A Multidimensional Approach to Urban Inequalities

This event seeks to promote the use of these methodologies -Faces of Inequalities, Maps of Inequalities-, and share lessons learned from these experiences from the perspective of civil society organisations such as Oxfam Mexico and Brasil, Rede Nossa São Paulo or Movimento Nossa Brasilia.

This conference is part of the "Neighbourhoods, inequality and youth: putting multidimensional inequalities on the local political agenda in countries in transition" project, implemented through a partnership between Oxfam (Brazil, Mexico, Spain), the European Union, Barcelona City Council, the World Association of the Major Metropolises (Metropolis) and the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), the aim of which is to identify public policies for reducing inequalities in urban settings from a multidimensional, interdisciplinary and intersectional perspective.

Cities and metropolitan areas play a crucial role in the global economy and society. However, we find an unequal distribution within these areas from the benefits of such role.

The processes of urbanization, and metropolisation in particular, that are taking place throughout the world are accelerating processes of inequality, tensions and social gaps that directly or indirectly affect the people living in such cities. Improving health and care services, overcoming gender and racial inequalities, or developing new environmentally friendly mobility models are just some of the issues where innovative solutions will have to be provided to transform our cities and metropolitan areas in order to improve people's lives.

This is why it is imperative to put the fight against inequalities at the heart of any public policy and development model for these urban spaces. And the role played by civil society is key.

While we know that more equitable societies are more desirable in terms of economic, social and political benefits, there are still questions as to the best pathways to understanding and addressing inequalities from a multidimensional perspective. Although the data currently available is more extensive than ever before, we still struggle to understand what inequality really means in people's everyday lives.

To address this significant challenge, the session will debate three experiences of research on inequalities analysed in the Methodological Guide on Multidimensional and Urban Inequalities developed by Oxfam, in the cities of Mexico, São Paulo and Brasília, adopting a multidimensional, intersectional and interdisciplinary perspective. The current crisis may provide an opportunity for investing in public policies that have the potential to change the current situation of inequality, and these methodologies may be the key to help us (re) build our cities after the pandemic.

Speakers

Deputy Head of Unit B1 - South America and Regional Operations 1, DG INTPA

Eric Beaume

Middle Income Countries, Oxfam Intermón

Andrea Costafreda

Policy Advisor of the Insitute of Socioeconomic Studies Inesc, Movimento Nossa Brasília

Cleo Manhas

Advocacy Lead, Oxfam Mexico

Armando Sobrino

Sustainable Cities Institute, Rede Nossa São Paulo

Jorge Abrahão

Lead of the Facility for Development in Transition, DG INTPA B

Pelayo Roces

Executive Director of Oxfam Brasil

Katia Maia

Venue

Webex Meetings

InfoPoint Virtual Conference via Webex Meetings