As we enter 2024, the world grapples with unprecedented levels of inequality, woven by deeply ingrained systems of neoliberal, colonial, racist, and heteronormative patriarchy. Despite progress in advancing women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, well-funded global movements under anti-”gender ideology” banners are striving to restore patriarchal norms, infiltrate human rights institutions and exacerbate polarization, fundamentalism, xenophobia, and anti-democratic politics.
The global economy, rooted in colonial legacies, patriarchal structures, and racial inequalities, concentrates wealth among transnational corporations and religious and political elites at the expense of the Global South. A privileged few benefit, exacerbating vulnerability and risk for those who experience intersecting oppressions and inequalities. Women’s paid and unpaid labour - and the exploited labour of racialized minorities - are a cornerstone of this global economy. This unjust economic model accelerates ecological and climate breakdown. There is an urgent need for a feminist, just transition toward sustainable, equitable alternatives.
Intersectional feminist activism leads the way to a more equitable world, challenging harmful binaries and unsustainable relationships with natural environments. Oxfam commits to embracing urgent transformations, supporting intersectional feminist movements for socially just and inclusive futures.