Speakers: Sarah Bedford (Head of Social Policy, New Economics Foundation), Daniel Button (Senior Researcher, New Economics Foundation), Anam Parvez (Senior Research and Policy Advisor on Gender Justice, Oxfam), Dr Fenella Porter (Co-Director, Women's Rights and Gender Justice, Oxfam), Soledad Salvador (Economist, Center for Development Studies)
Chair: Beverley Skeggs (III Research Theme Convenor and AFSEE Academic Advisor International Inequalities Institute)
Economic inequality is out of control. It is also deeply gendered and based on a flawed and sexist economic model. While a small number of elite are unimaginably rich, at the other end of the economy are a multitude of carers putting in billions of hours of care work for free or with poverty wages. This invaluable work done mainly by women is happening behind the scenes in homes and communities around the world. Yet this system of unpaid and under-paid care work props up the economy and effectively lets companies and the State off the hook through low wages, inadequate investment and services, and low corporate taxation. Following the World Economic Forum in Davos and the launch of Oxfam’s latest inequality report, this session will hear new research from Oxfam and the New Economic Foundation on who cares, the looming and deepening care crisis, and bold solutions to address care in different parts of the world.
Sarah Bedford heads up social policy and work at New Economics Foundation. She is currently leading projects on social action and the future of adult social care.
Daniel Button is a Senior Researcher at New Economics Foundation (NEF). His work covers health and care – focusing particularly on health inequalities and the role of community control, participation and co-production in public services and social change.
Anam Parvez is a Senior Research and Policy Advisor on Gender Justice at Oxfam and a co-author of the report "Time to Care: Unpaid and underpaid care work and the global inequality crisis". Her research focuses on women's economic empowerment and care, social norms and ending violence against women and girls.
Dr Fenella Porter’s background is in Gender and International Development, Global Labour and Trade Union Studies. Her work has included academic research and teaching, and extensive work with NGOs, women’s organisations and trade unions, both in the UK and internationally. She is a member of several professional and activist networks and associations, and is currently a trustee of Womankind Worldwide.
Soledad Salvador is a Uruguayan economist. She is a member of the Interdisciplinary Center for Development Studies (CIEDUR) and a researcher in the Development and Gender Area. She focuses on issues of gender inequalities in the labor market and also coordinates the project "Promoting the economic empowerment of women through better policies.