Purpose This study examines the entrepreneurial experiences of displaced women in Ethiopia through an intersectional lens, analysing how gender, displacement, religion and socio-economic status shape their agency and constraints. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative research design, employing in-depth interviews with displaced women entrepreneurs. Thematic analysis was used to explore how intersecting identities influence their entrepreneurial trajectories. Findings Findings reveal that displaced women entrepreneurs navigate overlapping layers of disadvantage – including patriarchal norms, economic precarity and religious expectations – while also exercising agency within these constraints. Many women reinterpret religious and cultural norms as enablers rather than barriers to entrepreneurship, demonstrating a nuanced negotiation of empowerment. Additionally, systemic barriers such as legal illiteracy, financial exclusion and ethnic discrimination exacerbate their economic vulnerability, necessitating tailored policy interventions. This study identifies the importance of context-specific support mechanisms that acknowledge the paradox of entrepreneurship as both an opportunity and a mechanism reinforcement of pre-existing inequalities. Research limitations/implications While this study provides valuable insights, its findings are context-specific and may not be generalisable to all displaced women entrepreneurs. Future research should explore diverse displacement contexts and examine how intersectionality interacts with broader political and economic structures. Policymakers and practitioners should prioritise gender-responsive, culturally sensitive entrepreneurial programs that recognise displaced women's unique challenges and aspirations. Originality/value This study contributes to intersectionality and entrepreneurship scholarship by extending theoretical frameworks to displacement contexts, illustrating how simultaneity, complexity, irreducibility and inclusivity manifest in displaced women's entrepreneurial experiences. It challenges binary understandings of empowerment and oppression, emphasising how women construct entrepreneurial agency within structural limitations.

The phenomenon of sandwich households those bearing dual economic burdens both upwards and downwards across generations has the potential to increase socio-economic vulnerability, yet remains underexplored in poverty-related studies. This research aims to analyze the characteristics of sandwich households and the factors influencing their poverty status in Bengkulu Province in 2024. Utilizing data from the 2024 National Socio-Economic Survey and a multinomial logistic regression approach, this study classified sandwich households into four economic status categories: poor, vulnerable-to-poverty, moving toward the middle-class, and middle-class. The findings reveal that households headed by individuals aged over 35, working as informal workers, having more than four dependents, and receiving social-economic assistance are more likely to fall into the poor and vulnerable-to-poverty groups. In addition, the low educational attainment of the household head significantly increases the risk of falling into the vulnerable category. These results indicate that there are opportunities for targeted policy interventions focusing on these at-risk groups through skills training, improved access to formal employment, and better-targeted social-economic assistance programs. Moreover, enhancing educational quality represents a vital long-term strategy to break the cycle of intergenerational economic vulnerability within sandwich households.

This study investigates the intricate relation between money laundering and financial instability in fragile states, particularly the impact of underground financial networks on loss of financial governance, resource misallocation, and loss of public confidence in the financial system. Purpose: This study examines how money laundering fosters shadow wealth, spurs inflationary pressures and reduces the effectiveness of monetary policy. Method: The study adopts a mixed‑ methods research design, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research follows an explanatory sequential design and uses both quantitative and qualitative data. Results: It analyses how politically exposed individuals, informal financial networks, and cross‑ border transactions contribute to cycles of financial opacity and economic vulnerability. The paper reveals three main channels through which money laundering directly leads to instability. First, a decrease in tax revenue and, as an outcome, rising fiscal deficits. Secondly, a destabilisation of banking sectors due to the expansion of illicit credits and bad loans. Finally, capital flight and devaluation influence. The paper also examines the issues of resource scarcity for financial intelligence units and central banks in identifying and countering irregular financial activities. Contributions: This study suggests policy options that include regional cooperation instruments, strengthening law enforcement capacities, and incorporating anti-money laundering measures into financial inclusion policies. Reinforcing legal and institutional capacities and using digital tools for transaction tracking seems essential to countering the destabilising impact of money laundering. The results indicate the great need for comprehensive, context-sensitive policies regarding the disruption of the money laundering process and ensuring the financial stability in vulnerable regions.

Socio economic vulnerability and forgone health care among tribal population: a cross-sectional study from a block of Nagpur district in central India

Psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) is more prevalent than physical IPV and often has more severe consequences for both physical and mental health. This study aimed to examine the specific impact of psychological IPV on perceived general health and depression among pregnant and non-pregnant women in Stockholm, Sweden. Data were collected from 5714 women (2342 non-pregnant and 3372 pregnant) through a survey distributed at women's health clinics. The questionnaire included items on sociodemographic characteristics, self-rated health, and exposure to IPV. For non-pregnant women, IPV exposure referred to the previous year; for pregnant women, it referred to the year before pregnancy. A total of 167 (2.9%) women reported exposure to psychological IPV only. Among them, 60 experienced frequent and 91 occasional psychological IPV. Logistic regression analyses showed that psychological IPV was significantly associated with poor general health and severe depression. While no consistent dose-response pattern was observed across all health outcomes, frequent psychological IPV was linked to a higher risk of sick leave among non-pregnant women, suggesting more severe health consequences compared with occasional exposure. Women exposed solely to psychological IPV face health risks comparable to those exposed to combined forms of IPV. Psychological violence should be recognised as a serious public health issue, contributing not only to depression and poor general health but also to impaired work capacity and economic vulnerability.

This text analyzes the historical roots and contemporary manifestations of Kyrgyzstan's key problems: political instability, economic vulnerability, migration, poverty, environmental challenges, and gender inequality. Drawing on post-Soviet heritage and data from 2020–2025, it highlights the impact of revolutions, external shocks (the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine), and climate change on the social fabric. The methodology combines a historical-comparative approach with an analysis of statistical data and reports from international organizations. Key conclusions suggest that institutional reforms, economic diversification, and regional cooperation are essential for sustainable development to overcome cycles of instability and inequality.

Contemporary European societies face overlapping societal challenges—ecological degradation, immigration pressures, and widening economic inequality—which generate a pervasive climate of uncertainty affecting citizens’ perceptions of their own life conditions. This study investigates how social pessimism, conceptualised as a multidimensional orientation reflecting perceived threats across environmental, migratory, and distributive domains, relates to subjective financial insecurity at the individual level. Drawing on harmonised cross-national data from the CRONOS-II panel (N = 8993), covering eleven European countries, we construct a composite pessimism index and analyse its association with perceived financial strain using multivariate and multilevel regression models. Results demonstrate that individuals who express greater societal pessimism report significantly higher levels of financial insecurity, even after controlling for income, education, employment status, and country-level heterogeneity. This relationship is moderated by socioeconomic position; specifically, the pessimism–insecurity link is strongest among lower-income and less-educated groups, suggesting that material precarity and anticipatory anxiety compound one another. Cross-national analysis reveals substantial variation in effect magnitude, with the strongest associations observed in Hungary, Portugal, and the Czech Republic, and the weakest in Slovenia and Iceland. These findings contribute to the interdisciplinary understanding of how macro-level societal concerns permeate individual wellbeing, demonstrating that subjective economic vulnerability is shaped not only by objective circumstances but also by the broader socio-political climate in which citizens interpret their life situations. The results underscore the need for policies that address both material conditions and the affective dimensions of societal uncertainty in order to strengthen social cohesion and reduce perceived economic risk. Theoretically, we frame social pessimism as a formative composite capturing perceived threat to societal stability, offering an integrative perspective on how structurally distinct societal concerns converge to shape economic subjectivities.

This study aims to objectively analyze the feasibility of prospective recipients of the Smart Indonesia Card Scholarship (KIP-K) by integrating the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The research dataset consists of 287 data on prospective scholarship recipients with 11 main attributes that reflect the socio-economic and academic conditions of students. The research process includes data collection, pre-processing, transformation of categorical attributes into numerical values using a linear weighting scheme, cluster analysis using DBSCAN, and candidate ranking using TOPSIS. DBSCAN is used to identify cluster patterns and detect anomalies in the data of potential recipients, while TOPSIS is used to rank candidates based on proximity to the ideal solution. The results of the grouping produced 10 clusters and one noise cluster that showed a variety of socio-economic characteristics of prospective scholarship recipients. The results of the ranking show that some of the candidates with the highest TOPSIS scores come from clusters with higher levels of economic vulnerability. In addition, some of the high-scoring candidates also came from the noise cluster, indicating that even though they did not belong to a particular group, they still met the eligibility criteria based on a multi-criteria evaluation. These findings show that the combination of DBSCAN and TOPSIS has the potential to support the process of analyzing the eligibility of scholarship recipients in a more systematic and data-driven manner.

ABSTRACT This article analyses the ways in which the perception of financial stress interferes vocational education students’ engagement and how this is related to educational intentions and trajectories and intentions to persist or drop out. The study is part of a broader investigation of VET students’ trajectories and transitions. An ad hoc questionnaire was administered to a sample of 2,482 students from six Spanish regions. The data analysis was organised in two phases: first, we sought to identify the demographic profile of students who reported financial stress in pursuing their studies, comparing this perception with their family context and academic trajectory variables; subsequently, a two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify differentiated student profiles. The results show that financial stress is concentrated in certain groups according to age, employment status and family background, and is associated with lower levels of academic satisfaction, self-efficacy and future aspirations. The cluster analysis yielded four student profiles with differentiated combinations of academic integration and economic vulnerability, one of which concentrated almost all dropout intentions. Results reveal the need to develop guidance and support policies that address the interaction between material conditions and academic factors to enhance persistence and wellbeing amongst VET-students in contexts of inequality.

This study explores the motivations behind Ghanaian women’s decisions to engage in surrogacy, a growing practice within the country’s assisted reproductive technology landscape. Using a phenomenological qualitative approach, 21 surrogates from three privately owned agencies in Accra were interviewed to uncover the underlying factors influencing their choices. Thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke’s framework, revealed three primary motivators: socio-economic factors, altruism, and religious beliefs. Financial incentives emerged as a significant driver, with participants citing surrogacy as a means to alleviate economic hardship, fund education, or support family needs. However, altruistic motivations were also prevalent, as some women expressed a deep empathy for childless couples and a desire to provide them with a sense of familial completeness. Religious motivations, rooted in Christian doctrines of love and service, further shaped the decisions of a subset of participants, who perceived surrogacy as a moral duty aligned with their faith. The findings underscore the complex interplay between economic vulnerability, cultural norms surrounding motherhood, and ethical considerations in shaping surrogacy decisions. The study situates these motivations within Ghana’s socio-economic context, highlighting how financial necessity intertwines with seemingly altruistic and religious frameworks. It concludes that while altruism and spirituality often surface as explicit motivations, economic realities play a critical underlying role, reflecting broader dynamics of commodification in global reproductive markets. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of surrogacy in Ghana, providing insights into the ethical and socio-economic dimensions of this reproductive practice.

BackgroundWomen living in rural agrarian reform communities face intersecting challenges related to social, economic, racial, and gender vulnerabilities, which significantly increase their likelihood of developing physical and mental health problems. Despite the potential of telephone-based interventions to promote mental health, there is a lack of studies assessing their feasibility and effectiveness among underserved populations in Brazil.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a telephone-based intervention on mental health outcomes among women living in a rural agrarian reform community in Brazil.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive, prospective pilot study with a pretest and posttest design. Data were collected at 3 time points: baseline, 1 week, and 1 month after the intervention. The outcomes assessed included quality of life, social support, self-efficacy, and common mental disorder symptoms. Nonparametric tests were used to analyze the data. The intervention consisted of 3 phone calls supported by a workbook, with content based on cognitive behavioral and psychiatric nursing principles.ResultsOf the 31 women enrolled, 23 (74.2%) completed all 3 phone-based sessions. There was a significant reduction in common mental disorder symptoms (Kendall W=0.280; P=.002), particularly in the somatic domain (P=.02). Moreover, participants reported improved perceptions of the physical domain of quality of life (Kendall W=0.131; P=.049). All women rated the intervention positively, with more than half emphasizing its practical usefulness.ConclusionsThe telephone-based intervention was feasible and showed promising results in improving mental health outcomes among women in a rural setting. These findings support integrating low-intensity, remote psychosocial strategies into primary health care, especially those led by nurses, to increase access to mental health promotion for vulnerable populations.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the multidimensional nature of the experience of old age and the effects of social changes on this experience through the film “Hanım.” The study aims to make the phenomena of aging, loneliness, social isolation, and social exclusion visible through cinema and to foster a better understanding of the psychosocial experiences of older individuals. Method: A thematic analysis approach was employed in the research. The 1990 film “Hanım” was selected as the sample because it reflects the effects of urbanization, modernization, and transformations in family structure on older adults. Scenes in the film were analyzed at the levels of scene, dialogue, and thematic units and evaluated from psychological, sociological, and gerontological perspectives. Results: The analysis identified the following core themes: elderly loneliness and social isolation, psychosocial effects, ageism, othering, devaluation, nostalgia for the past, elderly vulnerability, neglect and abuse, and end-of-life and preparation for death. The findings demonstrate that the experience of aging is not merely an individual process; rather, it exhibits a multi-layered structure shaped by the weakening of social relationships, economic vulnerability, the dissolution of family bonds, and societal attitudes. Conclusion: The film "Hanım" provides an important resource for understanding the effects of aging and social isolation in the 1990s. In this regard, it is recommended that cinematic narratives on aging be used as material in awareness-raising education and academic studies; that aging issues be addressed as a societal rather than an individual problem; and that empowering social policies, such as animal-assisted interventions, be developed.

Long COVID affects a substantial portion of the U.S. population. The emergence of the Omicron variant and persistent sociodemographic disparities may contribute to temporal and regional variation in long COVID risk. However, such spatiotemporal variation and related social determinants remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to examine spatiotemporal patterns of county-level long COVID incidence and to identify sociodemographic factors associated with these patterns before and after the emergence of the Omicron variant. This retrospective study utilized data from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C), covering 5,652,474 COVID-19 cases from 2020 to 2024 and 41,694 long COVID cases across 1063 U.S. counties from 2021 to 2024. Temporal patterns of long COVID were analyzed before and after the Omicron variant's emergence, and spatial patterns were assessed using Moran's I and Getis statistics. Bayesian spatial random effect models were employed to evaluate the associations between long COVID incidence and sociodemographic factors such as economic vulnerability, healthcare access, and mobility. Among 4,070,879 COVID-19 cases analyzed, quarterly long COVID incidence ranged from 0.015% to 14.29%. Before the emergence of the Omicron variant, incidence was 204 cases per 10,000 COVID-19 cases, compared with 248 cases per 10,000 COVID-19 cases after Omicron emergence (p < 0.001). Based on the Local Moran's I statistic, 48.8% (328 of 673) of counties showed significant spatial correlation (p < 0.05) after Omicron's emergence, up from 43.5% (293 of 673) prior. High-risk areas became more concentrated in inland regions, while low-risk areas clustered along the East Coast. Long COVID incidence was significantly associated with economic vulnerability, limited healthcare access, and mobility constraints, with these sociodemographic disparities consistently driving its spatial disparities over time. Subregional analyses revealed distinct regional differences in social drivers. These findings highlight pronounced spatiotemporal and regional disparities in long COVID incidence across the United States. Targeted public health interventions, particularly in economically and geographically vulnerable regions, are essential to ensure equitable access to diagnosis, care, and resource allocation. National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; National Institutes of Health; National Science Foundation.

The Spermonde Islands, a biodiversity-rich coastal area, face escalating ecological and socioeconomic pressures, such as overfishing, pollution, coral bleaching, and shifting fish patterns, which heighten the economic vulnerability of fisher households lacking alternative livelihoods and resilience to climate and economic shocks. This research aims to uncover the community decision-making pathways that shape local economic resilience in post-crisis areas by examining the processes, patterns, and factors that influence community collective decisions in response to ecological pressures and structural change. Using an exploratory qualitative approach based on a case study in the Spermonde Islands, data were collected through in-depth interviews. The results show that local economic resilience is shaped by three main decision paths, namely diversification of livelihoods to reduce vulnerability, strengthening social networks and local institutions as a collective mechanism to face uncertainty, and adjusting coastal resource utilization strategies to ecological change. This study emphasizes that the capacity of communities to make adaptive decisions is an important determinant in maintaining the economic sustainability of the post-crisis region and contributes to the development of community-based economic resilience theories and the formulation of coastal development policies that are responsive to climate change.

Local property tax reforms are increasingly promoted to strengthen fiscal autonomy in developing contexts, yet sharp tax increases often trigger community resistance when perceived as unfair and poorly communicated. This article examines the protest episode surrounding the PBB-P2 increase in Bone Regency, Indonesia, focusing on how structural conditions and mediated narratives shaped collective resistance. This research uses a qualitative case study design based on document and media text analysis, utilizing thematic, narrative, and media discourse analysis to trace the escalation pathways and the configuration of the actors involved. The results show that resistance developed incrementally, moving from public complaints to an organized protest peak on 13 August 2025. Farmers and small traders emerged as central actors, articulating economic vulnerability and fiscal injustice, while students functioned as brokers that amplified mobilization and legitimacy. The absence of effective socialization and the regent’s limited direct engagement contributed to a legitimacy deficit, accelerating escalation and disorder. These findings suggest that local taxation disputes become contentious politics when economic strain, perceived distributive injustice, and weak accountability mechanisms converge.

&lt;p class="ql-align-justify"&gt;This article examines the challenges and progress in achieving more equal access and a gradual move toward the universalization of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services in Spain, with a focus on the First Cycle (Primer Ciclo) of &lt;em&gt;Educación Infantil&lt;/em&gt;, which targets children aged 0–3. Quality interventions at this stage are crucial for holistic child development, promoting gender equality, and addressing the ongoing care crisis. To this end, recent developments in ECEC policy are reviewed and analyzed, highlighting the role of early education in mitigating social inequalities and the gradual expansion of publicly funded care services. Despite notable advances, significant disparities persist, especially among large families, single-parent households (predominantly headed by women), and groups facing economic vulnerability, migration-related barriers, or ethnic discrimination. These gaps reflect deeper structural gender inequalities rooted in the sexual division of reproductive labor and the unequal distribution of care responsibilities. Building on this, the article advocates for comprehensive public policies aimed at universalizing access, improving service quality, and promoting decent employment in the care sector. The establishment of Spain’s first National Care Strategy in 2022 marks a significant step toward cross-sector collaboration and a feminist transformation of care policy, articulated around the 5Rs of care (Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward, Represent) and aimed at advancing the defamilialization and defeminization of care provision through greater state involvement. Ultimately, the article calls for sustained political commitment to expanding equitable and high-quality ECEC as a social right and a pillar of social justice and the welfare state.&lt;/p&gt;

Despite the high number of news articles, images and public debate on forcibly displaced individuals, there is, with some rare exceptions, a lack of comprehensive surveys on their living conditions. In this context, our paper contributes to filling part of this gap by presenting the results of a new survey conducted in Italy in 2024 in the framework of the AVRAI research program. The survey collected responses from 1,327 adults with international protection or a history of seeking asylum, who arrived in Italy after 2011. This paper describes the main dimensions of vulnerability, offering insights on existing disparities based on gender and area of origin. Our survey reveals legal uncertainty, especially common among newcomers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and MENA countries. Health data shows that self-rated physical health is generally good but mental health outcomes are poorer, particularly among women, recent arrivals and those from Central and the Horn of Africa. Women also face greater employment challenges. Economic hardship is widespread, with over one-third experiencing severe material deprivation and high food insecurity, especially among Nigerians, Sub-Saharan Africans and MENA nationals. Despite adversities, many respondents show strong resilience, particularly those with higher education and coming from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Horn of Africa. About two thirds of respondents plan to remain in Italy and nearly two thirds feel welcome in Italy. However, discrimination and racism, especially against individuals of African origin, remain a significant concern. Although many express their satisfaction with life in Italy, experiences of exclusion are common. This survey sheds light on legal precarity, health risks, economic vulnerability, living conditions and lived experiences and perceptions in the peculiar Italian political, legal and administrative environment.

The study examines the determinants of dividends decisions alongside dividends derivatives in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Further the study explored the importance of dividends derivatives for companies listed on both Stock Exchanges. The study was based on a mixed methods research approach. The research used simple random sampling of non-financial firms for the determination of dividend decisions. Documentary review research was also deployed in assessing the significance of dividends derivatives. The study was based on a sample of 27 companies listed on the Botswana and Zimbabwe Stock exchanges. Unit root analysis, test of normality, test of fixed effects and Granger causality tests were applied to evaluate the determinants of the of dividend decisions. Logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate the determinants of dividend decisions in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Granger causality was deployed to investigate the impact of short-term relationships influencing the propensity for dividend payout. The binary logit study revealed that the significant positive determinants of dividends payout were past dividends, investors preferences, derivative hedge and industry type. The fixed effect model revealed that a Chief Financial O possessing more than 15 years of experience, had a significant positive propensity for dividend payout in both countries. Firm size and free cash flows were viewed as having a significant and negative propensity for dividend payout from the fixed effect model. The determinants of dividend derivatives were identified as the rise of decrement indices, economic uncertainties and pandemic risks. The benefits of dividend derivatives were found as protection of investors against dividend risks during periods of existential threats, economic vulnerabilities and uncertainties.

ABSTRACT The current research examines the relationship between Information and Communications Technology (ICT) development and economic and political vulnerability in developed and developing countries. We use ICT, economic and political vulnerability data that are publicly available and perform a country-level analysis. Our findings contribute to the existing literature on the impact of country-level ICT development on economic and political fragility by empirically validating a research model that explores the links between different aspects of ICT development and economic and political fragility. Our results show that ICT development is pivotal not only for economic stability but for ensuring political stability as well. Moreover, our findings indicate that improved ICT costs, access, use, and skills of a nation can reduce both economic and political fragility.

This study aims to analyze the level of financial literacy and examine its influence on the household welfare of vegetable farmers. Agricultural households, particularly smallholder vegetable farmers, frequently experience economic vulnerability due to several structural challenges such as unstable agricultural income, seasonal production patterns, fluctuating market prices, limited access to formal financial services, and inadequate financial management skills. These conditions often make farm households more susceptible to economic shocks, including crop failure, input price increases, or sudden market price declines. In this context, financial literacy becomes an essential capability that enables farmers to manage their financial resources more effectively.This research employed a quantitative research design using a survey approach. The study involved 120 vegetable farmers selected as respondents from major vegetable-producing areas. Data were collected through structured questionnaires designed to measure farmers’ financial literacy levels and household welfare conditions. Financial literacy was assessed through indicators such as financial knowledge, financial behavior, and financial attitudes, while household welfare was evaluated based on indicators including consumption stability, education and health expenditures, savings capacity, and overall economic resilience. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to describe the characteristics and financial literacy levels of respondents, and multiple linear regression analysis to examine the relationship between financial literacy and household welfare.The results of this study highlight the importance of strengthening financial education programs targeted at agricultural communities. Improving financial literacy among vegetable farmers can contribute not only to better household financial management but also to broader rural economic development. Therefore, financial education initiatives should be integrated into agricultural extension programs, farmer group activities, and local government development strategies. Such initiatives may include training in household financial planning, simple bookkeeping for farm businesses, savings management, and responsible credit use. By enhancing farmers’ financial capabilities, these programs can help improve household welfare, strengthen rural economic resilience, and support the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector.