Welcome to the 14th FAIR-EIU Newsletter
This is a tool for sharing our work on inequality (both programmes and campaigns). FAIR enables us to scale up our influencing and programming on fiscal justice at the national level whilst aligning closely with the Even It Up Campaign, in order to have a significant impact on reducing inequality globally. Simply put, FAIR is the programme side of the inequality equation, whilst Even It Up represents the campaign side. Both work together to enable us help reduce inequality as one Oxfam.
You can also see this in French and Spanish.
- Tax and technology in Ghana: the Geotax initiative
- Care for all in Cuba
- Tracking IMF Covid-19 funds in Uganda
- Copper for Development campaign in Zambia
- Influencing on social protection for informal workers in Laos
- Launch of two new guides (qualitative & feminist) to analyze inequality in your context
- People’s Vaccine campaign update
- Advocating for a human economy in Vietnam
- How to share your work in the newsletter
Happy reading!
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Tax and technology in Ghana: the Geotax initiative
Friends of the Nation and Oxfam in Ghana have been advocating on social accountability and local tax governance in the Shama district for many years, working closely with local government. By supporting local government to transform to an open, inclusive and transparent district representation, the Shama district has improved its governance, working with its citizens – this approach has been branded the Shama model. Now, the local government authority in Shama is taking part in a collaborative initiative called the GEOTAX initiative.
Set up in 2020, the Geotax initiative maps the tax revenues raised and the spread of public services across specific administrative units called area councils. The initiative is a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) platform that tracks social amenities such as hospitals, schools, public restrooms and others in the area councils. This information is then analysed according to tax revenues from each area.
Preliminary analysis reveal stark inequities in allocation of social amenities across area councils with similar demographics. For example, average tax revenues collected between 2018 and 2019 from Supoma Dukwa Beposo area council are more than ten-fold that of Assorko Essaman area council -yet in terms of health facilities such as hospitals, there are none in Supoma Dunkwa Beposo, whereas Assorko Essaman does record one hospital.
Tax payments need to be reflected in the quality and quantity of public services provided. Tax planners in Shama will need to dive deeper into these inequities and reflect on its current and future policy of spatial distribution of services. The Shama district can boost voluntary tax compliance if it earmarks a percentage of revenue to invest back into the community where it was collected.
This brief on the Geotax initiative, prepared by Friends of the Nation and Oxfam in Ghana, dives deeper into the function of the GIS tool to map social amenities and explains how the tool can serve as a model for companies in the extractives sector, by using revenue data to shape their transparency and accountability discussions with taxpayers in their jurisdiction.
For more information on the Geotax initiative, reach out to Francis Agbere and Alex Ampaabeng
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Care for all in Cuba
In Cuba, Oxfam’s report on ‘The Inequality Virus” put the issue of care work in times of the pandemic back on the public agenda. It deepened the debate on this topic, which built on the study ‘Los Cuidados en La Ruta Hacia la Equidad en Cuba” (Care on the road to equity in Cuba).
The aging population in Cuba, enhanced by the migration of young people, and more recently the impact of the coronavirus, has affected the lives of women, demanding more time spent on traditional tasks of care in the family and the home. This situation, which limits women’s social and economic participation and reinforces their care burdens, has been the subject of research from various disciplines, which provides methodological approaches, identifies gaps in public policies and makes proposals for a more equitable society.
An example of such research is the ‘‘Los Cuidados en La Ruta Hacia la Equidad en Cuba’ study, which was supported by Oxfam in Cuba. The volume, launched in October 2020, contains five essays from different authors, inviting the reader to rethink reality and question stereotypes and assigned roles that push women to devote more time to unpaid care.
The authors - Georgina Alfonso, Teresa Lara, Magela Romero, Dayma Echevarría and Clotilde Proveyer - propose a route to understand care in Cuba, its advances and challenges, to make visible the gender inequalities behind these tasks, and the workload this brings women.
The study proposes actions towards a National Care System, based on an integral, feminist and rights-based approach, which recognizes collective and shared responsibilities and promotes the participation of different actors such as the family, society, the State and the community. Recommendations by the authors include the creation of progressive fiscal mechanisms that stimulate care work and the development of care indicators that can be incorporated into the national statistical information system.
In the context of the global "The Inequality Virus" report, Oxfam in Cuba collected data about care work in Cuba and the amount of care responsibilities that women assume, especially in the midst of the pandemic caused by COVID-19. This analysis was also shared on social networks, in the media and exchanged with allied organizations.
The path of influence on care in Cuba also connects with the study " Organización social de los cuidados a la luz del Covid-19” (Social organization of care work in light of Covid-19), a research that summarizes the contributions of several Latin American countries where Oxfam works the care agenda, and which is part of the organization's exit strategy on the island.
For more information, reach out to Kenia Lorenzo.
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Tracking IMF Covid-19 funds in Uganda
In May 2020, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $491 million emergency assistance package for Uganda to address Covid-19. The funds were intended to finance health, social protection and macroeconomic stabilization measures, including stimulus packages to support micro, small and medium enterprises. An investigative journalist has dug into the use of these funds. The journalist - Solomon Serwanjja - investigates the money that was given out through three government bodies including the Micro-finance support center, the Uganda Development Bank, and the Uganda Development Corporation.
A 3-part television series following the money trails aired on prime time national television (NBS TV) in April (episode 1, episode 2, episode 3).
Micro-finance support center
As part of the Covid-19 stimulus package, the government allocated 260 billion shillings to the Microfinance Support Center (MSC) to resuscitate businesses in the informal sector. MSC officials asked informal workers to form associations (SACCO: Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations). At the time of the investigation, the MSC stated it had disbursed $188 billion shillings to almost 6000 SACCO’s. Only those associations that completed the registration and received registration certificates from the Ministry of Trade were able to access money from the stimulus package. In February 2021, a report stated that 6354 market groups (SACCOs) registered, but only 700 received a certificate of registration granting access to the funds.
The journalist concludes that the government should look into the pace in which the Ministry of Trade is releasing certificates or registration for the SACCO’s if they are to have money in time.
The Uganda Development Bank
The investigation found that the money was not necessarily a stimulus package for struggling manufacturers. The Uganda Development Bank (UDB) had 455 billion shillings to lend as part of the IMF’s disbursement. Some key challenges for SMEs and manufacturers to access the loans has been the stringent terms and conditions set up by UDB to access this money and the interest rate at which it was lent out. The UDB states that the money was not intended for struggling businesses, but only for those who could demonstrate successful business models. According to the UDB, given the conditions of the IMF, the Bank cannot give out loans to struggling businesses.
What’s next?
Following the release of the investigation, there has been momentum building inside the Ugandan Parliament to understand the challenges with the Covid-19 stimulus funds from the IMF Loan funds. This has led to an investigation which is currently ongoing into the mismanagement of the stimulus funds. It has been extensively covered in the media. With the build-up of the momentum on the mismanagement of the Covid-19 funds, civil society organizations – including Oxfam in Uganda and the tax justice alliance - have been organizing media and advocacy engagements (e.g. press conferences/press statements, radio and TV talkshows) to discuss the mismanagement of the IMF loan funds and to ask the Government of Uganda and the IMF to act.
For more updates on the Parliament’s investigation and how Oxfam in Uganda engages, reach out to Joseph Olwenyi
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Copper for Development campaign in Zambia
Oxfam in Zambia and Partners Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR), Fight Inequality Alliance (FIA) and the Civil Society Poverty Observatory Group (CSPOG) on 30th March 2021 launched the Copper for Development campaign in Lusaka district. The campaign runs until October 2021 and builds on the Copper for Development Report, which generates evidence on the importance and benefits of channeling copper revenues to human development sectors such as education, health and agriculture.
Zambia’s economy is heavily reliant on the mining sector, specifically copper with Zambia being the second largest producer of copper in Africa and seventh in the world. Mining revenue management is therefore critical in making a big impact on investments made in essential services. Fiscal space has been shrinking as funding to the health sector has remained at 9.5% of the total budget on average, falling short of what the Abuja Declaration recommends. In the recent years, Zambia’s debt servicing obligations have taken up an increasing portion of the non-discretionary spending from domestic revenues. Budget allocation to the education sector and the agriculture sector have equally gone down further undermining citizens access to essential services.
This report and campaign launch, therefore, come at an important time, with Zambia approaching its Presidential and parliamentary elections on 12 August this year. The launch was a livestreamed face-to-face event, which was attended by representatives from the government, parliament, traditional leaders, civil society and the media. The report includes several recommendations focusing on policy reform on copper revenue management and mineral revenue sharing targeted at the central government of Zambia and subnational governments in the local districts. Being an election year, the campaign will target aspiring parliamentarians and policy makers to get commitments on the recommendations that the report makes. The campaign will target and inspire citizens to build pressure for policy reform on copper revenue management for Zambia’s development. Activities to be implemented will include mass media awareness raising through radio programs, drama, school debates, town hall meetings and an online petition targeted at youths.
The campaign has already recorded an overwhelming response and support from stakeholders both at national and provincial level. This is evidenced from the participation of key stakeholders at the launches. Among the stakeholders who attended the launches and debates were the two senior traditional leaders from Northwestern province; two Members of Parliament; senior government officials from the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development as well as the Ministry of Finance; the Mining Companies; the local authorities, media houses, and CSOs.
The campaign also offers a platform for children and youth voices to reach policy makers, with a total of 32 pupils participating in the inter-school debates on the need for effective copper revenue management for improved service delivery. This energised the campaign’s advocacy efforts because it included the youth who are often left behind in the discussions of mineral revenue management.
For more info, reach out to Eneya Maseko.
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Influencing on social protection for informal workers in Laos
While poverty rates in Laos have decreased over the past ten years, inequality has continued to rise. As the majority of the country’s working-age population participates in the informal economy, the raising inequality combined with the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of vulnerable workers in need of adequate social protection services. In their newsletter, Oxfam in Laos features the stories of two informal workers and their struggles one year into the pandemic.
Oxfam in Laos and its partners conducted a study to support the government of Laos with its objective of increasing the number of informal workers with social protection coverage. Since 2014, the Lao Social Security Organization (LSSO) has operated the Voluntary Social Security (VSS) scheme for informal workers nationwide. The VSS offers compensation for sick leave, loss of working capacity, old-age pension; healthcare and maternity benefits that extend to the spouse and children of the insured person; and a death grant and survivors’ benefits for the family of the insured person upon their decease. The VSS is 100% paid for by members through monthly contributions. Informal workers interested in registering in the VSS are required to visit an LSSO office to go through the registration process.
The study found that coverage of the VSS is still very low, representing only 3% of all LSSO members in 2018. A lack of awareness and interest among informal workers regarding the VSS contributes to this. Even when informal workers are aware of the VSS and have some knowledge on the benefits and entitlements it provides, their capacity to register is limited by the lack of LSSO offices at the district level. The study makes a number of recommendations, touching upon policy development, service delivery, awareness raising, knowledge management, and partnerships among national stakeholders. The study will inform dialogues with the government on how to support low-income informal workers.
To read the study or policy brief, reach out to Phetvilay Phommesay
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Launch of two new guides (qualitative & feminist) to analyze inequality in your context
Inequality has been on the rise within many countries around the world. Historically, inequality has been based on economics, but there are many more aspects: social, political, territorial, gender-based or other identity-based discrimination. The Multidimensional Inequality Framework (MIF) was developed to better understand inequality as a multidimensional, intersectional and complex phenomenon, and to provide a framework for understanding and measuring inequalities in a systematic way. Consequently, the MIF has a comprehensive but not exhaustive suggested list of indicators and measures.
The MIF Qualitative Research Guide
Figures alone cannot grasp the true reality and scope of inequalities: How do ordinary people experience and live inequalities? What are the most relevant issues? How can we make more visible the differences between groups of people in terms of human capabilities? The Qualitative research guide (website and the guide) will help you combine and make sense of quantitative and qualitative methods, allowing you to explore "the how’s and why’s" of inequalities in-depth.
The MIF Feminist Companion – A guide to build your own Feminist Inequality Journey
Are you struggling to integrate a feminist approach into your inequality analysis? The MIF Feminist companion (website and the guide) seeks to give key guidance to help you build a Feminist Inequality Journey. The guide defines what Oxfam means by a feminist approach, and explains its political and practical implications when seeking to analyse inequalities from an intersectional and feminist perspective. Besides, the companion can help you to define the ‘how’s’ of your inequality research process so that these are in line with Oxfam’s feminist principles. You will find key orientation questions and guidelines on how your research questions could be framed, what type of partners could be involved and in what manner throughout this journey, what methodological choices to keep in mind or how to make knowledge collective, amongst other key aspects of the research cycle. It also includes a reflection and tool for any team who wishes to monitor their degree of commitment to Oxfam’s 11 feminist principles.
If you have any questions about the MIF or the two guides, reach out to Ana Claver
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People’s Vaccine campaign update
Oxfam is playing a leading role in the global push for a “People’s Vaccine” (PV), a crucial campaign of our time to bring an end to this deadly pandemic for all, save lives and livelihoods and avert huge new inequality. Oxfam is a founder member of the ever-growing People’s Vaccine Alliance that brings together over 40 organizations and activist groups around the world.
The core objective of the campaign is to demand an end to the monopoly ownership of successful Covid-19 vaccines by a handful of pharmaceutical corporations so we can scale up manufacturing and get safe, effective, and affordable vaccines free of charge to everyone on the planet.
The global campaign has been running since May 2020. Some recent updates include:
- The news that the US will support the TRIPS waiver (the suspension of vaccine patents), after which we saw a domino-effect of other blocking countries to move over and express their support. So far, New Zealand, France, Spain, Ireland and Russia have followed. Check out this great website by MSF to keep track of all countries and their position on the WTO TRIPS waiver.
- An open letter to Joe Biden from over 175 (!) former Heads of State and Nobel Laureates, including Malala Yousafzai, Gordon Brown, Juan Manuel Santos, François Hollande, Mary Robinson, Joyce Banda, Helen Clark and many more. The letter, which calls on president Biden to waive intellectual property rules for COVID vaccines, was also featured in an article in the Financial Times.
- Oxfam’s petition calling to suspend patent and to share the technology for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments reached almost 200,000 signatures by the end of April, breaking records for Oxfam petitions in well over a decade. You can still sign the petition here. The People’s Vaccine Alliance has also tallied-up all organizational petitions on the People’s Vaccine for a symbolic ‘hand-in’ that now tops over 2 million signatures worldwide.
- A ‘Fortnight of Global Coordinated Actions’ with the Alliance took place between April 19 and April 30. During this fortnight, the Alliance raised pressure towards big pharma. Demonstrations outside pharma offices took place in the US, along with a twitterstorm targeting pharma CEOs, and an online event was organized bringing together healthcare workers, patients and vaccine volunteers.
Oxfam America has shares in Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for many years already, it’s part of the way they influence multinational corporations. As a shareholder, Oxfam can participate in shareholder meetings and make proposals to the board of these companies. Oxfam US colleagues took part in Pfizer’s and Johnson & Johnson’s shareholder meetings on April 22 and in Moderna’s meeting on April 28th. They brought in resolutions to demand a sharing of covid-19 vaccine know-how & technology at Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna. At Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson these were supported by around 30% of shareholders, which is high for a first time resolution!
If you want to know more about past campaign activities, have a look at this previous update. To support the People’s Vaccine campaign, visit the website and have a look at what action you can take. If you are an EU citizen and you haven’t signed the No profit on Pandemic petition yet, please do so now! The petition calls on the European Commission to suspend patents and to push pharma so share their tech & know-how. With 1 million signatories across Europe, the European Commission has to respond.
The campaign moves fast! For the most recent updates, check out the @Peoplesvaccine on Twitter #peoplesvaccine #TRIPSwaiver
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Advocating for a human economy in Vietnam
In February, Oxfam in Vietnam received a Thank you letter from the Government of Vietnam. The letter was a response to the launch of the Oxfam Inequality Virus report and an advocacy letter sent by Oxfam to the Vietnam Prime Minister and his Office. Oxfam’s advocacy letter highlighted 5 steps in building back a more resilient and inclusive Vietnam post-covid and recommended the Vietnamese Government to intentionally and explicitly put fighting inequality at the heart of Vietnam’s 10 year strategy development (2020-2030).
The thank you letter mentioned that the Prime Minister steered his Government Office to send Oxfam’s Inequality Virus report to related Ministries to study and adopt recommendations in the development of their policy advices for inequality reduction and sustainable development in Vietnam.
During the week of the launch, the Inequality Virus report received lots of media coverage in Vietnam. An Oped was published in English and Vietnamese in leading national media. Both the Central Communist Party Newspaper and the Government Newspaper covered Oxfam Inequality Virus report in a special moment- on the 2nd day of National Communist Party Congress meeting for 2 weeks, where key directions for the coming five years in Vietnam were discussed.
Building upon the report and the response it received, Oxfam in Vietnam is advocating for a human economy in Vietnam. The team nationalized the concept and pitched it with the Vietnamese Communist Party, while the Party prepared the party resolution on steering development of Vietnam from 2020 to 2030.
Oxfam developed a nationalized human economy framework, which includes nine components and policy options and tools focusing on the redistribution of wealth, multi-dimensional inequality measurement and promotes new models of business (inclusive and responsible) and tackles unpaid care work. This framework is built in two years (2019-2020) based on collaboration between Oxfam and the Vietnam Academy for Social Sciences (VASS), a think tank who provides policy advices for the Government. This framework as well as analysis on Vietnam’ human economy are expectedly to be shared publicly in the third quarter of 2021.
In August, Oxfam in Vietnam will launch the human economy concept with the public, via an exhibition, a roundtable discussion, and a published Inequality Matters bulletin featuring various views on the human economy. Oxfam in Vietnam will also continue to use the human economy framework to shift the debates on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation in Vietnam.
For more information, reach out to Nguyen Quang Thai, researcher at Oxfam in Vietnam.
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Newsletter stories: we want YOU!
Do you want to share about your work in the next edition of the FAIR-EIU newsletter? Please get in touch with Judith and Fatuma. We’d love to hear from you!
Credits:
photos: Oxfam & credited individuals with Oxfam