Power in the Pandemic

How can we create Feminist Futures?

This episode hosts a conversation recorded last September 2020 during a virtual encounter around Creating Feminist Futures. María Faciolince, our host and moderator, is joined by three visionary feminists from around the world: Crystal Simeoni (Director at Nawi: Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective), Meera Ghani (Policy coordinator at Ecolise, Co-founder of Moxie Consultancy Collective) and Maria José Moreno (Global Gender Justice Director at Oxfam International). One of the shared solutions, ...

Meera's Journey: Climate, Covid and Care

"If we want to move away from systems of violence, we have to reimagine a world that centres care." - Meera Ghani In this final episode of the Climate, Covid and Care series, we hear from Meera Ghani, a climate justice activist, anti-racist and anti-capitalist feminist, and abolitionist from Pakistan. Meera works to support community initiatives with Ecolise and co-founded the Moxie Consultancy Collective to help organisations create transformative change through building a culture of care....

Majandra's Journey: Climate, Covid and Care

"From an ecofeminist perspective, we understand that the sustainability of life should be at the front and centre of our economic system, instead of profit and competition. That means valuing care work. It means valuing low-carbon jobs. It means valuing the sustainability of all life." - Majandra Rodríguez Acha This is the fourth episode of a  mini series, in collaboration with the Climate, Covid, and Care: Feminist Journey's zine which launched on the 24th of August, 2020. This publication...

Betty's journey: Climate, Covid and Care

"Just because the entire world was on lockdown, doesn’t mean that climate change or the patriarchy was on lockdown. The patriarchy is not on lockdown. Climate change cannot be contained" - Betty Barkha This is the third episode of a mini-series, in collaboration with the Climate, Covid, and Care: Feminist Journey's zine which launched on the 24th of August, 2020. This publication is a collection of journeys, stories, and ideas from five feminist activists working at the intersection of gend...

Maggie's Journey: Climate, Covid and Care

"The climate crisis is real for so many communities. Sometimes we don't have the language for it, we can't explain it. But we can feel it in our bodies. We feel it in our land. We see it in the water" - Maggie Mapondera This is the second episode of a new mini-series, in collaboration with the Climate, Covid, and Care: Feminist Journeys zine which launched on the 24th of August, 2020. This publication is a collection of journeys, stories, and ideas from five feminist activists working at th...

Hindou's Journey: Climate, Covid and Care

"You can't speak about us, without us" -  Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim This is the first episode of a new mini-series, in collaboration with the Climate, Covid, and Care: Feminist Journeys zine which launched on the 24th of August, 2020. This publication is a collection of journeys, stories, and ideas from five feminist activists working at the intersection of gender and climate justice. In this episode, we hear from Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, an activist from the Indigenous Mbororo community in Ch...

"Imagine something out of the box" How are young people responding to the pandemic?

How are young people responding to the coronavirus crisis? What's it like to manage a soap factory during the pandemic? How are young people using the internet to build bridges between generations during lockdowns? How does this virus exacerbate the ongoing economic crisis and rates of youth unemployment? Young people's voices are often the last to be heard during a crisis. Young people are rarely deemed the experts and they don't usually hold positions of power in their communities. In ...

Breaking Borders, Refugees Imagining a Post-COVID World

How do we imagine a fairer, kinder post-COVID world for refugees and asylum seekers? It's Refugee Week! To celebrate, we bring you an episode which cuts across borders and hands the mic to two refugee activists who discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on the communities they work with. We hear from Obai Kurdali who works on peacebuilding and is based in Gaziantep in Turkey, and Loraine Mponela the Chairperson for Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group in the UK. Speaking with Shahd Mousal...

Featured voice: Robtel Neajai Pailey on racism in development

Let’s talk about racism and development. Dr Robtel Neajai Pailey is a Liberian academic, activist and author.In this conversation, Maria and Robtel talk about development as a racist construct. They discuss the 'decolonial turn', systems of power and decision-making that uphold racism, and Robtel asks us: how complicit are we all in upholding the notion that whiteness (often geographically equalled to 'northerness') is our only reference of progress? Recorded last year at the Development S...

Living on a Resettlement Camp During a Pandemic

Coronavirus has brought up new challenges locally and globally, how do these challenges affect refugees and internally displaced people living on resettlement camps? How has the Coronavirus made a difficult and precarious living situation more complicated for internally displaced people and refugees? What is it like to live through this pandemic in a camp setting? And what are community members, organizations and governments doing to build community’s resilience and preparedness in camps?  ...

Featured Voice: Duoi talks to farmers about Coronavirus in the Philippines

Duoi takes us out to visit farmers on the Midpulo Unified Agriculture Cooperative to explore how the coronavirus pandemic has affected food systems and farming in the Philippines. Power in the Pandemic brings you this week's featured voice: Duoi Ampilan, from Mindanao island in the Philippines. Duoi has been focusing his efforts on changing up food systems to ensure food security at the local level. This is done through the promotion of organic agriculture among small scale farmer. How has ...

Where is the power in the pandemic?

You’re listening to the first episode of Power in the Pandemic. Before we share the voices we are capturing from across the world about their experiences of the coronavirus, we explore the role power plays during this crisis. In this introductory episode, we consider how the coronavirus has made us rethink power structures. We hear from David Mwambari about a Post-Corona, Pan-African vision and why now is the time to decolonise. We also consider the effects of the virus on social movements ...

The trailer - Power in the Pandemic

      Something that threatens to separate us, is highlighting our deep interconnection.    Welcome to Power in the Pandemic podcast. Right now, the world is going through massive shifts, triggered by the rapid spread of the Coronavirus. In this series, we're bringing together the unheard and often forgotten voices living through the pandemic, in order to get a glimpse into the world that’s being created in the cracks of this crisis. In each episode, we will hear from a range of individua...

Podcast: Coronavirus and Web Data Analysis

Social media has the potential to profoundly influence the way society works. Social media has been used for understanding crowd sizes from Instagram posts and to analyse hate speech and to understand presidential elections. Or more recently to improve our understanding of the lived realities of women and girls.  So, how can we gather data from social media platforms and use it to understand our current reality? Join the REAL Geek team, Simone Lombardini and Alexia Pretari as they interview...

Coronavirus and web data analysis

Social media has the potential to profoundly influence the way society works. Social media has been used for understanding crowd sizes from Instagram posts and to analyse hate speech and to understand presidential elections. So, how can we use social media data to understand our current reality? Join the Real Geek team, Simone Lombardini and Alexia Pretari as they interview Nicole Schwitter, author of the recent paper Going digital: web data collection using twitter as an example.  In this e...

Real Geek: Coronavirus and web data analysis

Social media has the potential to profoundly influence the way society works. Social media has been used for understanding crowd sizes from Instagram posts and to analyse hate speech and to understand presidential elections. So, how can we use social media data to understand our current reality? Join the Real Geek team, Simone Lombardini and Alexia Pretari as they interview Nicole Schwitter, author of the recent paper Going digital: web data collection using twitter as an example.  In this e...

Real Geek: Web data collection using Twitter

The journey and challenges in measuring sustainable water in Oxfam’s impact evaluations with the HWISE Network

"It’s easy to see that water is an issue the world over. Either too much, too little or unsafe” How can we effectively measure sustainable water? How can we understand the impact and effectiveness of our work in relation to water insecurity?  For World Water Day 2020, The Real Geek Series discusses how research, measurement and evaluation are essential tools in improving the impact of our work in water insecure areas. Jola Miziniak, Strategic Lead for Sustainable Water, interviews Jaynie V...

Ripple Effects: women in Nepal and Bangladesh forge their own paths in water governance

In honour of International Women’s Day (March 8th) and World Water Day (March 22nd), we explore how water systems and water governance are deeply intertwined with women’s lives in riverine communities in Bangladesh and Nepal.  We learn about women’s rarely discussed roles in fisheries and how River Camps in Bangladesh offer supportive environments for women to meet with leaders and share local water governance issues. In Nepal, we hear about Women’s Empowerment Centres and how women receive ...

Feminist leadership in the hardest places to be a woman

As part of Oxfam’s Breaking New Ground Series, we host a  panel of inspiring female leaders from the world of politics and civil society. The panel discuss their perspectives on what feminist leadership means to them and the importance of women’s participation in peace building and political life. The event took place in London on the 3rd of February 2020. The event was introduced by Dr Fenella Porter Co-Director of Women’s Rights and Gender Justice at Oxfam GB. The Panel was chaired by Ann...

Real Geek: Highlights of Oxfam's Impact Evaluation of Cash for Work activities in the Za’atari camp in Jordan

For people living in the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan there are few legally accessible work opportunities in and outside the camp. The Cash for Work activities currently being carried out in Za'atari provides income, increases household wealth, teaches skills and improves well-being. But how effective is the intervention? As part of our Real Geek Series, Franziska and Simone speak to Nour and Teshome at Oxfam Jordan. They discuss and share the evidence and learning from the impact evalu...

Real Geek: GDPR and the right to privacy in practice for impact evaluations

What is GDPR and Oxfam's Responsible Data Policy? How does GDPR affect the way we collect data when carrying out monitoring and evaluations? Following the recent publication of the Going Digital report on GDPR, two of our regular "Real Geekers", Jaynie Vonk, Global Advisor on Impact Evaluations and Simone Lombardini, Impact and Evaluation lead, discuss the implementation, challenges and dilemmas of integrating GDPR and Oxfam's Responsible Data Policy into our monitoring and evaluation proce...

Real Geek: How to measure resilience capacities

Oxfam defines resilience as ‘the ability of women and men to realize their rights and improve their well-being despite shocks, stresses and uncertainty’. So… Can resilience be “measured”?! As part of our Real Geek series, Ania Gaboune and Alexia Pretari from Oxfam, share learning from our impact evaluations. For more details and a full list of references made in the podcast, visit this blog >> https://views-voices.oxfam.org.uk/2019/12/podcast-how-to-measure-resilience-experience-from-oxfam...

How to measure resilience capacities - Experience from Oxfam’s impact evaluations

Oxfam defines resilience as ‘the ability of women and men to realize their rights and improve their wellbeing despite shocks, stresses and uncertainty’. So… Can resilience be “measured”?! As part of our Real Geek series, Ania Gaboune and Alexia Pretari from Oxfam, share learning from our impact evaluations. For more details and a full list of references made in the podcast, visit this blog >> https://views-voices.oxfam.org.uk/2019/12/podcast-how-to-measure-resilience-experience-from-oxfams...

Book Banter: The politics of counting, review of "The Uncounted" with Alex Cobham

We speak to the Tax Justice Network's Alex Cobham about his upcoming book "The Uncounted", which gives an insight into the politics of counting. Franziska Mager from Oxfam GB, also joins us to give her perspective as a researcher on inequality.We discuss who's missing from the stats at the very bottom and the very top of society, and how those with power control who gets counted.Find out more about the book: http://politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9781509536016

The challenges of measuring women’s empowerment: Sharing experiences from Oxfam's impact evaluations

In this episode we share Oxfam's journey in measuring women's empowerment in our impact evaluations. Our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead, Marina Torre, speaks to Simone Lombardini, Oxfam's Impact Evaluation Lead, who has been working in this area of work. Simone delves into the details on what methodologies have been used, the challenges the team has faced and what we have learnt. See below to access to the many references made in the episode: "How To Guide to Measuring Women's ...

Real Geek: The challenges of measuring women’s empowerment

In this episode we share Oxfam's journey in measuring women's empowerment in our impact evaluations. Our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Lead, Marina Torre, speaks to Simone Lombardini, Oxfam's Impact Evaluation Lead, who has been working in this area of work. Simone delves into the details on what methodologies have been used, the challenges the team has faced and what we have learnt. See below to access to the many references made in the episode: Oxfam’s effectiveness reviews and ho...

How smart technology can ensure a continuous water supply

Providing accessible, safe, sustainable water and sanitation services to everyone on the planet is one of the most critical development challenges we face. This podcast focuses on how smart technology is being used in Kenya and the work that Oxfam and Diaspora AI are doing in the informal settlements of Nairobi. It showcases how it can ensure a more consistent and continuous water supply, and provides evidence to help hold services providers to account. Irene Gai, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene...

Improving the sustainability of water supply schemes in Nepal

This podcast focuses on the alternative models we used to boost the profitability and sustainability of rural water supply schemes in Nepal. We speak to Anjil Adhikari who is an Innovation Advisor working for Oxfam on water sanitation and hygiene, and Jessica Graf who is Managing Director of LeFil Consulting. They talk about how they worked together to demonstrate that better water service delivery is possible. Download the report

Book Banter - The Rise of Meritocracy

Angela Picciariello from Oxfam GB's Research Team and Susanna Griffiths from Oxfam's Policy and Practice Team, discuss the book 'The Rise of Meritocracy' by Michael Dunlop Young. Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/russelldavies/671323188

Book Banter: The Rise of Meritocracy

Angela Picciariello from Oxfam GB's Research Team and Susanna Griffiths from Oxfam's Policy and Practice Team, discuss the book 'The Rise of Meritocracy' by Michael Dunlop Young. Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/russelldavies/671323188

Gender and Development - Young Feminisms Online Launch

Featuring:Catherine Nyambura, FEMNETEsther Moraes and Vinita Sahasranaman, The YP FoundationGopika Bashi, Lucia Martelotte, Boikanyo Modungwa, Euge Olmos, FRIDA/Young Feminist FundNicci Morgan, Programme Adviser – Youth, Gender & Active Citizenship, Oxfamand introduced by Caroline Sweetman, Editor of Gender & Development Picture attribution: ADB/Flickr

Using digital to further women’s rights and gender equality

This is a recording of the recent webinar launch of the Gender & Development Journal's latest issue on gender and ICTs. It features:Sara Baker of Take Back the Tech! Dhanaraj Thakur from the Alliance for Affordable Internet, an initiative of the Web Foundation Divya Titus #IWillGoOut Campaign, social activist and gender consultant Introduced by Caroline Sweetman, Editor of G&D Moderated by Amy O’Donnell, Digital Specialist at Oxfam, Board member of anti-harrassment charity Hollaback! and co-...

Sanitation in Focus: The WASH response in Cox's Bazar

As part of the response to the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, Oxfam has been supporting the implementation of water and sanitation infrastructure in the refugee camps. The huge influx of people, challenging environmental factors and the small space have led to innovate approaches being taken to address the quantities of faecal sludge needing treatment. In this podcast Oxfam’s John Allen and Salahuddin Ahmmed discuss what approaches are being used and how current innovations have over...

How loans from philanthropists to NGOs could work

This podcast focuses on the role of philanthropy in development, and shares the learning from a recent loan agreement made to Oxfam, which is considered ground-breaking for the sector. We speak to Talal Shakerchi, the head of Meditor Trust who gave the loan, and Bridie Layden from Oxfam GB’s Philanthropy & Partnerships team, who coordinated the process. They talk to us about how it worked, the challenges they faced and what the expectations are from the agreement.

Sanitation in Focus: Innovation in humanitarian response

Oxfam's head of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) discusses how the sector is innovating to address the needs of those Oxfam supports in humanitarian situations. The podcast discusses adapting to changing priorities, new approaches we can use in emergencies and where the sector is headed due to better coordination and communication of approaches. Photo credit: Tommy Trenchard / Oxfam

Guest post from the Gender & Development journal

This year, Oxfam's international journal Gender & Development turns 25. The UK Development Studies Association and Oxfam marked the occasion by convening a one-day seminar for feminist activists from academia and development practice to discuss bringing feminist values to development research, policy and practice. In this podcast five of these activists introduce themselves and their research, and explain why they are passionate about gender and development. Featuring: Lata Narayanaswamy, Já...

Guest post from the Gender & Development Journal

This year, Oxfam's international journal Gender & Development turns 25. The UK Development Studies Association and Oxfam marked the occasion by convening a one-day seminar for feminist activists from academia and development practice to discuss bringing feminist values to development research, policy and practice. In this podcast five of these activists introduce themselves and their research, and explain why they are passionate about gender and development. Featuring: Lata Narayanaswamy, Já...

What alternative business models do we need to help beat poverty?

Erinch Sahan, Chief Executive of the World Fairtrade Organisation (https://wfto.com) speaks to Sophi Tranchell, CEO of Divine Chocolate (http://www.divinechocolate.com) and Lisa Dacanay, President of the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (http://www.isea-group.net). They share their experiences in social enterprises and alternative business models which are working right now to help make business fairer.Photo credit: Rachel Manns

How can overcoming educational barriers improve the sustainability of smallholder supply chains?

In this podcast we speak to Amanda Klarer, the Responsible Farming Program Manager at Marcatus QED, who works with some of the world's leading and niche consumer brands to develop customised sourcing programmes, innovative products and sustainable supply chains. Marcatus QED is one of Unilever’s supply partners for their gherkin supply chain, and is part of the Enhancing Livelihoods Fund, a joint initiative between Oxfam, Unilever and the Ford Foundation. Amanda speaks to us about their inno...

Book Banter: Weapons Of Math Destruction

Oxfam researchers Franziska Mager and Deborah Hardoon review 'Weapons of Math Destruction' by Cathy O'Neil, a book which describes the way that big data is being used to affect every aspect of our lives, leading to bias which increases inequality and threatens democracy.

Book review - Weapons Of Math Destruction

Oxfam researchers Franziska Mager and Deborah Hardoon review 'Weapons of Math Destruction' by Cathy O'Neil, a book which describes the way that big data is being used to affect every aspect of our lives, leading to bias which increases inequality and threatens democracy.

What are the solutions for desalination?

As the world's water systems become more prone to salt, what are the methods and solutions available today to tackle this? And how should NGOs be using these technologies? A new report available next week gives a deep insight into the technologies currently available, the challenges and the contexts of what could work where.  A summary of the report is available here: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/a-desalination-road-map-for-asia-an-overview-of-existing-and-emerging-desa...

Women's rights in South Sudan: How do you empower women in a country at conflict?

How do you help empower women in a conflict zone? In South Sudan, Oxfam is pushing to help women make money through agriculture and small businesses, with the aim of boosting their ability to claim their rights in the household and community.Anne Daniel Ali, Director-General in the Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare in Wau State, joins Oxfam's Monica Fagila and Tim Bierley to discuss practical steps to make lasting change in South Sudan.

Book review - Nudge: Improving decisions about health wealth and happiness

In our latest Book Banter episode, we review "Nudge: Improving decisions about health wealth and happiness", by Richard H Thaler and‎ Cass R Sunstein.

Book Banter: Nudge: Improving decisions about health wealth and happiness

In our latest Book Banter episode, we review "Nudge: Improving decisions about health wealth and happiness", by Richard H Thaler and‎ Cass R Sunstein.

Would you care more about inequality, if you understood the scale of it?

As part of Oxfam's Reward Work, Not Wealth report, data from a survey project of over 70,000 people in 10 countries was used. In this podcast, we speak to the researchers behind the research project, which was commissioned for Oxfam from Christopher Hoy at the Australia National University. They reveal people's perceptions of inequality, what they care about, what they want done about it, and give insight into how this data can be used for campaigning work.  Download the research here: http...

Safe to speak out: Tackling gender based violence in the digital age

Safe to speak out: Tackling gender based violence in the digital age by The Oxfam Podcast

Reward work, not wealth: How can we solve the inequality crisis?

Last year saw the biggest increase in billionaires in history, one more every two days. This huge increase could have ended global extreme poverty seven times over. 82% of all wealth created in the last year went to the top 1%, and nothing went to the bottom 50%.  In this podcast, we speak to the authors and advisers of a new Oxfam report "Reward work, not wealth", and discuss the links between inequality and poverty, as well as the solutions that governments and the private sector should a...

Emergency sanitation in focus

Esther Shaylor talks to Andy Bastable, Oxfam's expert on public health engineering, about the challenge of providing sustainable sanitation in emergencies. What happens when toilets in camps are not well planned out? How and why should tiger worms and urine dry diversion toilets be used?