It’s time to put care at the centre of our economics courses

Alex BushEconomics, Education, Influencing

The UK government’s Francis Review of the English school curriculum is an unprecedented chance to shift the national and global conversation on economics education: let’s not miss it, say Alex Bush and Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann. They explain why we need to change an economics curriculum which perpetuates narratives that are bad for people and planet and erase care work.

How billionaire ‘pollutocrats’ are driving our climate crisis – and what we can do about it

Nafkote DabiClimate Change, Inequality, Research

If everyone used private jets and superyachts like 50 of the world’s richest billionaires, the remaining carbon budget to stay within 1.5C would be burned up in just two days. Nafkote Dabi introduces Oxfam’s new climate report, which spells out how the emissions of the super-rich are driving inequality, hunger and heat-related deaths.

Book Review: Power to the People: Use Your Voice, Change the World, by Danny Sriskandarajah

Duncan GreenActive citizenship, Innovation, Power Shifts

From ‘liquid democracy’, to the ‘underground fungal network’ of citizenship that supports progressive change, the former Oxfam GB CEO offers lots of useful ideas about how the 21st century can live up to its initial promise as the ‘century of the citizen’, says Duncan Green.

Data and debt: The twin obstacles to justice on care and domestic work

Chama MwandalesaEconomics, Gender

The recent historic International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) conference in Rome highlighted two big challenges standing in the way of the UN’s ambitions to address unpaid care and domestic work so that it is valued and shared equitably. Chama Mwandalesa – who joined the annual gathering in Rome – explains.

Why feminists are rejecting the cult of growth

Rachel NobleEconomics, Gender, Research

When oil spills and the production of weapons are good for growth and GDP, isn’t it time we changed our economic goals and how we measure them? Rachel Noble and Anam Parvez Butt report back from an impassioned session at the International Association for Feminist Economics conference, where scholars and activists called for nations to stop pushing growth at all …

Spare us the token gestures: International Women’s Day must be a call to action for economic justice

Dana AbedEconomics, Influencing, Women's Economic Empowerment

Globally, men own $105 trillion more wealth than women. So today of all days we need to talk about how our global economic system just isn’t working for women, says Dana Abed, as Oxfam launches its #HerMoneyMatters campaign.

The Gross Domestic Problem: What Would A New Economic Measure That Values Women and Climate Look Like?

Anam ParvezEconomics, Gender

The fixation with measuring progress by Gross Domestic Product leads straight to gender injustice, austerity and environmental ruin. Anam Parvez Butt and Alex Bush introduce a new Oxfam discussion paper that aims to encourage debate about alternative metrics, and calls on advocates to join the “Beyond GDP” movement   Illustration by Alex Bush Since its official adoption at the Bretton Woods …

Five things we need for a feminist economic future

Rachel NobleEconomics, Events, Gender

Why is debt a feminist issue? And why is it time to advance alternatives to GDP? Rachel Noble reports back from an inspiring gathering of the International Association for Feminist Economics in Cape Town.