreement “between the two countries is about coordinating and unifying efforts to achieve sustainable tourism development, whilst always being considerate of local traditions and social values.”
“The WTTC Global Summit has been a great opportunity for myself and fellow ministers and delegates to share knowledge, experience and ideas on a global level across the tourism sector,” DPM Cooper said.
“We are delighted to be forging these international relations to the benefit of global tourism and the memorandum of understanding between The Bahamas and Saudi Arabia is a clear way to demonstrate that international collaboration,” Cooper continued. “
“We have much experience in the tourism sector and this agreement will enable us to share our insight whilst working towards the same global goals.” WI THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
December 2022 Message from Department of Aging and Community Living
INTERIM DIRECTOR JESSICA SMITH
Happy holidays, seniors!
While it’s always true, the holiday season is a reminder of just how important it is to be around the ones we love. Loved ones are often more than just our family and friends – they are our neighbors, our care providers, and new friends we have yet to meet. Many of those same neighbors, care providers, and new friends will be at the Mayor’s Senior Holiday Celebration! This annual celebration is the perfect place to be surrounded by love, friendship, and fellowship. It’s the place many of you have made lifelong friendships, got enrolled into programs to help you age the way you choose, reconnected with services you haven’t engaged with in a while, and of course danced the afternoon away!
As the Interim Director, I’m particularly excited for this year’s celebration. We’re going back to the DC Armory and we have so much in store for you. With more than 80 community and government services and a variety of entertainment, this year’s celebration will be nothing short of amazing. And if you’ve never had the experience of hundreds of people lined up cheering and thanking you for coming, I can promise you it’s one experience that’s unforgettable and not to be missed.
To register, give us a call at 202-727-8955 or visit www.tinyurl.com/holidaycelebration22. While vaccinations and masks are not required, we strongly encourage you to get vaccinated and bring your masks. And if you’re not fully vaccinated or in need of a booster, we’ll have a vaccination clinic on site for your convenience, so be sure to stop by to keep you and your loved ones safe this holiday season.
As we head into the winter season, we’re reminded of what this time of year means for some of us. It can be a time that feels lonely and isolated. But I want you to know that DACL and the entire District Government are here for you and there’s no better time to get connected. To learn about all the activities and events that are available to you, visit us at dacl.dc.gov or call us at 202724-5626.
See you December 6! Jessica Smith
EDUCATION
D.C. Students Showcase Their Artwork at Lidl’s at Skyland Town Center
James Wright WI Staff Writer
Four students from the District who are participants in Project Create, a youth-oriented arts education non-profit, made limited edition reusable charity tote bags
5 Akilah Daniels, Gabriel Trembath-Nicholson, Nyzear Allen and Zoe Amen outside of the Lidl at Skyland Town Center in southeast Washington. (Courtesy Photo/Lidl) that are available for sale only at the Lidl’s at Skyland Town Center
in southeast Washington.
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The Project Create students whose work appears on the bags are Akilah Daniels, 12; Gabriel Trembath-Nicholson, 12; Nyzear Allen, 13; and Zoe Amen, 13.
The bags are available for $3.99, Lidl company officials said. All of the sales of the bags will benefit Joyful Food Markets, a program supported by Martha’s Table, the Capital Area Food Bank and D.C. Health. Joyful Food Markets are free, pop-up monthly grocery markets designed to provide Ward 7 and 8 residents fresh fruits and vegetables.
Lidl Store Manager Malashia Mitchell praised the student at the unveiling on Dec. 7 at the Lidl.
“It has been a privilege working with Project Create and being able to see these young artists’ work come to life with the launch of these charity bags,” Mitchell said. “At Lidl, we are committed to supporting fresh, healthy, affordable options for the local community and we are thrilled to expand that access further through this initiative.”
Martha’s Table Interim President & CEO and Chief Program Officer Tiffany Williams said healthy food is essential for developing children and young adults.
“When children are nourished and full, they perform better in school and are more engaged in their communities,” Williams said. “Together with Lidl and Project Create, our mission to eliminate food insecurity can go further. Thank you to both organizations for their creativity and commitment to food access in the District of Columbia.”
The designs by the four students, nominated by Project Create, depict iconic scenes throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables available at the Skyland Lidl. Project Create Executive Director Christie Walser said the students’ artwork reflects the talent they possess.
“At Project Create, we see artistic genius in our students every day—we’re thrilled for a chance to share their amazing talent with our community,” Walser said. “Thank you to Lidl for the opportunity for these young people to do what they do best—create imaginative, clever and unique art for all to see and to be inspired by.”
WI @JamesWrightJr10
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STEM from Page 1
she spoke to students at Eliot-Hine Middle School in Northeast and conducted science experiments aligned with her experiences as an Olympic swimmer.
For Ledecky, a District native, seven-time Olympic gold medal winner, and Stanford University alumna, the Monday morning presentation provided ample opportunity to stress to young people the importance of STEM in their daily lives.
“We want our country to be successful and we want our young people to be the leaders of tomorrow. We need to continue to have great problem solvers,” Ledecky said.
“Looking at STEM careers encourages young people to focus on STEM,” she added.
“It’s also about trying to get more young girls and women into STEM fields and fill that gap. If I can encourage one young girl to pursue something in STEM, it’s awesome and has a ripple effect.”
For more than an hour, students watched Ledecky and Patti Duncan of Panasonic conduct various science experiments. One experiment about water absorbity highlighted why Ledecky and other competitive swimmers wear water-resistant swimsuits and shave the exposed parts of their body before entering the pool.
Other experiments involving water, balloons and fire highlighted the polarity of water and its ability to absorb energy. Students also used scientific reasoning to determine why Ledecky stays near the surface of the water while swimming.
Azola Burton, a sixth grader at Eliot-Hine, counted among the first students to participate in the science demonstration. He said that experience sparked a desire for similar activities in the classroom.
“I like how I went to the stage and they had everything set up and were very specific about what to do,” Azola said. “This type of science class was exciting. I like in-person experiences [where I get to] touch things. It helps me learn.”
A strong grasp of STEM concepts at the K-12 level increases a young person’s likelihood of successfully pursuing STEM-related degrees in college and entering what have become the more in-demand, economically vibrant fields.
However, American math and science standardized test scores haven’t increased in more than a decade, widening a job skills gap and placing the United States in the middle among its global competitors. Since the pandemic, there have been more openings for epidemiologists, medical sciences and biochemists, among other STEM professionals.
Black people account for less than 10% of the STEM workforce. A report compiled by the National Science Board earlier this year attributed this trend to persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities in STEM education that the pandemic exacerbated.
That’s why Alexis Fleming, a seventh grade life science teacher at Eliot-Hine said activities like what took place at Eliot-Hine can help young people improve their critical thinking and make observations about the world they navigate.
Fleming noted that the academy has pivoted toward an approach where teachers conduct experiments either before or while teaching the lesson. She described that as an acknowledgement of young people’s desire to ask questions.
“Hands-on experiments help to increase inquiry and curiosity. It’s not the final step,” Fleming said.
“The world is always changing and there is new technology. We need people who are confident and have some basic scientific knowledge to enter these conversations. We need people who are curious enough to dive deeper and learn more for the sake of solving problems.”
WI @SamPKCollins
5 Azola Burton, a sixth grade student at Eliot Hine Middle School participates in an experiment with Panasonic employee (right) Patti Duncan and seven-time Olympic winning medalist Katie Ledecky during an interactive STEM assembly on Dec. 5. (Marckell Williams/The Washington Informer)
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WORDS FROM THE EDITOR
Disrupting Disparities by Shaking off Fears
Dr. Shantella Y. Sherman WI Special Edition Editor
At the close of each year insurance companies and health care providers give patients an opportunity to change their coverage through “open enrollment.” Open enrollment coincides with the personal goals of many to improve their health by cutting out harmful habits and taking measure of their overall health through annual assessments and tests. Increasingly, this end-of-the-year 5 Dr. Shantella Sherman (Photo by India Kea) ritual fosters a level of dread or anxiety for those who do not trust or feel intimidated by health systems. Many of the health disparities facing the African American community have roots in a distrust of physicians or the lack of quality care they believe they are receiving (real or perceived) based on race.
Much of this fear surrounding healthcare has been squarely documented across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines. For instance, a 2017 Mayo Clinic report found that millions of Americans suffer through “hostage bargaining syndrome” in the company of doctors. Hostage bargaining syndrome is a form of fear and anxiety in the presence of healthcare professionals that leads patients to mask symptoms, attempt to ingratiate themselves to those who must care for them, or remain silent when they need assistance to avoid “bothering” or “upsetting” nursing or hospital staff.
One study respondent gave this example, which is considered a textbook example: “Immediately after undergoing major abdominal surgery, I overheard a nurse label me as “difficult” when I refused an attempted blood sample draw until I felt that my pain was more adequately controlled. I sat, wordless, as the surgical team she summoned interrogated me about my home pain regimen (there was none). I felt hopeless as they attributed my pain to an imagined tolerance to opioids. In that bed, in pain, I felt terribly, frighteningly vulnerable, dependent on strangers for my most basic needs in addition to their complex care. I felt powerless in a way that is impossible to imagine when one is in a privileged position of wholeness and well-being. I know this because after that comment, I pathetically tried to ingratiate myself to the care team,” the respondent noted. “I suppressed my fear and sadness, and attempted to make small talk with people who just moments earlier had made me feel belittled and somehow ashamed. I offered compliments and commiserated about burdensome charting responsibilities and unwieldy patient assignments. I believed that I needed to make them like me in order to receive their best care—in effect, to earn pain control through good behavior. I felt I had to prove to them that I was deserving.”
While the relationship between patient and physician requires open communication, it also demands an embrace of the Hippocratic oath to “do no harm,” as well as a bedside manner that recognizes that a person experiencing illness is vulnerable and weak.
Delia Lunger, a retired orthopedic surgeon said that she always found ways of making her patients feel comfortable and took extra time to ask about their sleeping habits, fears, and worries, to ensure they were comfortable enough to discuss their health in detail.
“We have other people’s lives in our hands and they are depending on us to not only do the job, but to be caring and loving in our engagements. With managed care, physicians are encouraged to see a set number of patients in a given time period; that is not always tenable,” Lunger said.
She said she often ran over scheduled appointments and worked into the late evenings to ensure every patient was seen and felt comfortable with the quality of care they received.
“When selecting a new physician, it is important to ask around about the doctor’s bedside manner – how much time do they spend with patients? Do they listen intently to the needs of the patient or are they overtalking them or assessing and writing prescriptions without a full picture? The other side of the coin, which is very important, is that patients must be open, honest, and persistent with having their health needs addressed. You cannot leave a physician’s office without a satisfactory treatment program or care solution.”
This Washington Informer health supplement encourages readers to find the help they need and address the fears they may have in seeking treatment. Being the best “you” possible requires taking charge and disrupting disparities.
Read, Learn & Grow Dr. Shantella Sherman
African American Health Disparities
By Lee Ross WI Staff Writer
One possible contributing factor: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says African Americans are more likely to die at early ages for all causes, as young African Americans are living with diseases that are typically more common at older ages for other races. High blood pressure is common in 12 percent vs. 10 percent of blacks vs. whites aged 18-34 years, respectively. High blood pressure is common in 33 percent vs. 22 percent of those aged 35-49 years, respectively.
Black patients represent as much of a third of all patients in the U.S. receiving dialysis for kidney failure, though they don’t represent anywhere near that proportion of the U.S. population, they added. Individuals who are black alone, the Office of Minority Health says, make up 12.7 percent of the U.S. population. A white paper from Cigna went further, acknowledging mental health disparities between African Americans and white patients. They noted blacks are 20 percent more likely to report psychological distress and 50 percent less likely to receive counseling or mental health treatment due to the aforementioned underlying socioeconomic factors.
Another area of health care where there is disparity is renal disease. African Americans can suffer from kidney failure at as much as 3 times the rate of Caucasians, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
The CDC
said that social factors compared to others in the U.S., specifically whites, affect African Americans at younger ages: unemployment, living in poverty, not owning a home, cost-prohibitive effects of trying to see an MD, smoking, inactive lifestyle, or obesity.
Diabetes is common in 10 percent of blacks aged 35-49 compared to 6 percent of whites. Stroke is present in 0.7 percent of blacks aged 18-34 compared to 0.4 percent of whites the same age. Stroke is common in 2 percent of African Americans compared to 1 percent of whites aged 35-49 and 7 percent vs. 4 percent , respectively, in those aged 50-64.
HEALTHIER Together VIRTUAL S eries
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