What Works for the Poorest?

David Lawson, David Hulme, Imran Matin, Karen Moore

Poverty reduction has become the central goal of development policies over the last decade but there is a growing realization that the poorest people rarely benefit from poverty reduction programmes. Microfinance programmes can help poor people improve their lives but generally such programmes do no...

Women's Leadership and Participation

Joanna Hoare, Fiona Gell

This set of ten papers brings together lessons and experience on women’s leadership and participation from Oxfam GB and its partners. The right to participate in decision-making at the local, national, and international level is one which women are often denied, whether as active citizens or as lead...

Speaking Out

Jo Rowlands, Nikki van der Gaag

Many poor people around the world are denied the opportunity to have their say. Politics generally works well for those in power, but those in poverty are often excluded from forums that directly affect their welfare and so are unable to hold decision-makers to account. Speaking Out describes differ...

Making Good Local Governance Grow

Patrick Robinson, Sara Wehrli

"Making Good Governance Grow" presents experiences of participatory natural resource management based on four case studies from Helvetas projects in Bhutan, Guatemala, Mali and the Dominican Republic. The approach considers how to involve the local population in the sustainable management and sharin...

Uncharted Territory

Sara Pantuliano

Disputes over land often start conflicts; and land is often a key issue when refugees and internally displaced people attempt to return home when the conflict is over. Access to land affects people’s choice to return and their prospects of recovery. Yet humanitarian agencies largely neglect these wi...

Strawberry Flavoured Jam

Strawberry flavoured jam can be made from ash gourd and artificial strawberry flavouring.

Coffee Processing

This fact sheet describes the types of coffee, and the techniques and equipment needed for small-scale coffee production.

Mud as a Mortar

Clay is the inherent binder of soils which are used in building. Such mortars are generally used with adobe and compressed soil blocks.

Sugar production from Sugar Cane

This brief describes the process of sugar production, explaining yields, crushing, juice treatment, juice boiling and cleanliness.

Climate Change and Gender Justice

Geraldine Terry

Climate change is often framed as a problem that needs mainly technical and economic solutions. Climate Change and Gender Justice considers how gender issues are entwined with people’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change, and how gender identities and roles may affect women’s and men’s pe...