Online Repository Launched At New York University Center on International Cooperation
A new digital resource offers an accessible, interactive platform of innovative policies from around the world that are aimed at achieving equality and inclusion.
The Inequality Solutions portal, curated and led by the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies initiative at the NYU Center on International Cooperation (CIC), was launched to catalyze global transformation in order to create a more equitable and inclusive world for present and future generations.
“We are proud to drive the effort on creating this sought after and necessary resource for the international policy community,” says Faiza Shaheen, CIC’s program director. “The Inequality Solutions portal offers a repository of policy solutions for anyone looking to make a difference—from policymakers and government leaders to researchers and advocates.”
The Inequality Solutions portal includes policies and programs from 45 countries and unpacks these initiatives, which are designed to reduce economic and political inequities as well as to boost inclusion. These adopted policies also take into account various social dynamics, such as race, gender, LGBTQI+, geography, and caste. In addition, the portal features policies tackling issues such as health, education, social protection, political participation, and employment. Among these are the following:
Policies designed to advance political representation for women in India and Indigenous groups in Brazil
Programs providing universal free healthcare in Rwanda and Thailand
The creation of state-savings accounts for youth in South Korea and COVID-19 solidarity funds in Uruguay
The implementation of housing policies in New Zealand that address health inequalities
Programs in Morocco that reduce high-energy import costs and encourage green development
Screenshoot of new CIC portal
The Center on International Cooperation has launched a digital resource, the Inequality Solutions Portal, which offers an accessible, interactive platform of innovative policies from around the world that are aimed at achieving equality and inclusion.
Through the portal, users can identify successful interventions under circumstances similar to their own as they seek ways to reduce inequalities. More specifically, the portal provides policy and programmatic solutions and an assessment of their success—from a policy’s longevity and garnering public support to shifting societal norms.
The initiative is supported through contributions from the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Pathfinders, along with international partners such as the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
“Inequality is disastrous for societies worldwide for its negative effects on social cohesion and trust, and thereby on the overall problem solving capacities of governments. Yet, inequalities are not inevitable,” says Atje Drexler, senior vice president, Robert Bosch Stiftung. “The launch of #InequalitySolutions is timely because it not only provides a database of policies that have been applied successfully to reduce inequalities—it also shows change is possible and can serve as an inspiration for policymakers everywhere.”
The new resource follows three years of research, country visits, expert meetings, and debate, conducted by the Pathfinders’ Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion, to identify policy priorities for immediate and longer-term actions to address inequality and exclusion, culminating in a flagship report, From Rhetoric to Action: Delivering Inequality & Exclusion.
“Inequality is a poison and the enemy of justice. The price we pay for allowing inequality to grow unchecked far exceeds the cost of implementing fair policies,” says Mehrinaz El Awady, leader of the Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development Cluster, UN ESCWA. “This portal is an invaluable resource offering policy solutions worth investing in, as they hold the potential to leave no one behind.”
“The Inequality Solutions website is an excellent resource for sharing knowledge and good practice about policies aimed at tackling inequalities,” says Professor Armine Ishkanian, executive director of the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity at the London School of Economics and Political Science. “I am delighted that a number of our Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity have made contributions to the project. I look forward to seeing how the portal continues to grow and develop.”