News & Media

Fighting inequality in the time of Covid-19 Report

October 8, 2020

COVID-19 hit a world woefully 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. Governments such as South Korea have shown the way forward in combining recovery from COVID-19 with fighting inequality.

Click here to read ‘Fighting inequality in the time of Covid-19′ report

New global index shows “catastrophic” failure to tackle inequality left majority of world’s countries woefully unprepared for COVID-19

October 8, 2020

Very low spending on public healthcare, weak social safety nets and poor labor rights meant the majority of the world’s countries were woefully ill-equipped to deal with COVID-19, reveals new analysis from Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI) today.

The Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII) shows that only 26 out of 158 countries were spending a recommended 15 percent of their budgets on health prior to the pandemic, and in 103 countries at least one in three workers lacked basic labor rights and protections, like sick pay, when the virus struck.

The index ranks 158 governments on their policies on public services, tax and workers’ rights, three areas pivotal to reducing inequality and weathering the COVID-19 storm. It is being launched ahead of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) virtual Annual Meetings next week.

Chema Vera, Oxfam International’s interim executive director, said:

“Governments’ catastrophic failure to tackle inequality meant the majority of the world’s countries were critically ill-equipped to weather the pandemic. No country on earth was trying hard enough to reduce inequality and ordinary people are bearing the brunt of this crisis as a result. Millions of people have been pushed into poverty and hunger and there have been countless unnecessary deaths.”

The index highlights that no country in the world was doing enough to tackle inequality prior to the pandemic and while COVID-19 has been a wake-up call for some, many countries are still failing to act. This is helping to fuel the crisis and has increased the vulnerability of people living in poverty, especially women. For example:

The United States ranks last out of the wealthy G7 countries and trails 17 low-income countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia on labor legislation due to anti-union policies and a very low minimum wage. The Trump administration gave only temporary relief to vulnerable workers with its April stimulus package after having permanently slashed taxes which overwhelmingly benefitted corporations and rich Americans in 2017. The index’s findings compound Oxfam’s broader concerns that the pandemic landed on a healthcare system that excludes millions of people living in poverty, which most affects Black and Latinx communities ―only 1 in 10 Black households has health insurance compared with 7 in 10 white households.
Nigeria, Bahrain and India, which is currently experiencing the world’s fastest-growing outbreak of COVID-19, were among the world’s worst performing countries in tackling inequality going into the pandemic. India’s health budget (as a percentage of its overall budget) is the fourth lowest in the world and only half of the population has access to even the most basic healthcare services. Despite an already disastrous track record on workers’ rights, several state governments in India have used COVID-19 as a pretext to increase daily working hours from 8 to 12 hours a day and suspend minimum pay legislation, devastating the livelihoods of millions of poor workers now battling hunger.
Kenya, which had ranked highly (9^th) on progressive tax policies, has responded to the crisis with tax cuts for the wealthiest and big business and negligible additional funding for social protection and health measures. Nearly two million Kenyans have lost their job and tens of thousands of people living in Nairobi’s slums and in the countryside have received almost no help from the government and are struggling to feed themselves.
In Colombia, which ranks 94 out of 158 countries on labor rights, 22 million informal workers don’t have sick pay and have been forced to work to feed their families ―even if ill with COVID-19. Meanwhile, Colombian women are bearing the brunt of the economic slowdown, with an unemployment rate of 26 percent compared to just 16 percent for men.
Togo and Namibia, which were already taking strides to tackle inequality before the pandemic, have provided monthly cash grants to informal workers who lost their jobs because of lockdown measures. Ukraine, which has one of the lowest rates of inequality in the world despite its relatively low GDP, has increased frontline healthcare workers’ pay by up to 300 percent.
Since the pandemic, Bangladesh, which ranks at just 113 on the index, has stepped up by spending $11 million on bonus payments for frontline healthcare workers, most of which are women. Both Myanmar and Bangladesh have added more than 20 million people to their social protection schemes.
While some countries were taking positive steps before COVID-19 ―South Korea boosted the minimum wage, Botswana, Costa Rica and Thailand increased health spending and New Zealand launched a ‘well-being’ budget to tackle issues like child poverty and inequality, many countries had made little progress in the fight against inequality and some are going backwards. Many countries near the top of the index, such as Germany, Denmark, Norway and the UK, have been back-tracking on policies that reduce inequality like progressive taxation for decades.

Women, who generally earn less, save less and hold insecure jobs, have been particularly hard hit by the lockdowns introduced in response to the pandemic while unpaid care work and gender-based violence have increased dramatically. Nearly half of the world’s countries do not have adequate legislation on sexual assault and 10 countries, including Singapore and Sierra Leone, have no laws on equal pay or gender discrimination.

Matthew Martin, Development Finance International’s director, said:

“Extreme inequality is not inevitable, and you don’t have to be a wealthy country to do something about it. We know that policies such as free public healthcare, safety nets for people who can’t work, decent wages and a fair tax system, have been proven to fight inequality. Failure to implement them is a political choice ― one that COVID-19 has exposed with catastrophic economic and human costs.

“Governments must learn the lessons of this pandemic and seize this opportunity to build fairer, more resilient societies and a better tomorrow for us all, added Martin.

Notes to editors

Download the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII), methodology note and datasets

Visit the index’s new, interactive website to learn more.

The 2020 CRII has seen significant changes in methodology from 2018. These changes to the index’s methodology mean that a straight comparison between the scores of a country in the 2020 index and those for 2018 may not give an accurate picture of its performance. For this reason, analysis of changes focuses on concrete policy changes since 2018’s index.

Oxfam and DFI used the 15 percent health budget recommendation in line with the Abuja Declaration. In April 2001, heads of state of African Union countries met and pledged to set a target of allocating at least 15 percent of their annual budget to improve the health sector. The Abuja Declaration provides a budget benchmark for other countries on health spending levels

Contact information

To arrange an interview with a spokesperson, contact:
Kelsey-Rae Taylor | [email protected] | +64 21 298 9854

Youth Challenge Vanuatu launches E-learning pilot to support youth during disasters and beyond

October 6, 2020

It is a familiar conundrum around the world during the coronavirus pandemic – students crammed into home offices or at the kitchen table, adapting to the strange new reality of learning online and communicating with classmates and teachers solely through a screen.

For many young students in Vanuatu, getting an education online is an unfeasible or unaffordable luxury. But with the help of generous donors, Upskill People and Digicel, and supported by Oxfam, Youth Challenge Vanuatu (YCV) is helping young people in the island country to take their learning online.

The pilot programme, launched in May, provided students with free mobile data, access to computers at the training centre, and free online courses. The aim of the pilot was to find ways to improve flexibility and accessibility for young people wanting to gain new skills and knowledge. This will be especially useful in the aftermath of a natural disaster, when classroom learning is not an option.

Upskill People, a UK-based company who create and deliver online learning courses for businesses and individuals, were fundamental in the experiment. For the pilot they provided free access to five courses from their library, all of which had online quizzes. Courses included food sales and service, food hygiene, and understanding depression. With this generous donation, Youth Challenge Vanuatu and its pilot students could identify challenges and opportunities for making more online learning available from people’s phones or home computers in the future.

In total, 47 students participated in the first pilot programme delivered by Youth Challenge Vanuatu. Selected students were given free access to online training resources for an eight-week trial period. They could then log in to their personal Upskill People online account and study anytime, anywhere and on any device. Digicel’s contribution of free internet data meant the students could stream online videos and other training content from their personal phones or tablets.

Youth Challenge Vanuatu student Glenda Mass uses the e-learning platform from Upskill. Photo: Lillyrose Welwel / Youth Challenge Vanuatu

Data from the pilot showed it was a great success:

· 100% said they learned skills they could use

· 96% found the course easy to use

· 100% said the enjoyed learning in this way

"A really useful course, I learned new ways and words as I went along, I'd like to do more"

"The course helped me to understand how to talk with a customer and improve my selling skills, thank you"

"Learning about depression means I now know I can help myself, a friend or family member"

It is clear there is a lot of potential in this new approach for YCV. The organisation currently provides a suite of courses and assistance for job-seeking, employment and life skills, and entrepreneurship to disadvantaged youth, with life-changing results. By using a well-curated menu of online resources, more students can access training, with more flexibility via a mix of taught and self-paced options, and students can take greater control of their own learning pace. Armed with the learnings of this initial pilot, YCV is moving forward in the hope that more ni-Vanuatu youth will soon be able to sign up for further online learning journeys.

Oxfam has been working with YCV for over ten years to improve access to life-changing training and courses for Vanuatu youth. This pilot took place as part of a five-year project to lift the quality of YCV’s training and mentoring and the sustainability of this unique organisation, funded by Oxfam and the New Zealand Aid Programme.

Oxfam Trailwalker charity event reaches new heights with record sign-ups

October 2, 2020

New Zealand’s largest team endurance event, Oxfam Trailwalker, is set to welcome a record-breaking number of teams to the Taranaki region on 21-22 March 2021, having surpassed the last record for number of registrations set in 2013.

With the borders closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kiwis have turned to this bucket-list event as a way to challenge themselves and challenge poverty. Across the nation participants have rallied their friends and whānau to take part in this ultimate challenge, which sees teams of four tackle either 100 kilometres in 36 hours or 50 kilometres in 18 hours to raise vital funds for Oxfam’s work fighting injustice and poverty.

Since the event’s launch in June, over 310 teams of four have stepped up to the challenge. Oxfam Trailwalker is a Kiwi-classic event that explores New Zealand’s finest regions and frequently attracts everyone from trail-walking novices to pro-athletes seeking an opportunity to experience an exclusive trail and a personal challenge they can feel proud of.

It’s hoped the event will be a superb showcase for this beautiful corner of Aotearoa, hit as many other regions have been by the global pandemic. Oxfam’s events manager Lizzie Quill said the charity is prepared to welcome an influx of teams to the first event held in the Taranaki region.

“We are tremendously excited to reach this milestone, and look forward to putting on a thrilling and safe event for all involved in March,” said Quill.

“It’s great to see that so many people have clearly connected with Oxfam Trailwalker as a way to beat the lockdown lethargy and get out and explore New Zealand. Not only are you challenging yourself by doing so, you will be supporting local communities through visiting a gorgeous part of our country as well as making a genuine difference to people around the world with every step.”

Registrations are still open but due to the high interest so far, limited spots are available. Step up to this incredible team challenge and register at www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.nz.

-ends-

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:

Kelsey-Rae Taylor | [email protected] | +64 21 298 9854

COVID survivors from 37 countries write to pharmaceutical bosses to demand a People’s Vaccine

September 29, 2020

Survivors of COVID-19 from 37 countries are among almost 1,000 people who have signed an open letter to pharmaceutical industry leaders calling for a ‘people’s vaccine’ and treatments that are available to all – free from patents. The letter comes on the eve of a high-level side event about the pandemic at the UN General Assembly in New York tomorrow (30 September).

The signatories include 242 COVID-19 survivors from South Africa to Finland and New Zealand to Brazil. They also include 190 people in 46 countries who have lost relatives to the virus, and 572 signatories with underlying health conditions that mean they are more likely to develop severe forms of COVID-19 and have a greater risk of dying from it.

The letter says: “Some of us have lost loved ones to this killer disease. Some of us have come close to death ourselves. Some of us are continuing to live in fear that contracting this disease would be fatal for us. We see no justification why your profit or monopolies should mean anyone else should go through this.”

It describes pharmaceutical corporations as “carrying on with business as usual – defending monopolies while refusing to share research and know-how” and calls on industry leaders to “ensure COVID-19 vaccines and treatments reach everyone who needs them by preventing monopolies, ramping up production and sharing knowledge.”

Pharmaceutical monopolies will restrict the production of effective vaccines and treatments to a small number of manufacturers, preventing the mass production that is needed to meet global demand. The letter demands that corporations immediately license vaccine technology and intellectual property rights to the WHO COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP).

One of the signatories, Dilafruz Gafurova, 43, from Tajikistan, said: “Me and my husband got sick with this disease. We could only rely on ourselves as hospitals were full … It was really difficult to get the right medicines. I am a mother of four children … I was afraid to leave them alone in this world if something bad could happen with me … The reason I am signing this letter is to help others to get [a] vaccine. Not all the people around the world can get this vaccine, as they simply cannot afford it. They hardly [have enough to meet] their daily needs.”

The letter was organised by the People’s Vaccine Alliance, a global coalition of organisations and activists united under a common aim of campaigning for a people’s vaccine for COVID-19 that is based on shared knowledge and is freely available to everyone everywhere.

Tomorrow at the UN General Assembly, Bill Gates and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be among other high-profile figures discussing vaccine access. So far rich nations have failed to exert pressure on pharmaceutical corporations to share technology to maximise the supply of successful vaccines and treatments worldwide.

Heidi Chow from Global Justice Now, a member of the People’s Vaccine Alliance said: “Pharmaceutical companies need to pay attention to the demands of people from around the world who have experienced the fear and devastation of COVID-19. The industry cannot block its ears to these voices but should respond immediately by ending their monopolies and commit to sharing manufacturing know-how. These actions are crucial to expand vaccine supplies so that all countries can affordably access effective vaccines.”

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said: “With AIDS we saw that when treatments were found the wealthier people in wealthier countries got back to health, while millions of people in developing countries were left to die. We must not repeat the same mistake when a vaccine for COVID-19 is found. The right to health is a human right—it should not depend on the money in your pocket or the colour of your skin to be vaccinated against this deadly virus. A vaccine should be a global public good and free of charge for all.”

The Alliance is also calling on governments to make public funding for research and development of COVID-19 diagnostics, vaccines and treatments conditional on pharmaceutical companies sharing their knowledge and technology free from patents. When an effective vaccine is available, the Alliance demands that doses are fairly distributed with priority given to health workers and other at-risk groups in all countries.

Ends

Notes to editors:

Read the full text of the letter here.

To arrange an interview with a spokesperson for the People’s Vaccine Alliance or a COVID-19 survivor, contact
Kelsey-Rae Taylor | [email protected] | +64 21 298 9854

The high-level side events, titled Accelerating the end of the COVID-19 pandemic: taking new solutions to scale and making them equitably accessible, to save lives, protect health systems and restart the global economy, will take place on 30 September at the 75^th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Among the participants are the UN Secretary General, WHO Director General, leaders of a range of countries including the UK and South Africa and UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima.

The open letter has been signed by 941 people. They include 242 COVID-19 survivors from the following 37 countries: Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Russia, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain

Sweden, Tajikistan, Uganda, UK, USA and Zambia. Some people fell into more than one category and a list of the signatories is available on request. The letter has been sent to the pharmaceutical companies behind the 11 vaccine candidates that are currently in Phase 3 trials.

People’s Vaccine Alliance is a coalition of organisations and activists united under a common aim of campaigning for a ‘people’s vaccine’ for COVID-19 that is based on shared knowledge and is freely available to everyone everywhere. A global common good. It is coordinated by Oxfam and UNAIDS and its members include Frontline AIDS, Global Justice Now, Nizami Ganjavi International Centre, STOPAIDS, Wemos and the Yunus Centre. More than 140 world leaders, former leaders and economists have called on governments to unite behind a people’s vaccine against COVID-19.

Earlier this month, an analysis by Oxfam revealed that a small group of wealthy nations representing just 13 percent of the world’s population have already bought up more than half (51 percent) of the future doses of leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

Over 21,000 people killed since UN global ceasefire resolution

September 24, 2020

At least 21,347 people have been killed in conflict, including more than 5,800 civilian adults and children who were directly targeted[i], despite the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a global cessation of hostilities some 90 days ago. Instead of a ceasefire, allowing countries and humanitarian organisations to focus on battling the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing violence is pushing millions to the brink of conflict induced famine and hindering the battle against the outbreak.

Leading aid organisations urge Heads of State meeting today in the Security Council in New York to urgently renew their call for a global ceasefire, and to accelerate COVID-19 response capacity and access in areas affected by conflict and humanitarian crisis.

The UN Secretary-General issued his first call for a global ceasefire in March, yet early signs of progress have since stalled, as armed groups have continued or even increased fighting. This is contributing to a devastating increase in food insecurity and the likelihood of famine caused by conflict. The UN issued a warning only last week on the risk of conflict-induced famine in South Sudan, Yemen, DRC and northeast Nigeria. The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have only worsened food insecurity, with an estimated additional 110 million children going hungry globally as a result of the pandemic.

In South Sudan, increased inter-communal violence has contributed to nearly 6.5m people, or over half of the country’s population, facing dire levels of food insecurity. In Yemen, where humanitarian organisations face extremely challenging barriers to access to those most in need, civilians continue to fall victim to airstrikes and high levels of acute food insecurity. In DRC, aid workers have come under attack recently, and hunger levels are spiking in the Ituri district as a consequence of ongoing conflict.

The lack of progress towards peace is leaving millions of people suffering from the impacts of war and the global COVID-19 pandemic, the aid organisations warn, whilst limiting humanitarian access to extremely vulnerable communities. As the virus continues to compound suffering and drive the threat of famine across different conflict zones, it is vital political leaders put their weight behind the call for a humanitarian pause to fighting, facilitate safe and sustained access for aid workers, and accelerate COVID-19 response in conflict and humanitarian crisis affected countries.

Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children said:
“The truth is we are dangerously running out of time. Already warnings are ringing out of the potential for widespread famines in at least four countries as result of the coronavirus pandemic. It is no coincidence that many of the countries now most at risk of hunger are also the ones mired in conflict – and it is children who too often pay the deadly price. Children need more safety and more protection, but fighting has continued or in some cases gotten worse.

“COVID-19 has already had a devastating impact on children’s lives, limiting their access to healthcare, food, education and protection. A 90-day pause in fighting that is actually implemented on the ground could be the lifeline that helps to prevent mass starvation and to protect a generation of children.”

David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee said:
“Serious diplomatic muscle must be put behind a global ceasefire. No effort to beat Covid-19 can be successful while fighting continues to threaten civilians and hospitals. More, not less, of the global cooperation the UN represents is needed to fight this virus.”

Radhya Al-Mutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana Organisation for Human Rights said: “After more than 6 years of fighting, Yemenis are desperate for a circuit-breaker so they can avoid the looming man-made famine that will surely cost more lives than the bombs and shells. They need peace, justice and accountability and they need the Security Council and all governments with access to the warring parties to use their powers of persuasion to bring sustainable peace immediately.”

Abby Maxman, President and CEO of Oxfam America said:
“To end conflicts now, we urgently need sustainable ceasefires. And for that to happen, leaders must listen to those directly impacted by the conflict, especially diverse women’s groups. Women are well-practiced in successfully negotiating temporary ceasefires for aid to pass and to evacuate civilians, and their meaningful engagement increases the chances of addressing the root causes of conflict and builds buy-in for agreement.

“As we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together, Member States must also ensure women and young people are included in the response at all decision-making levels. Now more than ever, we need diverse perspectives, talents, and reach to defeat this collective foe.”

Andrew Morley, President and CEO of World Vision International said:
“The fallout from COVID-19 will wreck the futures of an entire generation of children – unless we act now. As ever, it is the most vulnerable girls and boys, whose lives were already afflicted by conflict, who are most at risk. For those facing such unbearable strain, a call to peace is the only way forward. All parties to conflict must pause and respect the lives of humanitarian and health workers. The international community must also urgently step up to resource an accelerated COVID-19 response in these fragile contexts. This is a global pandemic – and nothing but a united, global effort will suffice.”

Angelina Nyajima Jial, Executive Director of Hope Restoration South Sudan said:
“In South Sudan, we desperately need all fighting to stop because many of the communities caught up in the violence are now facing famine. Without peace, more women and children are being forced to flee for their lives, even as much of the country is inundated with flood waters. We need the international community to stand united with us to insist on a humanitarian ceasefire and help South Sudan massively scale up humanitarian assistance to prevent further loss of life.”

Aid organizations are calling on Security Council members and the wider international community to:

Take urgent action to realize a global cessation of hostilities and durable humanitarian pause by renewing their call for a cessation of hostilities for a further 90 days at minimum.
Engage all parties to armed conflicts, providing political support to the UN Secretary-General and his Special Envoys and other mediation actors in progressing negotiation efforts;
Accelerate international response to COVID-19 in situations of armed conflict or affected by humanitarian crisis, ensuring the Global Humanitarian Response Plan and country-specific humanitarian appeals are fully funded;
Ensure scale up of engagement at country-level to better facilitate access to the most vulnerable, upholding the safety of humanitarian and health workers, humanitarian principles, and recognition of the disproportionate negative impact of the pandemic on women, girls and boys, older persons and persons with disabilities, refugees and internally displaced people.

Signed by: Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, World Vision International, Oxfam America, CARE International, Action Against Hunger, Humanity and Inclusion (Handicap International), Hope Restoration South Sudan, Mwatana Organisation for Human Rights, Progressive Voice

[i] The UN resolution was adopted on July 1^st2020. According to most recent data of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Database (ACLED), 21,347 people died in conflict related violence between July 1^st and September 12^th. According to ACLED, this number includes some 5,800 civilians who were directly targeted. The real number of civilian casualties is likely to be higher, as the number of 5,800 excludes civilian fatalities from ‘collateral damage’ or civilians killed in the crossfire of a battle; these fatalities are included in the larger total of 21,347.