 | |
| Named after | Oxford Committee for Famine Relief |
|---|---|
| Founded | 5 October 1942; 82 years ago (1942-10-05) |
| Founded at | Oxford,England,United Kingdom |
| Type | International NGO |
| Registration no. | 202918[1] |
| Focus | Poverty eradication Disaster relief Advocacy Policy research Migration advocacy |
| Headquarters | Nairobi, Kenya |
Area served | Worldwide |
Director | Amitabh Behar[2] |
| Aruna Rao (Chair)[2] | |
| Website | www |
Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independentnon-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of globalpoverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International.[3] It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief in Oxford, UK, in 1942, to alleviateWorld War Two related hunger and continued in the aftermath of the war. Oxfam has an international presence with operations in 79 countries and 21 members in the Oxfam Confederation in Australia, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Since 2005, Oxfam International has been involved in aseries of controversies as it expanded, especially concerning its operations in Haiti and Chad. There have been criticisms of its management of operations in the UK as well.
Founded at 17Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief by a group ofQuakers, social activists, and Oxford academics in 1942 and registered in accordance with UK law in 1943, the original committee was a group of concerned citizens, including Henry Gillett (a prominent local Quaker),Theodore Richard Milford,Gilbert Murray and his wife Mary,Cecil Jackson-Cole, and Alan Pim. The committee met in the Old Library ofUniversity Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, for the first time in 1942, and its aim was to helpstarving citizens of occupied Greece, a famine caused by theAxis occupation of Greece andAllied naval blockades and to persuade the British government to allow food relief through the blockade. The Oxford committee was one of several local committees formed in support of the NationalFamine Relief Committee.[4]
The first permanent Oxfam gift shop was on Broad Street, Oxford; it opened in 1947.[5] Oxfam's first paid employee wasJoe Mitty, who began working at the Oxfam shop on Broad Street, Oxford, on 9 November 1949. Engaged to manage the accounts and distribute donated clothing, he originated the policy of selling anything people were willing to donate, and developed the shop into a national chain.[6]
Fundraising innovations led by advertising adviserHarold Sumption, including rigorous testing of advertising campaigns, direct mail, the trading catalogue, and the first multimedia fundraising campaign the "Hunger £ Million",[7] helped Oxfam become, for a time, the largest charity in the UK.[8] By 1960, it was an internationalnongovernmental aid organization.[citation needed]The first overseas committee was founded in Canada in 1963, and in 1965, the organization changed its name to itstelegraphic address, OXFAM. The Oxford committee became known asOxfam GB.[citation needed]In 1995 Oxfam International was formed by a group of independent non-governmental organizations. Stichting Oxfam International was registered as a non-profit foundation atThe Hague,Netherlands, in 1996.[9]
Winnie Byanyima was the executive director of Oxfam International from 2013 to 2019.[10]
Oxfam has provided relief services during various global crises, including theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict,North Korean famine,2011 East Africa drought,2012 Sahel drought,Nepal earthquake,[11] andYemeni crisis.[12] TheBosfamNGO was also founded in May 1995 by women participating in an Oxfam GB psychosocial 'radionice' project to support internally displaced women during theBosnian war. Oxfam has become a globally recognized leader in providing water sanitation to impoverished and war-torn areas the world over. In 2012, Oxfam became one of the humanitarian groups that comprise the UK's Rapid Response Facility to ensure clean water in the wake of humanitarian disasters.[13]
A January 2014 Oxfam report stated that the 85 wealthiest individuals in the world have a combined wealth equal to that of the bottom 50% of the world's population, or about 3.5 billion people.[14][15][16][17][18] In January 2015, Oxfam reported that the wealthiest 1 percent will own more than half of the global wealth by 2016.[19] An Oxfam report released in 2017 stated that eightbillionaires possess the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of humanity.[20][21][22][23]
The current focus of Oxfam's campaigns includes economic inequality (including tax justice), gender justice and climate change.
TheMake Trade Fair campaign organized by Oxfam International focuses on the elimination of trade practices, such asdumping, which occurs when highly subsidized, surplus commodities from developed countries such as rice, cotton, corn, and sugar are sold at low prices and farmers from poor countries have difficulty competing.[24] Another practice Oxfam opposes is the setting oftariffs, where nations enforce high taxes on imported goods, restricting the sales of products from other nations,[25] unbalancedlabour rights for women, who often earn lower wages than their male counterparts,[26] and stringentpatent issues that prevent the prices of medication, software, and textbooks (e.g.gene patents,chemical patents, andsoftware patents) from being lowered. Thus, such essential goods are often inaccessible to developing nations.[27]
As part of its work Oxfam has also campaigned on issues regarding coffee farming. In October 2006, Oxfam accusedStarbucks of asking theNational Coffee Association (NCA) to block aUS trademark application fromEthiopia for three of the country's coffee beans,Sidamo,Harar andYirgacheffe. They claimed this could result in denyingEthiopian coffee farmers potential annual earnings of up to£47m.[28] Following thisStarbucks had placed pamphlets in its stores accusing Oxfam of "misleading behavior" and insisting that its "campaign need[s] to stop", whileThe Economist derided Oxfam's "simplistic" stance and Ethiopia's "economically illiterate" government, arguing that Starbucks' (andIlly's) standards-based approach would ultimately benefit farmers more.[29] In June 2007, Ethiopian Government representatives and senior leaders from Starbucks Coffee Company worked out an agreement regarding distribution, marketing and licensing that recognized the importance and integrity of Ethiopia's specialty coffee designations. An Oxfam spokesman said the deal sounds like a "useful step" as long as farmers are benefiting, and a big step from a year prior when Starbucks "wasn't engaging directly (with) Ethiopians on adding value to their coffee".[30]
Oxfam has shops all over the world, which sell many fair-trade and donated items since their first charity shop opened in 1948,[31] although trading began in 1947. The proceeds from these are used to further Oxfam's mission and relief efforts around the globe. Much of their stock comes from public donations but as of 2012 they still sold fair trade products from developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America, including handcrafts, books, music CDs and instruments, clothing, toys, food, and ethnic creations. These objects are brought to the public through fair trade to help boost the quality of life of their producers and surrounding communities.[32]
As of 2010, Oxfam had over 1,200 shops worldwide.[33] More than half of them were in the UK, with around 750 Oxfam GB shops, including specialist shops such as books, music, furniture, and bridal wear. Oxfam Germany has 45 shops, including specialist book shops; Oxfam France shops sell books and fair-trade products, and Oxfam Hong Kong has two shops selling donated goods and fair-trade products. Oxfam Novib, Oxfam Australia (with over 20 fair trade shops), Oxfam Ireland and Oxfam inBelgium also raise funds from shops.
Of the Oxfam charity shops around the UK, around 100 are specialist bookshops or book and music shops. Oxfam is the largest retailer ofsecond-hand books in Europe, selling around 12 million per year. In 2008, Oxfam GB worked with over 20,000volunteers in shops across the UK, raising £17.1 million for Oxfam's programme work.[34]
In the wake of the 2018sexual abuse scandal, CEOMark Goldring admitted closures of some Oxfam shops were likely.[35] Allegations also appeared at this time regardingsexual harassment in Oxfam shops in Britain.[36] Sector press later reported that Oxfam closed 26 of its shops in 2020 and that shops made an operational loss of £12.9 million in 2020,[37] with further closures reported in local media thereafter.[38]
Oxfam has several successful fundraising channels in addition to its shops. Over half a million people in the UK make a regular financial contribution to its work. In April 2017, the Information Commissioner's Office fined Oxfam charities for breaching the Data Protection Act by misusing donors' personal data. Oxfam was fined £6,000.[39]
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Oxfam International consists of 21 affiliates and the international secretariat inNairobi. Additional offices were in Addis Ababa, Washington, DC, New York City,Brussels, andGeneva.[40]
| Affiliates | Country/Region | Established | Full affiliate since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxfam America |  United States | 1970 | 1995 |
| Oxfam Australia |  Australia | 1954(as Food for Peace Campaign) | 1995 |
| Oxfam Belgique/ Oxfam België |  Belgium | 1964 | 1995 |
| Oxfam Brasil |  Brazil | 1958 | 2016 |
| Oxfam Canada |  Canada | 1966 | 1995 |
| Oxfam Colombia |  Colombia | 2020 | 2021 |
| Oxfam France |  France | 1988 | 2006 |
| Oxfam Germany |  Germany | 1995 | 2003 |
| Oxfam GB |  United Kingdom | 1942 | 1995 |
| Oxfam Hong Kong |  Hong Kong | 1976 | 1995 |
| Oxfam Denmark |  Denmark | 1966(as World University Service, WUS)[41] | 2015 |
| Oxfam Italia |  Italy | 1976(as Ucodep) | 2012 |
| Oxfam Intermón |  Spain | 1956(as Intermón) | 1997 |
| Oxfam India |  India | 2008 | 2011 |
| Oxfam Ireland |  Ireland United Kingdom | 1971 (as Oxfam Northern Ireland) | 1998 |
| Oxfam Mexico |  Mexico | 1996 | 2008 |
| Oxfam New Zealand |  New Zealand | 1991 | 1995 |
| Oxfam Novib |  Netherlands | 1956(as Novib) | 1995 |
| Oxfam Québec | Canada | 1973 | 1995 |
| Oxfam Türkiye |  Turkey | 1986 | 2019 |
| Oxfam South Africa |  South Africa | 2013 | 2016 |
Oxfam Japan was a member from 2003 until its closure in 2018.[42]
Oxfam is in process of exploring additional southern affiliates in the global south, including Oxfam in the Pacific, The Philippines, Sengal, Kenya and Indonesia.[43]
The Oxfam International Secretariat (OIS) leads, facilitates, and supports collaboration between the Oxfam affiliates. The OIS Board comprises the executive director, chair of each affiliate, and the OI chair. The affiliates' chairs are voting members and are not remunerated. The executive directors and the OI Chair are all non-voting members. The board also elects the deputy chair and treasurer from among its voting members. The board is responsible for ensuring that Oxfam International is accountable, transparent, and fit for purpose.[44] In 2009–10, it had about 77 staff (including secondment placements and temporary staff). It is funded by contributions from affiliate organizations and has an operating budget of US$8.7M.[45] The legal name of the entity is Stichting Oxfam International.[46]
In 1970, Oxfam America became an independentnonprofit organization and an Oxfam affiliate in response to the humanitarian crisis created by the fight forindependence in Bangladesh. Oxfam America's headquarters are located inBoston,Massachusetts, with a policy and campaigns office inWashington, D.C., and seven regional offices around the world. A registered501(c)3 organization, Oxfam America campaigns forclimate change adaptation,food security,aid reform, access to medicines, andfair trade. Ray Offenheiser served as the president and CEO of Oxfam America from 1996 until 2016.[47] As of 2017, the president and CEO is Abby Maxman.[48][49]
Oxfam Australia is an independent, not-for-profit, secular, community-based aid and development organization, and an affiliate of Oxfam International.[50]
Oxfam Denmark has its roots in the Danish department ofWorld University Service and has been active since the 1966 (initially mainly againstapartheid and similar situations in other southern African nations).[51][52] Since the 1970s, it mainly worked with projects in Africa and Latin America, and usually focused on democracy, education and thecauses of poverty.[51][53] In 1991, the affiliate broke loose and founded the independent organization IBIS, International Bistand International Solidaritet (in English: 'International Aid International Solidarity'), and was mainly involved with transformative education, inequality, women's rights and democracy. In 2015 IBIS became a member of Oxfam.[53][54] Around the same time, the name was modified from IBIS to Oxfam IBIS, and in 2023 they made the complete transition and changed its name again to Oxfam Denmark.[52][54][55] Today the organization mainly focus on transformative education, climate justice, economic justice and humanitarian aid.[56]
Oxfam GB's headquarters are inCowley, Oxford. The finance office is inNewcastle, from where Oxfam shops are managed.[57] Oxfam GB had a total income of £408.6m in 2016/17, had 5,000 employees, and used the services of 23,000 volunteers.[58][59] In 2016 it received £31.7m from the British government.[60]
Mark Goldring was the chief executive officer from 2013 until January 2019, followed byDhananjayan (Danny) Sriskandarajah who held office from January 2019 until December 2023.[61][62]Halima Begum was announced as his successor as chief executive officer in December 2023.[63]
Oxfam GB produces a regular supporter magazine called "Voices".[64]
Oxfam's involvement in India began when money was granted in 1951 to fight famine in Bihar. Bihar at the time was one of the poorest and most populated states in India.
Oxfam had launched an appeal that led to the first report of Oxfam's work in the House of Commons in UK. On 31 May 1951, Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations had commended the Bihar appeal, stating "the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief has made an appeal for donations and I hope individuals will reply to that generously". Among the many donations received was one for 100 British pounds from an Indian Rajah in appreciation of what Oxfam was doing for the hungry of his country.[65]
Bihar and famine would bring Oxfam back toIndia in 1965 to address drought due to bad monsoons. Bihar held a population of 53 million, of which 40 million relied on subsistence farming to live.[66][page needed] This would compound for India in the future; production of food had not been parallel to its exploding population. It is estimated that, over the course of the droughts and famines, 2,400 tons of milk was bought by Oxfam and at the height of this was feeding over 400,000 children and mothers.[67] In 1968 Oxfam's first field director in India, Jim Howard, created the Oxfam Gramdan Action Programme, or OGAP.[67] This was the first joint rural development programme in Oxfam and the first step to a new 'operational' Oxfam. Oxfam India was established on 1 September 2008 under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 as a non-profitable organization with its head office in Delhi and is now a member of Oxfam International Confederation. This was marked by Oxfam's 60th year in India.[68]
Effective from 1 January 2022, Oxfam lost its foreign-funding license registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) which is mandatory for charities, NGOs and any non-profit organisations receiving foreign funding in India along with 6,000 other such organisations.[69]
Oxfam New Zealand[70] is an aid and development organization and affiliate of Oxfam International.[71] Oxfam NZ is also responsible for delivering Cyclone relief in several countries in the Pacific region.[72] Oxfam New Zealand's work is made possible by supporters, interns, staff, volunteers, board and overseas partners. Most of the staff are based in theirAuckland office. They also have a policy unit inWellington.[73] Most of Oxfam New Zealand's funds come from donations, supplemented by New Zealand government funds.
In 2002, Oxfam Belgium published a poster encouragingthe boycott of Israel, with an image of a bloody orange. Some critics alleged that it bore resemblance to the antisemiticblood libel, including theSimon Wiesenthal Center. Following complaints,Oxfam International said that it did not support the boycott of Israel, and that it considered the poster message to have been inappropriate, that it regrets Oxfam's association with this type of message, and offered an apology. Oxfam Belgium was reprimanded by president Ian Anderson.[74][better source needed]
In October 2009, Oxfam was accused by pro-settler IsraeliNGORegavim of aidingPalestinians in illegal activities inKiryat Arba, includingwater theft. Oxfam has denied its participation.[75]
In response to a 2012 Oxfam report that blamed Israel for poor economic development in thePalestinian territories, a spokesman for theIsrael embassy in the UK said: "Oxfam's latest report on the situation in the Palestinian territories puts a clearly political agenda above any humanitarian concern. Far from advancing peace, such an approach undermines the prospects of reaching a negotiated resolution to the conflict."[76] In January 2013, Oxfam UK partnered with theBoard of Deputies, who represent the Jewish community of the UK. The project, Grow-Tatzmiach, included sending 25 people to an activist training programme to help fight global hunger. In exchange for partnering, Oxfam agreed not to "call for a boycott of Israeli goods or to support groups that do so, and will not partner with organizations that advocate violence or oppose a two-state solution to theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict". Despite this agreement, there were still those on both sides who objected to this project.[77] As of 2013, Oxfam endorsed thetwo-state solution and wantsIsrael to lift theblockade of the Gaza Strip and dismantle all of theIsraeli settlement infrastructure.[77]
On 17 January 2014, Oxfam UK cancelled an exhibition, "Gaza: Through my Eyes", which had been due to take place atEast London Mosque afterLeft Foot Forward presented information to the charity detailinghomophobic and potentially anti-semitic comments by one of the organizers, Ibrahim Hewitt. Human rights campaignerPeter Tatchell was reported as welcoming the event's cancellation but expressed disappointment that the organization "did no proper checks on (Mr. Hewitt) before agreeing to his presence."[78]
On 29 January 2014, actressScarlett Johansson resigned as an international spokeswoman for Oxfam after appearing in a TV ad forSodaStream, a company with presence in theWest Bank. Her publicist stated that Johansson "respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years ... She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to theboycott, divestment and sanctions movement."[79]
In February 2015, pro-settler Israeli NGORegavim released a report stating that the European Union had illegally funded the construction of houses; Oxfam and other NGOs participated in the project. Oxfam defended the construction "on humanitarian grounds".
In 2019, the Israeli intelligence services implicated Oxfam Belgium in funding thePFLP, which carried out a bomb attack the same year and killed the Jewish teenager Rina Sneirb. Oxfam Belgium transferred funds to the subsidiary in the amount of 288,002 euros from 2017 to 2018, but claims to have made no funding since.[80]
In March 2020, the ambassador of Israel in the United Kingdom,Mark Regev, protested that antisemitic books, notably theProtocols of the Elders of Zion, were being sold on Oxfam's website. In response, the Oxfam GB chief executive apologized and removed the books from sale.[81] In October 2020, NBC News reported that Oxfam was on the list of human rights organizations the Trump administration was considering branding as antisemitic.[82]
In October 2005, the magazineNew Internationalist described Oxfam as a "Big International Non-Government Organisation (BINGO)", having a corporate-style, undemocratic internal structure, and addressing the symptoms rather than the causes of international poverty – especially by acquiescing toneoliberal economics and even taking over roles conventionally filled by national governments.[83][failed verification] Similar criticism came fromRed Pepper magazine in July 2005[84] and Katherine Quarmby in theNew Statesman in May 2005.[85] The latter article detailed growing rifts between Oxfam and other organisations within theMake Poverty History movement.
In a 2011Columbia Journalism Review article, journalist Karen Rothmyer accused NGOs in general and Oxfam in particular of being unduly influenced by the priorities of the media, of providing inaccurate information to the press ("stories featuring aid projects often rely on dubious numbers provided by the organisations") and of perpetuating negative stereotypes which "have the potential to influence policy". She drew on earlier work by journalist Lauren Gelfand, who had taken a year away from journalism to work for Oxfam: "A lot of what Oxfam does is to sustain Oxfam"; and Linda Polman, author of the Crisis Caravan: "Aid organisations are businesses dressed up like Mother Theresa".[86]In 2015, Omaar and de Waal, inFood and Power in Sudan, commented, "the 1990s have seen growing pressure for humanitarian institutions to become more accountable. There has been a succession of reviews of operations, growing in independence and criticism."[87]
Oxfam's study from January 2015[88] on wealth inequality stating that the richest 1% at the end of 2016 will own more than half of the world's assets has been criticized as overestimating wealth inequality and ignoring other indicators of quality of life. Because Oxfam calculated personal assets innet worth, individuals in first-world, developed nations with high incomes who have more debts than assets appear as poorer than rural subsistence farmers with no debts and no assets.[89]
Oxfam's 2022 "Profiting from Pain" report[90] claims that 1 million people fall into poverty every 33 hours. JournalistNoah Smith observed that the report depended on incorrectly cited numbers, allegedly from theWorld Bank, claiming that 198 million people would become poor in 2022. However, the number in question represented the worst-case increase in global poverty between 2020 and 2022, rather than the increase for 2022 alone, which was according to the World Bank likely closer to 12 million. Further, the Oxfam data added an additional claim of 65 million people further falling into poverty due to theRussian invasion of Ukraine, in spite of the fact that the World Bank already considers the war in Ukraine when making its poverty projections.[91]
In 2010 Oxfam was criticized by independent bookshops and the booksellers association for aggressively expandingits specialist bookshops, using tactics more often associated with multi-national corporations. The charity's critics claim its expansion has come at the expense of independent secondhand book sellers and other charity shops in many areas of the UK.[92][93]
In February 2018 an investigation byThe Times newspaper found that Oxfam allowed three men to resign and sacked four for gross misconduct after an inquiry concerning sexual exploitation, the downloading of pornography, bullying and intimidation. A 2011 confidential report by Oxfam had found "a culture of impunity" among some staff inHaiti and concluded that "it cannot be ruled out that any of the prostitutes were under-aged". Among the staff who were permitted to resign was the charity's Belgian country director, Roland Van Hauwermeiren.[94] In the internal report, Van Hauwermeiren admitted usingprostitutes at a villa whose rent was paid for by Oxfam with charitable funds. Oxfam's chief executive at the time,Dame Barbara Stocking, offered Hauwermeiren "a phased and dignified exit" because sacking him risked "potentially serious implications" for the charity's work and reputation.[95] Allegations were also circulated by theDaily Mail at this time regardingsexual harassment in Oxfam shops in Britain.[36]
Oxfam did not report any of the incidents to the Haitian authorities, because "it was extremely unlikely that any action would be taken".[95] Although Oxfam disclosed details of the incident to theCharity Commission, the Commission revealed afterThe Times investigation that it had never received Oxfam's final investigation report and Oxfam "did not detail the precise allegations, nor did it make any indication of potential sexual crimes involving minors". A spokesperson for the Commission commented that: "We will expect the charity to provide us with the assurance that it has learnt lessons from past incidents".[96] Oxfam later explained it had not given details to the Commission beyond "inappropriate sexual behaviour" because using prostitutes in Haiti was not illegal.[97]
In response to the revelations,Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, described the reports as "shocking, sickening and depressing". Oxfam issued a statement in which it asserted "Oxfam treats any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously. As soon as we became aware of a range of allegations – including of sexual misconduct – in Haiti in 2011 we launched an internal investigation. The investigation was announced publicly and staff members were suspended pending the outcome". The statement also added that the allegations "that under-age girls may have been involved were not proven".[95] Speaking on theBBC'sAndrew Marr Show, theinternational development secretary,Penny Mordaunt, said Oxfam had failed in its "moral leadership" over the "scandal". Mordaunt also said that Oxfam did "absolutely the wrong thing" by not reporting the detail of the allegations to the government.[98] The incident led the International Development Committee of the UK Parliament to issue a report about sexual harassment and abuse in the humanitarian sector on 31 July 2018.[99] Former supporters who withdrew from their association with Oxfam at this time includedMinnie Driver.[100]
Oxfam had been aware that Van Hauwermeiren while director of Oxfam's relief operation inChad in 2006 and other staff had repeatedly used prostitutes at the Oxfam team house there, and that one of Oxfam's staff members had been fired for his behaviour.[101][102] Oxfam's deputy chief executive Penny Lawrence resigned, taking full responsibility and acknowledging that "(c)oncerns were raised about the behaviour of staff in Chad as well as Haiti that we failed to adequately act upon".[102] CEOMark Goldring also resigned a few months later. New allegations were made by a senior staffer, Helen Evans, who had been the lead investigator of organizational sexual misconduct between 2012 and 2015.[103] A commentator in the medical journalThe Lancet, Mishal S. Khan, argued the Oxfam sex scandal was "not surprising."[104] It was reported that the scandal cost Oxfam £16 million in unrestricted funding, and job losses and closures of some Oxfam shops were admitted to be likely in consequence.[35]
In June 2021,The Telegraph reported that leaked staff training documents claimed that "privileged white women" and "mainstreamfeminism" were supporting the root causes of sexual violence by wanting "bad men" fired or imprisoned, and adding that reporting sexual assault "legitimises criminal punishment, harming black and other marginalised people."[105] In the same monthThe Times reported that staff at the organisation being angered by an "offensive and divisive" staff survey that took aim at "whiteness" as well as asking them to state if they were anti-racist.[106]
In March 2023 further controversy followed the publication of Oxfam's "Inclusive Language Guide", which included apologising for its use of English given that it was the language of a "colonising nation" and making suggestions to the reader such as using "parent" as opposed to "mother" and "father" or avoid the phrase "stand with" for potentially being regarded as ableist to those who cannot stand.[107] Oxfam defended the guide, in part stating that "this guide is not prescriptive, it is intended to help authors communicate with the diverse range of people with which we work."[108]
An animated video posted by Oxfam International in June 2023 forPride Month attracted criticism, particularly fromanti-trans activists,[109][110] for its inclusion of a caricatured group of people representing "hate groups" that included one wearing abutton badge labelled "TERF" and described by some critics to resembleJ. K. Rowling.[111] The scene was also criticised for using "racial stereotyping"[112] for its "depiction of an Asian man".[109]
The video was soon taken down and replaced with a revised version, replacing the three figures with a montage of social media images and the term "TERF",[112] and an apology stating that "Oxfam believes that all people should be able to make decisions which affect their lives, enjoy their rights and live a life free of discrimination and violence, including people from LGBTQIA+ communities. In efforts to make an important point about the real harm caused bytransphobia, we made a mistake. ... There was no intention by Oxfam or the film-makers for this slide to have portrayed any particular person or people."[112][113][114]
In December 2023, the trade unionUnite announced that hundreds of UK-based employees in Oxfam's shops and offices would undertake 17 days of strikes over low pay. This was the first strike in the organisation's 81-year history, and was arranged in response to double-digit real-term declines in wages for UK-based staff that, it claimed, left some of the lowest paid employees unable to cover the cost of basic necessities.[115] The strike was later suspended following a revised pay offer.[116]
In January 2013, Oxfam was nominated for the Charity of the Year award at theBritish Muslim Awards.[117]
By that standard, an American with, say, a high salary and a large mortgage might—if the amount owed on the mortgage is greater than his assets—be counted as less wealthy than a subsistence farmer who doesn't owe anything. Consider that U.S. adults under 35 have a negative household savings rate of 2% and you can see how, according to Oxfam, the U.S. has more citizens in the bottom 10% of worldwide wealth than China does. (It places about 7% of Americans in the bottom decile of wealth, and fewer than 0.1% of Chinese citizens.) Only India is said by Oxfam to have more people in this poorest group than the United States.
Among the male staff accused of sexual misconduct is Oxfam's then-director of operations in Haiti, Roland Van Hauwermeiren. He is alleged to have used prostitutes at a villa rented for him by the charity.
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