Policy Papers

In an increasingly unequal world, advancing gender equality is fundamental to tackling inequality and poverty. Feminist aid has the potential to challenge us to rethink how aid is delivered and to truly transform systems of unequal power.

Governments need more domestic revenue to fund their own development goals, but it won’t come from squeezing the poor. It’s not only about collecting more. It’s about how that revenue is collected.

This paper argues that private finance blending should be used with caution in rural development until donors can demonstrate the merits of blending using evidence-based results, in particular the added value of blending for development impact.

A growing body of evidence shows that education public-private partnerships (PPPs) which support private schooling are too often failing the most vulnerable children and risk deepening inequality. Despite this, the World Bank has been increasingly promoting education PPPs in poor countries through its lending and advice.

Amid growing concern that the pharmaceutical industry’s pricing, tax and lobbying practices are undermining the health of millions of people in the US and across the globe, this briefing presents new findings on how the biggest corporate tax cut in a generation has benefited four of America’s pharmaceutical giants.

The deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is looming, and the poorest countries face significant funding gaps as well as growing economic inequality that stands in the way of poverty reduction.

No-one can escape the devastating grip of war. For women, it can mark a point of no return. But it can also be a door to new opportunities. Through examples from Iraq, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Yemen, this report analyses the impact war and occupation have had on the lives of women.

Small-scale producers grow most of the rice in Asia, playing a significant role in providing food security, jobs and income across the region. However, a combination of worsening inequality in food value chains and the crippling impacts of climate change is leaving rice farming systems at a critical juncture. These challenges threaten the future viability of rice production that underpins the livelihoods and primary food source for millions of people.

The crisis in Syria is entering its ninth year. With a reduction in active violence, there is a need to consider how the aid response is best meeting the needs of conflict-affected Syrians. This paper explores the changes that are needed to adapt the response to deliver the support Syrians themselves want.

The Oxfam guide to feminist influencing is designed to help Oxfam staff apply feminist principles and practices to campaigning, policy, advocacy and influencing. It will help us translate “putting women’s rights at the heart of all we do” into clear simple steps, ideas and actions.