Holding the powerful to account

Poverty is about more than aid. It's also about nobody listening to you.

Poor people usually lack power - which makes it easier for powerful people to ignore them. So millions of people have little or no say in decisions that affect them, and slim chance of influencing policies and practices that affect their lives.

This can mean governments denying people the chance to get their views across, or holding elections that aren't democratic, or vested interests prevailing over public interest.

Oxfam helps people speak out together, so their views and needs are heard and their basic rights are granted to them.

In Malawi, for example, we trained volunteers, along with government workers, to help them decide together what poor communities needed most. They came up with plans for bridges, wells and a literacy project.

And in Brazil, we backed the Quilombola community as they fought to reclaim land they traditionally occupied. The first Quilombola MP was elected, ensuring their claims will be heard nationwide.

And we're helping poor people secure other rights too - starting with proper access to information, and legal advice, so they have the knowledge and confidence to claim their rights.

We're supporting freedom of expression and people's right to demonstrate or join movements and unions - liberties denied to many, in rich countries as well as poor.

But raising voices and obtaining the right to be heard is not enough. We are also supporting authorities to fulfil their obligations and bridge the cultural and behavioural gaps between the public and people in power.

More about holding powerful people to account

on our Policy & Practice website