Roseline Orwa and Valentine Linet set out in June 2021 to understand how widows in rural Siaya were coping and managing during Covid-19. With majority being survivors of two pandemics – HIV and Covid-19, we asked them how they wanted to engage. From which we employed deep sensitivity and a story telling approach during one-on-one interviews. In this blog, we …
Will the Generation Equality Forum deliver for women’s Rights?
The global movement for gender equality, also known as the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) is now in full speed. It is structured around six Action Coalitions: innovative multi-stakeholder partnerships involving governments, international organizations, civil society and youth-led organizations, as well as private sector companies and philanthropic foundations. It is the continuation of efforts toward keeping the promises of the Beijing Platform …
Change in social norms around men’s unpaid care work
Social norms which restrict men’s participation in unpaid care work need to change in order to achieve gender equality. But, how do these norms change? Lucia Rost shares insight from research in northern Uganda. Domestic work and caring for people is crucial to society and the economy. Across the world, women undertake more than three-quarters of unpaid care. This perpetuates …
3 Key Lessons from the Pandemic – Valuing Women’s Work Community Learning
What a difference a year makes. Back in early 2020, reports of an emerging virus were starting to enter the news, but we had little appreciation of the scale of impact from the ensuing global pandemic, and how within Oxfam, Covid-19 would fundamentally change our ways of working. As we reflect on the year, here are some key lessons from …
We are in it together: Feminist activists in MENA united
Many social media followers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) would recognize names such as Israa Ghrayeb from Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), or Al-Anoud Sheryan from Yemen or Tara Fares from Iraq. These are young women in their twenties who were disfigured or killed by a family member or an intimate partner. Their stories shocked people and devastated women rights activist across the region. …
Transformative leadership is not just a buzzword
Since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a terrifying reality worldwide, women have organised together across environmental, anti-racist, labour and political movements to provide immediate local care and support to those affected. They have reimagined the deep, fundamental changes we need for a shared future that is more just, safe and kind. These include formal strategy propositions like the Hawaii State …
My journey as a female logistician at Oxfam
Yasmin is a Humanitarian Support Personnel (HSP) Logistician for the Global Humanitarian Team (GHT) since 2016. She is from Bangladesh and has worked in the major humanitarian emergency responses and development programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Nepal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somaliland, Jordan, and Yemen. Logistics and women Logistics is at the heart of lifesaving work in the humanitarian sector. In …
From burden to benefit: Reframing the conversation on care
If I said you could either invest in something that is essential or something that is a burden, which would you choose? I’m guessing most people would choose the former. How we frame things matters. From political slogans to hashtags to social justice campaigns, anyone who has tried to compel others into action knows that the words we choose are …
The struggle of Yemeni women between war and harmful social norms
Armed conflict, poverty, hunger and economic crisis have been severely affecting the lives Yemeni people over the past six years. Around 80% of the Yemeni population require some form of humanitarian or protection assistance, this means 24 million people, including 14.3 million in acute need. GBV is wide-spread in Yemen In the Yemeni context, gender-based violence (GBV) is a very …
How can we create Feminist Futures?
This episode hosts a conversation recorded last September 2020 during a virtual encounter around Creating Feminist Futures. María Faciolince, our host and moderator, is joined by three visionary feminists from around the world: Crystal Simeoni (Director at Nawi: Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective), Meera Ghani (Policy coordinator at Ecolise, Co-founder of Moxie Consultancy Collective) and Maria José Moreno (Global Gender Justice Director at Oxfam International). One of the …