How does Oxfam work to give people living in poverty a voice?
Introduction
Income security
Protection for asylum-seekers
Gender and race equality
Public attitudes to poverty
Giving people living in poverty a voice
Oxfam believes it is vital that people are able to speak out about their experience of poverty – and that what they say is heard by those making the decisions that affect their lives.
In the UK, Oxfam supports poor communities to develop the skills and confidence to talk to decision-makers and helps provide opportunities for them to do so. We also work directly with government and local authorities to make sure they involve people living in poverty in the development of policies and services. This approach builds stronger communities, with people better able to tackle their own problems and make change – and makes sure that policies to tackle poverty are more likely to work.
The Get Heard Project
In 2006, Oxfam’s Get Heard project enabled more than one thousand groups and individuals with experience of poverty to talk to the government about its poverty action plan – and helped the government to realise the value of listening to poor communities in developing policies which affect them.
