Madagascar is one of the many victims of colonialism, which played a huge role in making Madagascar …show more content…
It has been a major problem over decades, and is perpetuated by extreme poverty and government corruption, along with French colonialism. People have cut down the forests, resulting in massive destruction of the rainforests of Madagascar. The drift of population to the towns, industrial expansion, and the conversion to farmland has led to the destruction of the forest. Biologically, Madagascar is one of the richest areas on earth, which is full of approximately five percent of the world’s species and 8,000 endemic species of flowering plants (New Scientist, 1990), but rapid deforestation caused by the needs of the immense population in this developing country and economic downturn have threatened the natural habitat of Madagascar. In French Madagascar since 1896, the Malagasy forests have rapidly been depleted due to logging for shifting cultivation, fuel wood gathering, and mining. In 1985, only 34% of the original forests existing in Madagascar remained, and this demolition is mainly for economic reasons (Economic Geography 1993). From the beginning of colonial rule, a lot of people fled to the forests and survived as shifting cultivators. They were very short of rice, while the state was eager to increase revenues through trade with France, and other European countries and Africa. This hardship forced people to exchange natural resources for their income, and the construction of …show more content…
The issue of gender and of women’s status exceeds education, and in 2005, United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) launched effective initiatives to improve the quality of education for both girls and boys. Regarding girls’ education, its key barriers are poverty and parents’ perceptions of the value of education, and economic factors affecting adolescents including household income. In 2006, UNGEI conducted a series of studies to identify significant factors impacting on girls’ education, and it presented a resolution “girl-to girl strategy” pairing older girls with younger girls in order to create a peer support network, which helps younger girls stay in school. Parents and local authorities also have provided special protection for the needs of girls. In addition to these initiatives, since 2002, the Ministry of Education has legislated primary school registration free of charge, enhancing school enrolments. (United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative.