News headlines for “Free Trade and Globalization”, page 11
Africa at the Epicenter of Child Labour Crisis as Migration Fuels Exploitation
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, February 13 (IPS) - Although global rates of child labour have declined since 2020, the practice remains a serious and persistent violation of children’s rights, undermining their safety, social development, and long-term economic stability. These risks are intensified by structural pressures— poverty, climate shocks, protracted conflict, and unsafe migration— that continue to push vulnerable children into crisis, and in some cases, trafficking and exploitation. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns that African countries remain among the most affected regions, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated policy action, cross-border cooperation, and sustained investment to protect children on the move and those at risk of labour exploitation.
Fragile Progress in Gaza Humanitarian Response Undermined by Rampant Insecurity
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, February 11 (IPS) - Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in October of last year, humanitarian conditions in Gaza have notably improved — but aid agencies warn that progress is extremely fragile. Acute shortages of lifesaving medical care and psychosocial support persist, hunger remains widespread, with conditional cash assistance as the primary barrier preventing full-scale food insecurity, while Israeli attacks continue to undermine stability and humanitarian efforts.
Bridging the Capital Gap: Strategic Public-Private Partnerships Invest in Young Agri-entrepreneurs
- Inter Press Service

NAIROBI, February 11 (IPS) - The global aid system is crumbling amidst chronic underinvestment in rural areas, posing a systemic threat to food systems everywhere.
Trade Liberalisation Undermines Development
- Inter Press Service

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines, February 10 (IPS) - Despite lacking both evidence and theory, many economists claim trade liberalisation accelerates development. But only a few economies have gained many jobs from external market access.
UN social policy commission closes with calls to turn pledges into action
- UN News

With inequality deepening and trust in public institutions under strain, the UN’s main forum on social policy wrapped up its annual session on Tuesday with a renewed push to turn global commitments on social justice into action.
Women and girls in science: Dismantling barriers, closing gender gaps
- UN News

Although women are more likely than young men to pursue higher education, they make up only 35 per cent of science graduates.
In Bahrain; work, dignity and the quiet rise of home-grown enterprise
- UN News

From a crochet hook in a Cairo living room to digital marketplaces reaching across borders, women entrepreneurs are demonstrating how creativity, persistence and targeted support can translate into livelihoods — even when formal employment is out of reach.
A Business Necessity: Align With Nature or Risk Collapse, IPBES Report Warns
- Inter Press Service

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe & MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, February 9 (IPS) - Business can still remain profitable while protecting the environment but invest in nature-positive operations, says a landmark report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which finds that global companies have contributed to the escalating loss of biodiversity.
‘When Rains Come, Our Hearts Beat Faster’
- Inter Press Service

SRINAGAR & NEW DELHI, February 9 (IPS) - When the rain begins in Kashmir’s capital Srinagar, Ghulam Nabi Bhat does not watch the clouds with relief anymore. He watches them with calculation. How much can the gutters take? How fast will the river rise? Which corner of the house will leak first? Where should the children sleep if the floor turns damp?
When Protection Meets the Sea: Rethinking Marine Protected Areas with Fishing Communities
- Inter Press Service

DELHI, February 5 (IPS) - Melanie Brown has been fishing salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska, for more than 30 years. An Indigenous fisherwoman and a coordinating committee member of the World Forum of Fisher Peoples, she speaks about the sea with deep care and lived knowledge.

