Points of Progress: From Alaska to Nepal, edging towards equity
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Noah Robertson Correspondent
1. United States
Joining Maryland and New Hampshire, Alaska became the third state to prevent employers from paying a subminimum wage to workers with disabilities.聽Before the change, employers could apply for a waiver to pay workers below the state鈥檚 minimum wage 鈥� a step very few companies actually took. 鈥淗istorically, minimum wage exemptions were considered necessary to help people with disabilities gain employment,鈥� says a statement released by the state鈥檚 labor department. 鈥淓xperience over the past two decades has shown that workers with disabilities can succeed in jobs earning minimum wage or more.鈥� ()
2. Britain
Why We Wrote This
This is more than feel-good news 鈥� it's where the world is making concrete progress. A roundup of positive stories to inspire you.
State schools and colleges in England will offer students free sanitary products through a program funded by the country鈥檚 Education Department.聽Designed to fight 鈥減eriod poverty,鈥� which can lead girls from low-income families to miss school, the program will make the products available to an estimated 1.7 million students. It also aims to reduce stigmas associated with menstruation and raise awareness about the issue. England follows Scotland鈥檚 similar legislation from 2018. At the time of publication, Scotland鈥檚 legislature had also preliminarily passed a bill to provide free sanitary products in designated public places 鈥� becoming the first nation in the world to pass such legislation. (, )
3. South Georgia
Researchers spotted an 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� 55 blue whales during a survey around the coastal waters of South Georgia, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean.聽After only two of the critically endangered species were seen during a similar survey in 2018, the findings suggest the area remains a valuable summer feeding ground for blue whales, the researchers say. Blue whales were nearly hunted into extinction during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when, according to some estimates, their numbers dropped by almost 97%. Since then, stricter whaling regulations have led to a slow population recovery. ()
4. Senegal
Senegal opened West Africa鈥檚 first major wind farm in the rural area of Taiba N鈥橠iaye, meaning 30% of the country鈥檚 electricity will come from renewable sources.聽One-third of the farm鈥檚 46 turbines are now operating, with the rest poised to come online by June. At full capacity, the farm will generate a sixth of Senegal鈥檚 total energy, provide enough power for 2 million people, and save more than 300,000 metric tons of carbon emissions a year. A representative from the state power company says the next goal is to expand access to electricity, which currently reaches just 60% of the population.聽()
5. India
Faced with mounting agricultural costs posed by climate change, more than 1,000 farmers in India鈥檚 state of Odisha have begun resowing indigenous seeds, which advocates say bring ecological and social benefits.聽Compared with the high-yielding variety of seeds distributed by the government, the traditional seeds are more resistant to shifts in climate and less likely to cause environmental degradation, studies show. Farmers in the 18 villages that began planting the seeds last year in partnership with the nonprofit Nirman have reported higher yields, restored ecosystems, and a renewed sense of community centered on long-held farming traditions. ()
6. Nepal
Nepal will for the first time count LGBTQ people in its next census, scheduled for July 2021. The change, which adds a category of 鈥渙thers鈥� to the existing options of male and female, will likely help the country鈥檚 LGBTQ people gain better access to health care, education, and welfare services.聽Still, activists criticized the government鈥檚 conflation of sexual orientation and gender identity. Despite continued discrimination against more than 900,000 LGBTQ people within the country, Nepal has grown increasingly progressive on issues relating to gender and sexuality 鈥� following a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2007 that required equal rights for LGBTQ citizens. ()
