2016 has been a challenging year for both long-term development and humanitarian work, and yet another busy year for Oxfam. The Policy & Practice blog has covered some of the most diverse and varied content yet. Here are some of the teams’ favourite posts, covering topics from inequality to women’s rights.
Masuma Seper, 15, trains in the gym at The National Stadium in Kabul as part of the Afghan Amateur Women’s Boxing Association. Credit: Abbie Trayler-Smith
January: Our stats struck a nerve, now let’s hit back against inequality
“The world’s 62 richest people own the same wealth as 3.6 billion poorest people.” Find out how we calculated the killer stat during the World Economic Forum back in January.
February: Social change for and by young women
Ensuring young women’s rights activists get the funding they need is vital if we’re going to tackle the issue sustainably. Oxfam is collaborating with FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, The Global Fund for Women and the Young Foundation to pilot a new social innovation lab, Roots Lab.
March: What is protection anyway?
What is protection in humanitarian action and why is it relevant to your work? Oxfam released new materials to help those in the field understand how everything they do has the potential to reduce or increase risk for the people they work to support. This blog introduces why protection is important and how you can make sure it is part of your work.
Whatever is driving down wealth at the bottom is not having the same effect on the wealth at the top
April: Big food is improving but transformation is needed
The ‘Big 10’ food and beverage companies have come a long way in terms of their social and environmental policies, but more must be done. We took a look at the challenges ahead.
May: European countries need to return to humanitarian principles
As world leaders and humanitarian actors met for the very first World Humanitarian Summit, we called for European leaders to uphold human rights in the migration crisis. Claire Seaward, Humanitarian Campaign Manager, delved into the details of opportunities and challenges for the summit.
June: Getting technical in East Africa
Context is critical and mass-market products are rarely adapted for vulnerable beneficiaries. We joined INGOs, local civil society groups and technology providers to discuss the future of ICTs in East Africa.
“The backbone of innovation is collaboration: To find innovative solutions, we need to bring people and ideas together, often in unexpected ways.”
July: How to explain systems change to a thirteen year old
Communication of ideas is crucial to the success of collaboration. With the help of some teenagers, the Rockafeller Foundation held a workshop to reflect on innovation-listening and systems mapping.
August: Let’s take a bigger leap for women with disabilities and economic empowerment
In August we launched Her Series, content designed to inform and influence the UN High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE). With contributions from across the sector, this particular piece highlighted a somewhat less talked about issue in WEE, disability. Hannah Loryman, from CBM, sheds light on some of the unique barriers faced by women with disabilities.
September: Real geek: I’ve got the power! Calculating statistical power for matching models by simulation
In September we launched Reak Geek, opinions research, measurement and evaluation. In this post Jonathan Lain, former Impact Evaluation Advisor with Oxfam, looks at how computer simulations might make power calculations easier.
A local women’s leader receives a call on her mobile phone while grazing her livestock in Mairowa Chini, Tanzania. Credit: Geoff Sayer
October: Outed “locker room talk” is strengthening global movement to stop violence against women
Oxfam GB’s Director of Women’s Rights and Gender Justice Nikki van de Gaag, explores how the events surrounding the US Presidential campaign can help end violence against women around the world.
November: The gap widens between the UKs national living wage and the real living wage
Work is not always a route out of poverty and right now, the UK is facing some challenging times with regards to wages. This blog explores the difference between the UK’s National living wage and the real living wages.
December: The Right to Defend Human Rights in an Unequal World: The case of Mexico
All human rights activists take risks to carry out their work but this is especially true for women and women’s rights activists. This piece from Oxfam Mexico called on states to protect all activists, especially the most vulnerable, such as those defending land and women’s rights.