We have been thinking a lot about the right to privacy lately, in relation to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and our role in Oxfam as impact evaluation advisers. The incorporation of this right in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights reflects a broad recognition that privacy is fundamental to dignity and freedom. We know that when individuals are …
4 things Lidl can do to take action on worker exploitation
As part of Oxfam’s Behind the Barcodes campaign, Rachel Wilshaw outlines what Lidl can do to tackle worker exploitation in their supply chains. How many of us have teabags and tinned tomatoes in our cupboards, or spring onions in our fridges? Most people would be horrified to learn that these products and more are tainted with human suffering and exploitation, …
Podcast: The challenges of measuring women’s empowerment
[buzzsprout episode=’2559187′ player=’true’] In this episode we share Oxfam’s journey in measuring women’s empowerment in our impact evaluations. Our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead, Marina Torre, speaks to Simone Lombardini, Impact Evaluation Lead, who has been working in this area of work. Simone delves into the details on what methodologies have been used, the challenges the team has faced and …
What do the tax rates UK companies pay tell us about the need for global tax reform?
Amidst stories of companies avoiding tax (for example, Mauritius Leaks recently), and apparently endless international discussions about how to deal with this phenomenon, it can be difficult to understand whether multinational companies are paying more or less tax these days than in the past. Despite efforts at the global level (for example, the ‘BEPS project’) and at the national level, including here in the UK …
The future is bright for digital accountability
Reflections from Programme Manager, Emily Tomkys Valteri on the Your Word Counts Programme as the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF) Responsive Listening through Improved Feedback Mechanisms Project ends. The Your Word Counts programme has sought to strengthen accountability through feedback mechanisms which are safe, confidential and trustworthy. Beginning as a small HIF pilot in Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, this grew …
How can we help avert climate breakdown?
Drawing on her research and her own experiences Ruth Mayne, Oxfam’s senior researcher on Influencing, reflects on what more might be done to achieve a fast and fair transition to a zero carbon future and what role civil society and governments might play? We have 11 years to avert climate breakdown. As Christiana Figueres has said, we are on an accelerating …
Betting on blockchain to deliver cash in the Pacific
Sandra Uwantege Hart, Pacific Cash & Livelihoods Lead, describes how Oxfam successfully used blockchain technology to make cash accessible to communities and small businesses in Vanuatu – one of the world’s most remote and hazard-prone locations. We are told that blockchain technology will change the world – harnessing a decentralised, distributed ledger, removing expensive middlemen and resolving core issues of …
How we are driving a just transition to a low-carbon economy
As we scale up investment in renewable energy, it is time for companies to adopt strong human rights practices. Eniko Horvath and Marti Flacks, from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre describe the important role of benchmarking in helping achieve a fast and fair transition to an economy that is compatible with both planetary boundaries and social justice. Climate …
Cash on the move: Supporting Venezuelan migrants in Colombia
An unfolding crisis in Colombia As you walk across the Simon Bolivar bridge from Venezuela to Colombia’s Norte De Santander region it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer mass of humanity jostling to enter. They are all fleeing the spiralling socio-economic crisis in Venezuela which until now has caused over 4 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants worldwide. Around …
How smart technology can ensure a continuous water supply
Providing accessible, safe, sustainable water and sanitation services to everyone on the planet is one of the most critical development challenges we face. This podcast focuses on how smart technology is being used in Kenya and the work that Oxfam and Diaspora AI are doing in the informal settlements of Nairobi. It showcases how it can ensure a more consistent …