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There is growing consensus among policymakers, institutions and movements that GDP is not fit for purpose as the pre-eminent economic metric. Alternatives are urgently needed to facilitate the transition to a new economic model that supports a radically more equal, kinder, greener and feminist world in the present, while offering redress for historical damage and inequalities., However, despite growing experimentation, most efforts are insufficiently bold and remain mostly on paper, with only a few notable but relatively small-scale and still-developing exceptions., To dismantle GDP, different social movements will need to coalesce around key metrics that prioritise far greater equality, and align with feminist and decolonial values while challenging the systems of power and narratives that are holding GDP in its dominant place. Only in this way are alternatives likely to deliver the economic transformation needed to put people and planet first., Les responsables politiques, les institutions et divers mouvements s’accordent de plus à plus à dire que le produit intérieur brut (PIB), en tant que principal indicateur de la santé économique, n’est pas un outil satisfaisant. Il est urgent de trouver des alternatives pour la transition vers un nouveau modèle économique favorisant un monde radicalement plus égalitaire, bienveillant, vert et féministe et proposant des mesures de réparation des dommages causés par le passé et des inégalités qui en découlent. Toutefois, malgré de nombreuses expériences, la plupart de celles-ci manquent d’ambition et ne sont pas appliquées, à l’exception de rares propositions en cours de développement, notables mais d’envergure relativement restreinte. Pour détrôner le PIB, divers mouvements sociaux devront travailler à la création d’indicateurs clés qui privilégieront l’égalité, intégreront les valeurs féministes et décoloniales et remettront en question les systèmes de pouvoir et les discours qui perpétuent l’utilisation du PIB. C’est la seule manière pour ces alternatives d’entraîner la transformation économique indispensable pour protéger la planète et les êtres humains avant tout.

Bringing a feminist intent to research, monitoring and evaluation practices leads to defining these as tools to contribute to transforming the lives of women, girls and non-binary people, and to bringing about social justice. This has meant putting gender and power at the centre of our practice, which has in turn shaped the technical choices made specifically in quantitative impact evaluations. This paper focuses on describing how these technical choices, as well as ethical considerations, are changed by this feminist intent. The paper also presents the lessons learned and questions raised along the way, which may be useful for MEAL and research practitioners, as well as programme managers. How can we bring intersectionality to the fore? What does it mean to go beyond the gender binary? How can this work be transformative?

The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating existing human rights violations, and enabling others. However, it is also stimulating opportunities to further the human rights agenda. A robust framing is needed to hold duty bearers to account, and to help governments and communities to build back better., This paper provides an overview of the issues through the lens of 5 key human rights principles. It uses a human rights framing to assist governments, business and civil society to understand their obligations and ways they can help manage the impacts of the pandemic., This is an advance version of the paper for discussion. The paper will be revised to take account of comments and a final version will be published in the coming months.

Este documento esboza una propuesta de agendas de trabajo para promover el debate sobre cómo reconfigurar el pacto social por vías institucionales en América Latina y el Caribe, fortaleciendo así los sistemas democráticos de la región y hacer frente a privilegios. Estas cuestiones son esenciales en el contexto actual de pandemia y de crisis políticas. Cruzando datos estadísticos y con los estudios de caso de financiación de partidos (Perú), desarrollo turístico (República Dominicana), telecomunicaciones (Argentina) y acceso al agua (El Salvador), este documento establece la relación entre captura de políticas públicas, desigualdad y desafección con la democracia. Los casos demuestran cómo el lobby, las puertas giratorias y las campañas mediáticas son los principales mecanismos con los que las élites ejercen influencia abusiva para alejar del interés general decisiones políticas cruciales., This paper sets out a proposed working agenda to reconfigure the social pact in Latin America and the Caribbean in a way that strengthens democratic systems and tackles extreme inequality of money and power. In the current context of pandemic and political crises, this is a critical issue for the region. Analysing case studies on party financing (Peru), tourism (Dominican Republic), telecommunications (Argentina) and access to water (El Salvador), we show how political capture is undermining democracy and driving greater inequality, putting privilege for the few ahead of rights for the many. These cases demonstrate how lobbying, revolving doors and media campaigns are wielded by elites to push crucial policy decisions away from the public interest.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented event in the modern era. Earlier studies demonstrated how ‘critical junctures’, which comprise major historical events and emergencies, often play an essential role in social change. This paper seeks to explore whether the COVID-19 pandemic would prove to be a similar pivotal moment, and what lessons and insights we could gather for positive social change., The research set out to find key insights on how individuals, communities, and organizations in civil society were responding to the pandemic in low-income populations at the intersection of multiple inequalities. These lessons could inform how donors, governments and NGOs might reshape their efforts to reduce emerging or deepening inequalities, and how civil society organisations and community-based organisations could amplify their positive impacts., Over 18 months, from September 2020 to March 2022, the ‘Emergent Agency’ research convened a global conversation between activists, development practitioners, researchers, and academics to better understand the phenomena that were taking place in response to the pandemic. The research collected more than 200 case studies and held a series of webinars and conversations in thematic clusters to uncover what these responses could teach us. The research project was enabled with funding from The Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme (AFSEE) of the London School of Economics., The findings from the collaborative research have been summarised in two main documents, - this research report, which retraces the steps of the study, its methodology and main findings;, - and a brief, which summarizes key points that we believe are important for those working in international and national NGOs, and donor agencies.

Climate change affects food production in many regions, including lost crops and dwindling employment opportunities. These impacts will become more severe by 2030 and beyond, putting at risk global food security and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. Now is the time to scale up efforts to reshape the agriculture sector to support farmers, avoid the extensification of food production, improve the productivity of farms, build resilience and reduce emissions., This paper aims to help countries think through the process of enhancing their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by including strengthened actions in the agriculture sector. It highlights the need for tailor-made approaches suited to a country’s unique set of circumstances. It identifies a range of possible actions for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the agriculture sector, given the right enabling environment, and offers examples of how these actions can be included in an enhanced NDC., Les changements climatiques ont des incidences sur la production alimentaire dans de nombreuses régions, notamment la perte de récoltes et la raréfaction des offres d’emploi. Ces impacts s’accentueront d’ici 2030 et au-delà, menaçant ainsi la sécurité alimentaire mondiale et les moyens de subsistance de centaines de millions de personnes. Il est temps de redoubler d’efforts pour repenser le secteur de l’agriculture, afin de soutenir les agriculteurs et agricultrices, d’éviter l’extensification de la production alimentaire, d’améliorer la productivité des exploitations agricoles, de renforcer la résilience et de réduire les émissions., Cette publication vise à aider les pays à envisager le processus d’amélioration de leur CDN au travers de l’introduction de mesures renforcées pour le secteur agricole. Ses auteurs insistent sur la nécessité d’adopter des approches adaptées aux circonstances uniques de chaque pays. Ils présentent une série de mesures possibles, pour autant que les bonnes conditions soient en place, s’agissant de l’adaptation aux changements climatiques et de l’atténuation de leurs effets dans le secteur agricole, et proposent des exemples de la manière d’intégrer ces mesures dans une CDN améliorée.

The world faces twin crises of climate breakdown and runaway inequality. The richest people, corporations and countries are destroying the world with their huge carbon emissions. Meanwhile, people living in poverty, those experiencing marginalization, and countries in the Global South are those impacted the hardest. Women and girls, Indigenous Peoples, people living in poverty and other groups experiencing discrimination are particularly at a disadvantage. The consequences of climate breakdown are felt in all parts of the world and by most people, yet only the richest people and countries have the wealth, power and influence to protect themselves. With that power comes huge responsibility., If no action is taken, the richest will continue to burn through the carbon we have left to use while keeping the global temperature below the safe limit of 1.5°C, destroying any chance of ending poverty and ensuring equality. The world needs an equal transformation. Only a radical reduction in inequality, transformative climate action and fundamentally shifting our economic goals as a society can save our planet while ensuring wellbeing for all., Find all the underlying data on SEI's emissions inequality dashboard: Emissions Inequality, To find out more information, please visit the dedicated website: Climate Equality: A planet for the 99%

With mining set to expand as part of the sweeping energy transition, it is imperative that future mining only proceed with the full support and consent of Indigenous peoples and frontline communities., In the first policy brief of its kind to focus on the public policy commitments of mining companies extracting five key transition minerals to respect Indigenous rights, Oxfam concludes that the battery mineral sector’s approach to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) is not sufficiently ready to support a just energy transition under current company policies. More companies need to adopt strong FPIC policies that unequivocally commit them from proceeding with a project if Indigenous peoples withhold consent.

The evidence can no longer be ignored: when women and feminist activists are able to use their collective power to challenge inequalities, they are having a transformational impact. From women’s rights organizations and movements breaking down harmful social norms, to political leaders advancing highly progressive policies, there is a growing body of evidence from feminist organizing across the world that when decisions are made more equally and inclusively, and are rooted in locally-owned, intersectional feminist movements and political agendas, they have immediate and long-term human development benefits for all. ‘It made us feel capable, knowledgeable, revolutionary...’ Young feminist activist, RootsLab

Migrants and asylum seekers often flee unspeakable acts of gender-based violence (GBV) at home such as human trafficking, sexual assault, sexual slavery, kidnapping, harassment, and other trauma. In trying to seek safety in the US, many endure further atrocities and exploitation at the US-Mexico border., Drawing on interviews and surveys of social and legal service providers working at the US southern border, this report documents how migrants and asylum seekers experience gender-based harm in two different but related ways as a consequence of seeking safe haven in the US. This report focuses on the experiences of women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals.

While intra-Afghan talks have started, sustainable peace is still a distant reality in Afghanistan. Ongoing peace efforts ignore women’s meaningful participation: women are included in only one in every five meetings. Evidence shows that when women have a meaningful role in peace negotiations, peace is more sustainable. Afghan and international actors must stress the importance of including women in all stages of formal and informal talks at national and local levels., This research paper uses the seven modalities of the Broadening Participation framework to identify practical ways to include Afghan women meaningfully and pave the way for inclusive peacebuilding.

Young people have tremendous potential to be both present and future drivers of inclusive sustainable development., In recognition of this potential and the power of collective action, Oxfam has developed a theory of change to explore what needs to happen so that young people, institutions and communities can create equitable, transformative and sustainable change together., This meta-theory of change was developed through a series of workshops in 2015 with young leaders, Oxfam partners and programme staff from around the world. Following practical application of the theory of change in multiple youth initiatives, Oxfam’s Youth as Active Citizens Community of Practice co-created a new version through a process of learning and reflection in 2019-2020.

This document introduces the key concepts of decolonial theory that inform many current calls to decolonize. It provides examples from Latin America, Africa, and North America of how activists have envisioned or realized decolonial futures. These movements led by Indigenous Peoples, people of color, women, and queer people articulate and define the possibilities of decolonial futures., Since decolonial theory suggests multiple futures and not one single solution, this document does not address what decolonizing particular systems, such as international development, should look like. Rather, the document aims to introduce the reader to the tools of analysis that decolonial theory offers, give examples of decolonial theory in practice, and discuss some potential shortfalls of the decolonial framework., Ce document présente les principaux concepts de la théorie décoloniale sur lesquels s’appuient de nombreux discours actuels qui prônent la décolonisation. Grâce à des exemples tirés d’Amérique latine, d’Afrique et d’Amérique du Nord, il aborde la manière dont les militants ont envisagé ou réalisé des projets de futurs décoloniaux. Ces mouvements à l’initiative de peuples autochtones, de personnes racisées, de femmes et de personnes LGBT expriment et définissent les possibilités d’un avenir décolonial. Puisque la théorie décoloniale suggère des multiples alternatives au futur et non pas une solution unique, ce document ne propose pas de représentation de la décolonisation de systèmes particuliers, tel que le développement international. Ce document vise plutôt à présenter au lecteur les outils d’analyse que propose la théorie décoloniale. Il fournit des exemples de mise en pratique de la théorie décoloniale et analyse les potentielles lacunes du cadre décolonial.

More frequent or intense floods, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and typhoons devastate people’s homes, livelihoods and the natural world. A clean energy transition is urgently needed to reduce carbon emissions and prevent the impacts worsening. Wealthy countries have the prime historic responsibility for the climate crisis and therefore for its mitigation. But as the clean energy transition gathers speed, it inevitably also impacts lower-income, lower-emitting countries and communities. This research report, written by 20 co-authors from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, the US and Europe, investigates the implications of the energy transition for them, and asks how the world can achieve a truly just, as well as fast, transition., The findings highlight the stark choice facing humanity. If the transition is undertaken with justice and respect for communities’ rights at its heart, it offers an unprecedented opportunity to simultaneously mitigate the climate crisis and reduce poverty and inequality. Conversely, an unjust transition, which entrenches or exacerbates inequalities, risks generating public resistance and slowing the transition with devastating human consequences., Inondations, vagues de chaleur, incendies de forêt, sécheresse et typhons… Ces phénomènes de plus en plus fréquents ou intenses ont des effets dévastateurs sur les habitations, les moyens de subsistance et le milieu naturel. La transition vers une énergie propre est plus que jamais nécessaire pour réduire les émissions de CO2 et éviter des conséquences encore plus lourdes. Premiers responsables historiques de la crise climatique, les pays riches ont aussi la responsabilité d’en atténuer les effets. Mais à mesure que la transition vers l’énergie propre s’accélère, elle n’est pas sans répercussions sur les pays et les communautés à faible revenu, qui produisent moins d’émissions. Le présent rapport de recherche, fruit du travail conjoint de 20 auteur·es d’Afrique, d’Asie, d’Amérique latine, du Moyen-Orient, des États-Unis et d’Europe, se penche sur les conséquences de la transition énergétique pour ces pays et communautés, en s’interrogeant sur la manière dont le monde pourrait mettre en œuvre, sans tarder, une transition véritablement juste., Ce rapport aboutit à la conclusion que l’humanité est aujourd’hui confrontée à un choix difficile. Si cette transition énergétique se déroule en prenant comme axe central l’équité et le respect des communautés, elle offre une opportunité sans précédent d’atténuer à la fois la crise climatique et la pauvreté et les inégalités. À l’inverse, une approche injuste, qui perpétue voire aggrave les inégalités, risque de provoquer des réticences parmi la population et de ralentir la transition, avec des conséquences humaines désastreuses.

How is our understanding of development changing? What are the implications of these changes, whether practical or conceptual, for the future role of international non-government organizations (NGOs)?, This short paper summarizes the main global trends in international development and then examines some pressing questions for international NGOs. It highlights the folly of simple, linear interventions and the merits of alternative approaches, such as bringing together stakeholders to find joint solutions (convening and brokering), or rapid iteration based on fast feedback and adaptation., For Oxfam, this new thinking would mean relinquishing a command-and-control approach across all aspects of its work in favour of embracing a systems approach.

The 2022 Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index is the first detailed analysis published looking at governments’ policies and actions to fight inequality during the first two years of the pandemic. This fourth edition of the CRI Index reviews the spending, tax and labour policies and actions of 161 governments during 2020–2022., COVID-19 has increased inequality worldwide, as the poorest people were hit hardest by both the disease and its profound economic impacts. Yet the CRI 2022 Index shows clearly that most of the world’s governments failed to mitigate this dangerous rise in inequality. Despite the biggest global health emergency in a century, half of low-and lower-middle-income countries saw the share of health spending fall during the pandemic, half of the countries tracked by the CRI Index cut the share of social protection spending, 70% cut the share of education spending, while two-thirds of countries failed to increase their minimum wage in line with gross domestic product (GDP). Ninety-five percent of countries failed to increase taxation of the richest people and corporations. At the same time, a small group of governments from across the world bucked this trend, taking clear actions to combat inequality, putting the rest of the world to shame., See also the CRI Index website: www.inequalityindex.orgThe Index has been audited by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. Read more here., L’indice de l’engagement à la réduction des inégalités (ERI) 2022 est la première analyse détaillée publiée portant sur les politiques et les actions des gouvernements pour lutter contre les inégalités au cours des deux premières années de la pandémie. Cette analyse passe en revue les politiques et actions de 161 gouvernements en matière de dépenses, de fiscalité et de travail sur la période 2020-2022., La COVID-19 a creusé les inégalités dans le monde entier, les plus pauvres étant les plus durement touché·es par la maladie et ses profondes répercussions économiques. Pourtant, l’indice ERI 2022 montre clairement que la plupart des gouvernements du monde n’ont pas réussi à atténuer cette dangereuse augmentation des inégalités. Alors qu’il s’agit de la pire urgence sanitaire que le monde ait connue depuis un siècle, la moitié des pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire de la tranche inférieure ont vu la part des dépenses de santé diminuer pendant la pandémie. La moitié des pays suivis par l’indice ERI ont réduit la part des dépenses de protection sociale, 70 % ont revu à la baisse la part des dépenses d’éducation, tandis que deux tiers des pays n’ont pas augmenté leur salaire minimum en fonction du produit intérieur brut (PIB). 95 % des pays n’ont pas augmenté l’imposition des personnes et des sociétés les plus riches. Dans le même temps, quelques gouvernements dans différentes parties du monde se sont démarqués de cette tendance en prenant des mesures claires pour lutter contre les inégalités, couvrant de honte le reste du monde.

By examining Latin American and Caribbean fiscal policies from a gender perspective, this discussion paper suggests that further study is necessary of the biases, both explicit and implicit, of fiscal systems that serve to reinforce traditional roles of women in society., Many modern fiscal policies are based on the idea that there is a male breadwinner in every home, and that he is the one interacting economically with the market and the state. These fiscal policies may therefore be reinforcing a gendered division of labour between women and men, fostering inequalities and operating as obstacles to the development and realization of women’s potential., Currently only available in Spanish.

The fear that global demand for food will outstrip supply has led to significant debate. Oxfam hosted an online discussion in December 2012 to get beyond the question of securing steady supplies of raw materials for food and beverage companies and to rise above polarized discourses on large-scale industrialized vs. smallholder farms. The two-week debate on the future of agriculture formed part of Oxfam’s efforts to develop a creative and positive vision of global food production that can ensure that everyone has enough to eat always., This paper offers a synthesis of the online debate, the 23 essays by food and development experts from 16 countries that formed the basis of the discussion, and Oxfam’s brief concluding remarks., La crainte de voir la demande alimentaire mondiale dépasser l’offre a suscité des débats passionnés. Oxfam a organisé en décembre 2012 une discussion en ligne afin d’aller au-delà de la question qui vise à assurer un approvisionnement régulier en matières premières des entreprises du secteur alimentaire et des boissons et pour dépasser les débats polarisés entre les grandes exploitations industrielles et les petites exploitations agricoles. Ce débat, tenu sur deux semaines et ayant pour thème l'avenir de l'agriculture, entre dans le cadre des efforts déployés par Oxfam pour développer une vision positive et innovante de la production alimentaire pour un monde où chacun mange toujours à sa faim., Ce document propose une synthèse de ce débat en ligne, une annexe avec les 23 essais d’experts des secteurs de l’alimentaire et du développement de 16 pays qui ont étayé la discussion, et de brèves remarques d’Oxfam en guise de conclusion.

Seeking to gain knowledge about resilience, this case study considered a 2007-09 Red Cross preparedness project funded by the Disaster Preparedness European Community Humanitarian Office (DIPECHO). The project was implemented around the Nevado del Huila volcano in Colombia, in a largely rural area with a predominantly indigenous population. The findings and analysis point to the importance of listening to and learning from the community, including its traditional and indigenous resilience practices, as well as the iterative nature of resilient development. The field research also yielded interesting material about perceptions and practices of resilience in Nasa indigenous communities., This report is part of a series that seeks to draw lessons from resilience projects in Latin America and the Pacific. Follow the links below to the other papers in the series: Addressing Water Shortages: A catalyst for more resilient development in Fiji Building Resilience Through Iterative Processes: Mainstreaming ancestral knowledge, social movements and the making of sustainable programming in Bolivia Learning from Hindsight: A synthesis report on Oxfam resilience research, This research was conducted with the support of the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

This case study takes a retrospective look at the 2010–11 Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG-ECHO) Small-Scale Disaster Project in La Paz and the context within which it took place. Our research found that absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities can be fostered by iterative development processes. It also demonstrated that disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation are strongly tied to resilient, sustainable, long-term development. Resilience, however, is not an a priori conceptual framework of development programming; rather it is a life process engendered within specific communities. Consequently, development practitioners must construct programs based on rigorous, ethical, and sound research integrating scientific with local and ancestral knowledge. This is the only approach that can generate environmentally healthy and productive, sustainable, and equitable life systems., This report is part of a series that seeks to draw lessons from resilience projects in Latin America and the Pacific. Follow the links below to the other papers in the series: Addressing Water Shortages: A catalyst for more resilient development in Fiji “Disaster is Nature Telling Us How to Live Resiliently”: Indigenous disaster risk reduction, organizing, and spirituality in Tierradentro, Colombia Learning from Hindsight: Synthesis report on Oxfam resilience research, This research was conducted with the support of the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

What can we learn about resilience by examining completed resilience, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation projects? Oxfam conducted three such case studies in Bolivia, Colombia, and Fiji, looking at the conditions required for successful resilient development as well as issues around timing and duration. This synthesis report presents a summary of the three projects and distills the findings that were common to our analysis of them as well as a related climate change adaptation project in Vanuatu., This report is part of a series that seeks to draw lessons from resilience projects in Latin America and the Pacific. Follow the links below to the other papers in the series: Addressing Water Shortages: A catalyst for more resilient development in Fiji Building Resilience Through Iterative Processes: Mainstreaming ancestral knowledge, social movements and the making of sustainable programming in Bolivia “Disaster is Nature Telling Us How to Live Resiliently”: Indigenous disaster risk reduction, organizing, and spirituality in Tierradentro, Colombia, This research was conducted with the support of the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

What role can companies play in strengthening the capacity of small-scale producers in developing countries to adapt to climate change, and in doing so, make their global value chains more resilient? While some leading companies have made progress in taking greater responsibility for what happens throughout their supply chains, there has been little discussion about the threat that climate change poses to the livelihoods of small-scale producers. Through interviews with three companies: Starbucks, Marks & Spencer, and The Body Shop, the paper examines how smallholders involved in coffee production in Colombia, sesame in Nicaragua, and cotton in Pakistan have been affected by climate change and what it means for the companies' businesses. From this research, Oxfam identifies key actions for companies to begin to address the challenges to small-scale producers, and raises questions for further discussion.

This paper aims to contribute to a constructive and deep debate on how to increase equality and justice in Paraguay's taxation system. To this end, it submits a proposal for debate: to increase tax revenues through a temporary tax on the export of soybeans together with other revenue measures (e.g. improving tax revenues on land, implementing a robust Personal Income Tax, more effectively combating tax evasion, rationalizing tax exemptions, eradicating unfair subsidies, revising in depth the social security system, etc.). It also proposes the adoption of actions to increase the effectiveness of public expenditure; and finally, it proposes to take into consideration further measures intended to deal with the non-technical limitations that are obstacles on the road to a more egalitarian society in Paraguay.

Humanity’s challenge in the 21st century is to eradicate poverty and achieve prosperity for all within the means of the planet’s limited natural resources., In the run-up to Rio+20, this discussion paper presents a visual framework – shaped like a doughnut – which brings planetary boundaries together with social boundaries, creating a safe and just space between the two, in which humanity can thrive., Moving into this space demands far greater equity – within and between countries – in the use of natural resources, and far greater efficiency in transforming those resources to meet human needs.

Today, the world’s natural resources are under increasing pressure and are often the object of important power struggles between corporations, states and communities. National governments and international institutions are responsible for shaping the environment in which these different interests operate. As foreign investments in land, water and other natural resources grow in number and magnitude, international investment treaties have become more and more relevant. The international investment legal framework prioritizes the protection of investors’rights over almost any other consideration. Will this system weaken developing countries’ capacity to regulate their food, land and water sectors and introduce policies that promote food security and poverty reduction? What lessons can be learnt from the past? This paper sets forth the principal elements of this debate through the analysis of eleven international cases of state-investor disputes.

The economic crisis continues to affect many women and men living in poverty. But how these effects are felt depends, to a large extent, on their relationships with the people and institutions with whom they interact. These relationships are profoundly different for women and men. Unemployment hits poor families hard, regardless of whether it is a man or woman who is laid off. But the chances of a family recovering from this setback is shaped by the different levels of bargaining power that women and men have in the labour market, and their different responsibilities at home. The gender inequalities and power imbalances that predate the current crisis have resulted in its additional afflictions falling disproportionately on those who are already structurally disempowered and marginalised. Although often labelled 'coping strategies', the means women find to respond to crises are frequently unsustainable, and are more appropriately conceived of as 'desperation measures'. Pre-existing inequalities, which include under-representation of women at all levels of economic decision making and their over-representation in informal, vulnerable, and casual employment, are often more significant than gender inequalities arising specifically from the crisis.This paper summarises the issues raised during a workshop of development and gender practitioners and academics, convened in September 2009, by the international journal Gender & Development, published by Oxfam.

The Transformative Leadership for Women’s Rights working group of Oxfam International is proud to present a new Global Program Framework. The Framework was developed to help us deliver our strategic ambition on Transformative Leadership for Women’s Rights (TLWR). This Framework has been developed both to support colleagues wanting to integrate TLWR principles and approaches into programs and campaigns, as well as those developing stand-alone Gender Justice programs in support of TLWR. It is not intended to be the ‘rulebook’ for how Oxfam designs programs but rather what we hope will be a valuable guide and practical prompt for colleagues and partners seeking to start out or mature their program approach in this important area.

In ten years' time, more people will be living in cities than ever before in human history. If we want to live in a sustainable and inclusive world, we must commit to promoting the development of sustainable and inclusive cities. Of the three billion urban residents of the world today, one billion live in slums, vulnerable to disease, violence and social, political and economic exclusion. Although there are good examples of responses to urban poverty, cities continue to grow, and to grow poorer. The authors of this paper examine the trends in urbanisation and urban poverty and call for improved research and a more coherent programmatic approach to addressing urban poverty and vulnerability. They suggest that urban public space needs to be regenerated in order to encourage local participation in development, and to reduce the ecological impact of urban lifestyles. Urban development strategies need to be incorporated into the global development agenda on issues such as trade, environment, and migration. The paper argues that civil society, national governments, the private sector and the international development community should harness the positive features of urbanisation (such as the potential for progressive changes in social, political, and economic relations) to create a more inclusive and sustainable global society

The Free Trade Agreement between Chile and the United States came into force on 1 January 2004. This paper analyses the FTA agreement to understand what it means for both parties and the potential consequences on trade, worker rights and labour laws in both countries. It highlights the importance of protecting this agreement. This paper is also available in Spanish language.

The EU is a group of rich countries characterized by high incomes, stable institutions, and home to 342 billionaires. It is also where 123 million people are at risk of poverty. Inequality is an unacceptable injustice; inequality in the EU is discussed in Oxfam's policy briefing 'A Europe For the Many, Not the Few'. By drawing on available data on inequality, this report provides the empirical foundation of the briefing. We invite you to dig into the data, both in this paper, in the Excel data file and the online data tool, to take a closer look at inequality in EU countries - its trends, causes and consequences.

The coronavirus pandemic has swept across a world unprepared to fight it, because countries had failed to choose policies to fight inequality. Only one in six countries assessed for the CRI Index 2020 were spending enough on health, only a third of the global workforce had adequate social protection, and in more than 100 countries at least one in three workers had no labour protection such as sick pay. As a result, many have faced death and destitution, and inequality is increasing dramatically., This third edition of the CRI Index report recommends that all governments adopt strong anti-inequality policies on public services, tax and labour rights, to radically reduce the gap between rich and poor. The international community must support them with Special Drawing Rights, debt relief and global solidarity taxes., See also the CRI Index website at www.inequalityindex.org

Youth-led progressive and feminist movements are some of the most powerful drivers of change in many countries, pushing path-breaking progress on political accountability, climate justice, gender equality and economic transformation. With youth movements set to be protagonists of systemic change in the next decade, understanding how to equitably partner with and enhance the power of youth leadership is a priority for international organizations., This report emerged from a commitment by Oxfam International to partner with young people in the development and implementation of Oxfam’s Global Strategic Framework (2020-2030). It draws on reflections from face-to-face workshops and digital conversations with more than 350 young people in over 30 countries in six continents. It recommends that Oxfam and other international organizations engage meaningfully with youth movements. ‘Meaningful youth engagement’ is not just about interaction with a certain demographic – it requires a radical rethink of how international organizations operate. It means fundamentally challenging and changing conceptions of organizational culture, timelines, budgeting and ways of working in general, in the interest of inclusion.’

Los países de América Latina y el Caribe no cuentan con suficientes recursos para garantizar los derechos de la ciudadanía, por lo que es urgente revisar y evaluar la efectividad de los gastos tributarios para cumplir con los objetivos para los que fueron creados y limitar, racionalizar o eliminar aquellos que sean ineficientes. Con los impuestos que se dejan de percibir por incentivos fiscales a las empresas en algunos países de América Latina y el Caribe se podría aumentar, por ejemplo, hasta un 50% el gasto público en salud., Este informe de CEPAL y Oxfam busca mostrar la urgencia de revisar y evaluar la efectividad de estos incentivos a las empresas para garantizar los derechos de la ciudadanía., Es hora de avanzar hacia un mejor uso de los incentivos fiscales a las empresas como instrumento de política pública para alcanzar los Objetivos del Desarrollo Sostenible y lograr que sus beneficios sean colectivos., Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean do not have the necessary resources to guarantee the rights of their citizens. There is an urgent need in these countries to review and evaluate the effectiveness of tax expenditures, in order to understand whether they are achieving their objectives – and to limit, rationalize and eliminate those that are inefficient. The money that governments currently do not collect because of tax incentives for businesses could raise public spending on health care by up to 50%., This report, co-written by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and Oxfam, seeks to show why it is urgent that the effectiveness of these incentives is reviewed and assessed, in order to guarantee the rights of citizens., It is time to move to a better use of tax incentives, one that would make them an instrument of public policy in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and ensure that they benefit the collective good.

Desde la perspectiva de la Economía Feminista la política fiscal, así como cualquier otra política, produce efectos e impactos diferentes en las vidas de las mujeres y los hombres dado que se diseña y actúa sobre contextos aún muy marcados por estereotipos de género: ideas preconcebidas sobre el rol del hombre (el proveedor de ingresos del hogar) y la mujer (la que cuida del hogar y sus miembros) en la sociedad. Esto último es lo que se ha denominado formalmente "división sexual del trabajo"., Ante la falta de análisis de los sistemas tributarios desde la perspectiva de género, este documento se constituye en un aporte limitado, pero relevante, a dos países de Centroamérica (Guatemala y Honduras) y a República Dominicana. El documento busca mostrar las implicaciones de género del diseño de la política tributaria enfocándose en aspectos que puedan perjudicar la autonomía económica de las mujeres. A partir de esto se proponen recomendaciones para transformar la política tributaria en un instrumento que ayude al combate de algunas desigualdades que afectan a las mujeres., From the perspective of feminist economics, fiscal policies – like any other type of policy – affect the lives of women and men differently, given that they are designed and implemented in contexts that are still heavily shaped by gender stereotypes. These stereotypes are preconceived ideas on the roles of men (as providers of household income) and women (as caretakers of the household and its members) in society. This is what is formally known as 'the sexual division of labour'., Against the backdrop of a lack of analysis of tax systems from the perspective of gender, this report is a limited, but relevant, contribution covering two Central American countries (Guatemala and Honduras), as well as the Dominican Republic. The report seeks to demonstrate the gendered implications of how tax systems are designed, focusing on identifying aspects of taxation that can damage women's economic autonomy. It also offers recommendations for transforming tax policy as an instrument to help combat some of the inequalities affecting women.

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[This paper was previously published under the title Progressive Taxation: Towards fair tax policies.] In order to be able to find enough resources to ensure public services, such as education and health for all, poor countries need to raise more tax, and raise tax in ways that are progressive and fair. Tax policy in developing countries has been heavily influenced by the IMF and national elites. This has had a negative impact in many cases, with a focus on indirect regressive taxation like VAT, and extensive tax incentives for companies. There is an urgent need for poor country governments to achieve an increase in progressive and redistributive taxes.

The global food system works only for the few – for most of us it is broken. It leaves billions of us lacking sufficient power and knowledge about what we buy and eat and the majority of small food producers disempowered and unable to fulfil their productive potential. The failure of the system flows from failures of government – failures to regulate, to correct, to protect, to resist, to invest – which mean that companies, interest groups, and elites are able to plunder resources and to redirect flows of finance, knowledge, and food. This report describes a new age of growing crisis: food price spikes and oil price hikes, devastating weather events, financial meltdowns, and global contagion. Behind these, slow-burn crises smoulder: creeping and insidious climate change, growing inequality, chronic hunger and vulnerability, the erosion of our natural resources. Based on the experience and research of Oxfam staff and partners around the world, Growing a Better Future shows how the food system is both a driver of this fragility and highly vulnerable to it, and why in the twenty-first century it leaves 925 million people hungry. The report presents new research forecasting price rises for staple grains in the range of 120–180 per cent within the next two decades, as resource pressures mount and climate change takes hold. For more on interpreting the food price scenarios outlined in Growing a Better Future, see the Note on Food Price Scenarios added in November 2011. The report is now also available as an eBook, presenting expanded versions of case studies from Bolivia to Malawi, alongside new papers and research which develop and update the main themes of the report. The iBook edition is optimised for use on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, and includes a video endorsement from Brazil’s former President Lula da Silva and a short documentary on India’s failing food system. It is available to download free from the iBookstore. The standard EPUB edition is suitable for iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7 devices, and can also be accessed in full using a desktop eBook reader or Calibre. Its smaller file size means it is more suitable for a low-bandwidth connection. A Kindle edition is available from the Amazon Kindle Store.

Oxfam America is working to examine and address issues that limit progress toward alleviating poverty in countries with large extractive industries (EI). Peru’s canon minero program requires distribution of substantial EI tax revenues to regional and local governments, yet social gains are inconsistent across the country.

"The findings of this report demonstrate that the proposed Tambo Grande openpit gold mine, if approved, is likely to have negative, long-term impacts on water quality and quantity, the general environment, and possibly agriculture. Further, claims that Manhattan Minerals and the Peruvian government have made regarding the lack of impacts cannot be substantiated by the analysis and information that the company has provided, to date. "

A new claim under the investment rules in Chapter 11 of NAFTA has been initiated by Glamis Gold, a Canadian mining company that has demanded $50 million in compensation from the US because of California restrictions on open-pit gold mining. The initiation of the claim reinforces the threats to environmental laws from investment rules, and raises important new issues about risks to indigenous communities.

The unprecedented turmoil in the world's financial markets has resulted in a significant loss of trust in the global financial system. Financial institutions and the market as a whole have been criticised for short-termism, for lacking transparency, and for not being properly accountable to regulators or to wider society. The credit crisis has also raised wider questions about the proper role of investors in society, both in terms of the specific investments that they make and the manner in which they use their influence to ensure that the positive social and environmental impacts of their investment activities are maximised, and the negative impacts minimised. Oxfam sees that the current crisis offers the opportunity to rethink the contribution that investors can make to eradicating global poverty. Oxfam believes that investors have a critical role to play in poverty alleviation, through supporting economic growth, building infrastructure, and helping to create a vibrant, entrepreneurial private sector. Oxfam also believes that investors can play a wider role through encouraging companies to attain higher standards of corporate responsibility performance. However, the influence of investors (or of investment more generally) has not been unambiguously positive. For example, concern has been expressed about the negative consequences for development of volatile capital flows (as seen in the 1997 Asian financial crisis), the negative social and environmental impacts of many large infrastructure projects, the emphasis of investors on short-term profit rather than the creation of long-term successful and sustainable businesses, and the downsides of trade and investment liberalisation. It is in this context that Oxfam has launched a new project, 'Better Returns in a Better World'. The project's objectives are: to analyse the role that institutional investors can play in poverty alleviation; to encourage investors to take account of poverty issues in their investment decisions; and to identify the key barriers to long-term investment in developing countries. This discussion paper is the first part of the project. It has three objectives. The first is to make a case for why investors are of critical importance to the development agenda. The second is to provide an analytical framework for the project. The third is to identify some of the core questions that the project will seek to explore.

There are three core aspects of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) - scope, parameters and implementation - which must all be strong for the ATT to achieve its intended objectives of saving lives through preventing irresponsible arms transfers. This paper addresses implementation, an area somewhat neglected so far in the debate. This practical guide is intended to support law-makers, licensing officers, customs officials, and other agencies and individuals involved in establishing and implementing national control systems for international arms transfers. This guide will also be useful during the negotiations of the ATT. The guide acknowledges that there is no 'one size fits all' solution. It provides a clear framework and outlines the core principles and elements from different systems, giving examples from a number of countries. This guide strengthens Oxfam's campaign for a global, legally binding, Arms Trade Treaty, and is written with Oxfam's partners for the launch of preparatory talks on the ATT.

El informe Democracias capturadas: el gobierno de unos pocos presenta 13 casos que demuestran cómo las élites políticas y económicas manipulan la toma de decisiones de los gobiernos, con el fin de maximizar sus privilegios fiscales por encima de los derechos y beneficios de las mayorías en América Latina y el Caribe, la región más desigual del mundo., El informe también analiza 11 mecanismos con los que las élites ejercen esta influencia sobre los Estados, tales como la puerta giratoria, el lobby feroz, el financiamiento partidario, el pago de sobornos y el uso de campañas mediáticas con información manipulada. Entre los casos que ilustran estos mecanismos de influencia desmedida se cuentan algunos paradigmáticos como el de Odebrecht., The report Captured Democracy: Government for the Few presents 13 case studies documenting how political and economic elites manipulate the decision-making processes of governments to their own advantage and against the interests and rights of the majority in Latin America and the Caribbean, the world’s most unequal region., The report analyzes 11 mechanisms used by elites to exercise influence over governments, such as the “revolving door,” fierce lobbying, party financing, bribery, and media manipulation. The Odebrecht case, in which several of these mechanisms of undue influence are examined, is one of the case studies featured in the report.

In 2015, the leaders of 193 governments promised to reduce inequality under Goal 10 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Without reducing inequality, meeting SDG 1 to eliminate poverty will be impossible. In 2017, Development Finance International (DFI) and Oxfam produced the first index to measure the commitment of governments to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. The index is based on a new database of indicators, now covering 157 countries, which measures government action on social spending, tax and labour rights – three areas found to be critical to reducing the gap., This second edition of the Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index finds that countries such as South Korea, Namibia and Uruguay are taking strong steps to reduce inequality. Sadly, countries such as India and Nigeria do very badly overall, as does the USA among rich countries, showing a lack of commitment to closing the inequality gap. The report recommends that all countries should develop national inequality action plans to achieve SDG 10 on reducing inequality., Explore the data with the CRI Index online data tool.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, 1831 women died at the hands of men in 2016, and three out of ten women have suffered male violence during their lives. In recent years, countries in the region have made significant progress in tackling the problem by adopting national laws to protect women. This legislative progress is a significant step forward, but gaps in implementation allow a culture of impunity for men who commit violence against women and girls. Without adequate financing and effective means to prevent, report and punish violence against women, the problem will not go away., This report provides insights into the prevalence of belief systems and gender norms among young women and men in the region. It looks in depth at the most entrenched beliefs and behaviours among the younger population and provides ample evidence that we must challenge and change the prevailing belief systems and gender norms if we are to make real progress in guaranteeing the right of all women and girls to a life free from violence.

The Chiquitanos are an indigenous people living in lowland Bolivia. They have suffered exclusion and discrimination under successive governments since the colonial era. In the 1980s, the Chiquitanos mobilised in response to neo-liberal reforms which put increased pressure on indigenous territories. Political decentralisation in the 1990s created impetus and political opportunities for such indigenous movements. Water privatisation and rising unemployment in 2000-01 led to political unrest throughout Bolivia, particularly amongst indigenous groups. Since 2003, mobilisation in demand for political change has reformed the basis of political participation and representation. This has resulted in the election of several indigenous people to high-level government positions, and significant directional changes in social and economic policy-making. This paper describes the Chiquitano struggle for land rights and political representation, analyses the diverse catalysts for this radical shift in Bolivian politics, and reviews the initial achievements of - and challenges for - Bolivia's new government.

The coffee price crash of 2001 had devastating effects on tens of millions of smallholder farmers and farmworkers around the developing world. Though recent improvements in the international price of coffee are providing some relief, the dynamics of the coffee market have not shifted in ways that guarantee long-term stability for those at the bottom of the supply chain. The 2001 crash took place in the context of a long-term trend in which coffee farmers, workers, and net coffee-exporting countries have seen the value of their coffee diminish. Coffee plays a crucial role in the livelihoods of millions of rural households in the developing world. Small-scale family farmers produce over 75% of the world’s coffee. Market volatility and declining terms of trade, along with inadequate access to infrastructure, financial resources, and market information, put sustainable livelihoods out of reach for millions of rural families. The coffee market continues to be a showcase of the need to address the commodity crisis on a global scale, a crisis that is hampering the development of many countries. This is directly linked to the global interest in wider peace and stability. The current discussions on the future of the International Coffee Agreement present an historic opportunity to address the ongoing crisis facing smallholder coffee farmers and farmworkers by contributing to sustainable coffee supply chains. At the 2nd World Coffee Conference in September 2005 several organisations presented the International Coffee Organisation and its delegates with the Carta de Salvador – the Salvador Declaration1, which stressed the ongoing effects of the coffee crisis facing small-scale family farmers and farmworkers. This paper calls on International Coffee Organisation members to support small-scale farmers and farmworker organisations by ensuring space for their direct participation in international debate, creating mechanisms that enhance the availability of market information to small-scale farmers, and maximizing opportunities to develop cohesive international strategies to provide technical support, access to credit, and direct access to markets.