I was surprised at how easy it was for me to get married. There were a few bureaucratic hurdles to get a marriage license, and then we had a sentimental ceremony with an officiant and witnesses followed by a party for friends and family. That was it. We were legally married. No one told me that getting married would affect my future property rights. Since I did not have any property at the time it was also not something that I focused on.
The cupcake tier wedding trend.
As the end of a year approaches, we instinctively take stock of what we accomplished and what will make it to our list of resolutions for next year. But, once in a while, it’s good to take a broader view than just year-to-year.
Stories and anecdotes of how migrants contribute to our economies are everywhere. A recently released McKinsey Global Institute report put some numbers to it. Migrants account for only 3.4% of the global population but produce 9.4% of the world output, or some $6.7 trillion. That’s almost as large as the size of the GDP of France, Germany and Switzerland combined. Compared to what they would’ve produced had they stayed at home, they add $3 trillion – that’s about the economic output of India and Indonesia combined.
"Every time you think you've reached the end of that long dead-end street, you slip around the edge, past that stopping point. And at the end of your life, all the things you thought were periods, they turn out to be commas. There was never a full stop to any of it."
This is the fifteenth in our series of job market posts this year.
For better or for worse, social norms have profound influence on many of the decisions we make—from political to personal. These norms can be particularly influential when it comes to making decisions surrounding child rearing, including the decision parents make to participate in the practice of female genital cutting (FGC). Parents living in communities that practice FGC—located primarily in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia—decide whether or not their daughter will undergo FGC based on social pressure and the perceived costs and benefits of adhering to or deviating from the social norm.
The practice has no known medical benefits, and it is associated with a wide range of health complications, both physical and psychological. Women who undergo FGC are more than twice as likely to experience birthing complications (Jones et al., 1999), and are 25 percent more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases (Wagner, 2014). In addition, women who have undergone FGC are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Dorkenoo, 1999; Behrendt & Moritz, 2005). These health complications make working in and outside of the household more difficult.
In observance of the International Migrants Day, Dec 18
The Indian government issued orders withdrawing the validity of existing high denomination (Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000) currency notes on 8th November 2016. Newer currency notes (Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000) were issued subsequently. The move was aimed at tackling counterfeit currency notes and those hoarding untaxed or illicit income. The impact on formal international inward remittances was minimal. MTOs doing cash payouts were impacted in the short run due to unavailability of large denomination currency. Families of migrants also reported problems in withdrawing remittances from ATMs. Formal international outflows were not affected since these are usually made out of bank accounts.
In observance of the International Migrants Day, Dec 18
We live in an increasingly globalizing world, characterized by the transnational movement of goods, services, people and ideas. Yet, the merits of international migration have been underestimated. In fact, migration has recently been at the wrong end of the stick; its discourse the world over driven by political rhetoric with populism, xenophobia, issues of security and the flag of sovereignty and nationality as its principal tools.
The World Development Indicators database has been updated. This is a regular quarterly update to over 800 indicators and includes both new indicators and updates to existing indicators.
This release features new external debt data from the International Debt Statistics database, and revised data for national accounts, PPP series, balance of payments, FDI inflows, remittances, and monetary indicators. Updates have also been made for government finance indicators, malnutrition series, education aggregates, Enterprise Surveys, commercial banks, refugees, high-technology exports, and other trade-related indicators. IDA and IBRD group data have been adjusted to reflect Syrian Arab Republic's reclassification as an IDA only country.
In observance of the International Migrants Day, Dec 18
Today, there are record-breaking numbers of people on the move. This has presented us with the challenge of translating movement into momentum for inclusive and sustainable development.
In observance of the International Migrants Day, Dec 18
The 9th Global Forum on Migration and Development marked a successful continuation of a global process that addresses one of the most contentious issues in the global development agenda. As States intensify efforts to define the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly, Regular Migration, there is a need to systematically identity core thematic elements, the normative framework, and a process of meetings and negotiations in the run-up to the proposed UN International Conference in 2018.
from Apr 17-21. Comment and engage with experts. 
