How Can We Step Up Our Game in Fighting Inequality? - Launching the People Vs Inequality Podcast

If some of us thought that inequality was bad in 2019, no one can really escape reality in 2021. Massive inequalities are destroying lives and threatening our societies and planet. The pandemic has not only exacerbated the gaps between the (very) rich and the poor, but also between men and women, between citizens and migrants, and – thanks to vaccine inequity - between the Global North and the Global South. Climate change is following a similar pattern, most heavily affecting those already in precarious situations whilst being caused by the rich.

The pandemic has, however, also opened the eyes of many. To the plight of underpaid, overworked nurses and the fact that women do three times more unpaid care work than men. To the problems of austerity and budget cuts in public health systems, and the need to challenge global economic powers that protect their interests above all else, above saving lives. There is growing awareness and mobilisation of people demanding real structural change as governments try to ‘build back better’. Many have taken to the street, calling for racial or gender justice. Others lobby the halls of power or try to make change happen from inside.

It is clear that we live in a time of crisis and potentially big change. What we do in the coming years is crucial if we want to be able to tackle inequality, injustice, and climate change. There is amazing work happening around the globe, of people standing up for a better world. Yet we risk business as usual - if not worse. How do we prevent that from happening? How do we know what to do to make real change happen; to shift power, tackle root causes of the problems we face and create space for more just and sustainable alternatives? COVID-19 has put many of our assumptions to the test, including on the work of social change. Amidst all urgent needs and momentum, I believe it is an important moment to take a step back and reflect – so that we can step up our game.

What Is The People Vs Inequality Podcast?

The People vs Inequality podcast is a brand-new space to reflect and learn with changemakers on how to fight inequality. After a long period of emergency response and lockdowns, this is a place to come together in a way that we used to do – although never enough in my opinion - over coffee at the kitchen table. I will be hosting a series of intimate conversations with changemakers from across the globe to learn from their stories, the choices they make, the strategies they adopt and the obstacles they face. And above all, you will hear about their hopes and dreams in using this moment to start building a truly just and equal world.

By taking a deep dive into the work and worlds of activists, advocates, community organizers - but also funders, policymakers, and others - we explore new insights and strategies for the fight against inequality. By bringing together different approaches and perspectives we also hope to contribute to bridging silos, as one thing is clear: only together we can turn the tide. Having played different roles myself, from policymaker and researcher to advocate and campaigner, I feel there is a world to win if we can better understand how others think change happens.

You will find that I have a particular passion for learning from feminist approaches to shifting power, and for challenging my own – and maybe your – assumptions. In preparing and planning for this podcast, Elizabeth Maina, the podcast producer, and I build on our own experiences and the strategic questions we have faced along the way (and never had enough time for). We think – and hear – there are many like us that would like this opportunity to come together, learn and find new ways forward. So, let’s begin!

What Topics Will The Podcast Focus On?

Our journey starts with a series on women’s economic justice in times of covid, an issue close to my heart and central to what we are seeing happening today. We will meet some of the amazing women working tirelessly for a world in which women’s rights are truly respected – each with their own role, approaches and strategies, from organizing and global campaigning to funding grassroots movement building. We learn about their work and ask them what they have learned and might do differently after a year and half of pandemic and lockdowns: a period in which women saw their care burden rise and their employment and income drop faster than men; and in which domestic workers saw what it means not to be protected by law. We will hear how these changemakers balance the urgent needs that women and their communities face, with the strategies for long-term structural change. And what they think is most needed to seize the momentum, not just building back better but to build differently, for a just and caring economy.

And this is just the beginning. Our second series will focus on climate justice. With COP26, the UN climate negotiations, coming up, we ask why some choose to take to the streets whilst others lobby in the halls of power? And what we can learn from this to tackle the ‘crisis of all crises’.

One goal. Three approaches. Join us if you’re interested to reflect, learn and make change happen.

The People vs Inequality Podcast is a production by Barbara van Paassen (creator and host) and Elizabeth Maina (producer). The podcast is supported by the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity and the International Inequalities Institute, at the London School of Economics. Find the People vs Inequality Podcast on your favourite podcast station for our introduction episode and subscribe to stay updated.

The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme, the International Inequalities Institute, or the London School of Economics and Political Science.