Since 2014, Oxfam’s Even It Up campaign has been pressing governments to tackle economic inequality because it is hindering efforts to end poverty. Recent World Bank estimates show that according to current economic growth predictions – and if present levels of inequality remain unchanged – in 2030 about 6.5% of the global population will still be living in extreme poverty. …
Why women humanitarian workers matter
August 19 is World Humanitarian Day, when we mark the work done by humanitarian staff all over the world, who often risk their lives to support people affected by crises. This year is dedicated to women; the thousands of women working on the front lines in their own communities in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous places. Women …
5 Top Tips for Designing Research to change Social Norms on Gender (or anything else)
Anam Parvez Butt is a Gender Justice Research Lead in the research team at Oxfam GB. Gopika Bashi is the Asia Campaigner for the Enough Campaign at Oxfam International.
Understanding community needs: taking a human-centred design approach to reporting misconduct
Programme Manager, Emily Tomkys Valteri builds on the previous blog, Safeguarding: Communities trust in our ability to listen, react and respond is key. Together with Sonder Collective, Oxfam is working on a research initiative dedicated to better understanding misconduct reporting. This research will build capacity to incorporate human-centred design principles into this process. It will seek to map user journeys of community members …
Technology and inequality
We are at a crossroads on the digital highway. Advocacy Adviser, Claire Spoors highlights some key themes for the international development sector to consider when thinking about the intersection of technology and inequality. Recent World Bank estimates reveal that reducing inequality is a more effective way to eradicate poverty than increasing a country’s annual growth rate. Oxfam’s Fighting inequality to …
Does channelling aid into private sector partnerships always lead to the best development outcomes?
Aid donors increasingly assume that private sector partnerships are crucial for global development. Marc Cohen, Senior Researcher at Oxfam America, outlines why we need to proceed with caution. Back in 2014, the UN estimated that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require an additional $2.5 trillion per year over planned investments between 2015 and 2030. Just to get a sense of what a trillion dollars looks like, it …
Improving the sustainability of water supply schemes in Nepal
[buzzsprout episode=’2559190′ player=’true’] This podcast focuses on the alternative models we used to boost the profitability and sustainability of rural water supply schemes in Nepal. We speak to Anjil Adhikari who is an Innovation Advisor working for Oxfam on water sanitation and hygiene, and Jessica Graf who is Managing Director of LeFil Consulting. They talk about how they worked together …
Three things we’ve learned about measuring quality in humanitarian WASH responses
Six months ago, we started a process for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practitioners and coordination platforms to measure the quality of our responses across different contexts. James Brown reflects on what we have learned so far. Back in January, we introduced the Quality Assurance and Accountability Project (QAAP) – a Global WASH Cluster initiative led by Oxfam, in partnership with Solidarités International, Tufts University, and UNICEF. The project supports humanitarian WASH coordinators to go beyond simple headline indicators to …
The UK must do more to reduce inequality between and within countries
This year, economic inequality is back on the centre stage of the global development discussion. Chiara Mariotti, Oxfam GB’s Inequality Policy Manager, reviews the UK’s progress towards achieving SDG 10.
What are supermarkets doing to tackle human suffering in their supply chains?
Last year, Oxfam embarked on a campaign asking 16 supermarkets to take responsibility for ending human suffering in their food supply chains. A year on, Monica Romis asks, what has changed? Slow progress to respect human rights The 2019 Supermarket Scorecard shows that, while some are doing better than others, all supermarkets lack sufficient policies to properly protect the people who produce our food. No supermarket does even 40% of what the Oxfam benchmark asks them to. Eight of the 16 companies, including Lidl, Plus and Whole …