OPINION: In many countries economic inequality is growing and the wealthiest are also those with the biggest carbon footprints. Dario Kenner, Independent Researcher, suggests that governments should act to reduce inequality and overconsumption in tandem. If governments are serious about meeting their commitments to tackle climate change they must ensure their policies in other areas such as inequality are compatible …
The human dimension: Greece’s escalating humanitarian crisis
ON THE GROUND REFLECTION: At every EU migration summit in recent months, border security has trumped the safety and wellbeing of people on the move. This has been causing human misery and suffering for the tens of thousands of women, men and children now stranded in Greece and the Western Balkans. Our Advocacy & Policy Lead in Greece, Renata Rendón, …
Tax havens: Not as far away as you think
OPINION: A new Oxfam report highlighted this week that because the UK heads up the world’s biggest financial secrecy network, spanning its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and centred on the City of London, it has an unparallelled opportunity to help end the era of tax havens. Luke Gibson, Tax and Inequality Policy Adviser, takes us through how these tax …
Syria five years on: hope in the darkness
OPINION: Five years into the Syria conflict, good news has been a rare commodity for millions of people affected by that catastrophic war. Is there any hope? Shaheen Chughtai weighs up the gravity of the situation against the progress being made through a temporary ceasefire, attempted peace talks and a recent donor conference. Over 250,000 people have been killed, 1.2 …
Not one more: ending femicide in Honduras
OPINION: On International Women’s Day Juan Carlos Arita, Oxfam’s Regional Programme Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, reflects on the tragic murder of human rights activist Berta Cáceres and calls for an end to violence against women in Honduras where 4,400 women have been murdered in the last decade. Sometimes I get confused, is it femicide or feminicide? The …
Women leading the way in economic empowerment in agriculture
NEWS: To mark International Women’s Day 2016, Oxfam’s Knowledge Hub on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) in Agriculture organised the 2016 Oxfam WEE Leadership Awards to recognise the staff members of partner and community organisations, as well as Oxfam, who have shown exceptional championship of women’s economic empowerment. Today Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam International Executive Director, has announced the seven winners of this award …
Are the Sustainable Development Goals good news for women?
The 2015 Sustainable Development Goal agreement was a historic moment for development and for feminism. Much hope rests on the goals, but what will they really achieve, for people living in poverty, and for women in particular? Valeria Esquivel and Caroline Sweetman introduce some of the analysis in the latest issue of the Gender & Development journal. Agenda 2030 and …
Webinar: what if gender became an essential, standard element of vulnerability assessments?
News: Did you miss this? You can watch the full webinar presentation below:     Vulnerability Assessments (VAs) can be useful tools in providing key insights for NGOs and other development stakeholders. But what is the best way to integrate gender, and how can we use them to design programmes which have resilience-building measures and risk reduction strategies at their heart? …
South Sudan: a battle of the sexes
Concepts of masculinity and femininity are deeply embedded in cultural beliefs and practices which underpin violence against women and inequality. Here Protection Project Manager, Kerry Akers, reflects on the nuances between gender and the roles of protector, victim and perpetrator in conflict affected areas of South Sudan. When the village is attacked the boys big enough to fight run with …
Social change for and by young women
What’s the most effective way of supporting young women to create the change they want to see in the world? FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, The Global Fund for Women, Oxfam and the Young Foundation are collaborating to respond to this question. Aly Marczynski explains how. The Roots Lab, a new social innovation lab, will test the most effective …