More than two-thirds of the world’s population will be using smartphones by 2020, but how smart are they for women? Information and communication technology is transforming our lives, but is it transforming gender inequalities for the better around the world? Amy O’Donnell and Jemma Stringer unpick the digital revolution’s role in transforming gender inequalities. Women are 14% less likely to …
Twitter Debate: #GirlsInICT – how can we level the playing field?
NEWS: Women only occupy 17% of tech jobs which has a disproportionate effect on their influence over its design and ultimately the use of technology. Research has also found that women are considered better coders, but only if they hide their gender. It is critical that we change the narrative and create a global environment which encourages girls and young women …
Safety in Europe? People deserve better treatment
ON THE GROUND REFLECTION: As Europe’s migration crisis continues Oxfam and other NGOs face the challenge of delivering a humanitarian response in changing and unfamiliar circumstances. Emma Fanning reflects on a recent visit to Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonian border evaluating the situation and Oxfam’s response so far.    Safety in Europe? by Oxfam Policy & Practice …
Iraq: preparing for a predictable crisis
LEARNING: The Iraqi army’s planned and ongoing counter-offensive against ISIS is likely to lead to the displacement of between 500,000 and 1.5 million people from the city of Mosul and surrounding areas. They will need urgent humanitarian assistance, including shelter, food, and water. Oxfam with the IRC has conducted a Pre-Crisis Market Analysis (PCMA) to inform preparations, here Corrie Sissons, …
Extreme wealth is threatening women’s fight for equality
OPINION: Women are multiply disadvantaged in the global economy. Tackling gender injustices could lead to both women’s economic empowerment and wider economic growth, but as Francesca Rhodes explains this must be done carefully to ensure that it results in a more equal society overall. Worldwide, women are at an economic disadvantage compared to men. Whether this is women in India …
Why London needs an Inequality Commissioner
OPINION: The divide between the richest and the poorest in the UK is growing, and the gap is seen most starkly in London. That’s why Oxfam is calling for an Inequality Commissioner to work with the Mayor of London on tackling poverty and inequality in the Capital, as Vicky Taylor explains. In London the wealth of the richest 10 percent …
Regional influencing for gender justice: watch the webinar
NEWS: What’s the most effective way to influence regional organisations in order to advance women’s rights and gender justice? This was the topic of a recent webinar organised by Oxfam’s Regional Gender Justice Programme in the Middle East and North Africa. The regional influencing for gender justice webinar took place on March 3, 2016 and presented on-going work in three …
Social security cuts risk widening UK regional inequalities
OPINION: Graham Whitham, Senior Policy Advisor on UK Poverty, warns that the latest government budget decisions will have a negative impact on already high levels of poverty and inequality in the UK. Sheffield Hallam University recently published research showing how cuts to social security spending announced since the 2015 General Election fall geographically across Great Britain. The research, co-funded by …
Yemen: all we can do is help people survive
ON THE GROUND REFLECTION: The conflict which escalated one year ago in Yemen has created one of the world’s biggest humanitarian emergencies and risks pushing millions into famine. Simone Carter, Oxfam emergency responder in Yemen, describes the daily reality of civilian suffering and the challenges of delivering a programme in a conflict zone. As much as I may not like …
What is protection anyway?
LEARNING: If you work for a humanitarian agency then protection, helping people to stay safe in conflicts and disasters, is a core part of your duty of care. Our new materials will help you to understand how everything you do has the potential to reduce or increase the risks people face, as Rachel Hastie, Protection Adviser, explains. The question I …