Winnie Byanyima

“The struggles to overturn colonial rule were long and often bitter. But, over time, most were inevitably successful.”

“My own life values were shaped in great part by my mother, who instigated women's clubs in my village. Women were able to organize and stand together. What inspired me most about their work was the power it gave them to assert their rights and the rights of their daughters, be it education or property inheritance.”

“Tackling the extreme gap between the rich and the poor and tackling climate change is part of the same struggle.”

“Wealth does not trickle down to the poor. Oxfam knows this, the IMF knows this, the World Bank knows this. Poor people have always known this.”

“Oxfam is part of a global movement for social justice. We mainly work to fight for economic and social rights for people without a voice or people who are oppressed.”

“Billions of people are being left behind by economic growth.”

“Global governance needs recalibrating so it works in the public interest of all the world's citizens - not just for the few.”

“Developing countries can make great strides towards more progressive and effective taxation and spending through action within their own borders. But the damage caused by exemptions, loopholes, and tax havens requires action beyond national borders - it requires international action and cooperation.”

“The importance of tackling inequality in Africa cannot be overstated.”

“Inequality, climate change, and conflict are evicting millions from their homes. But these perils are being met with 'anti-answers' such as nationalism, closed borders, lies, and hatred.”

“The U.N. must be made more inclusive, accountable, democratic, effective, and reflective of a world in which political and economic power has shifted.”

“Poverty is rooted in injustice.”

“We treat a planet at crisis point as an externality that can be shunted into a future generation. We continue to act as if we had the natural resources of several planets, not one.”

“Women, men, and children have fundamental rights to humanitarian assistance and protection. Yet far too many states block aid and attack their own citizens, and too many others - including some of the world's wealthiest countries - turn their back on those fleeing conflict and violence.”

“Economic inequality is a corrosive force that undermines economic growth, puts a brake on the fight against poverty, and sparks social unrest.”

“Having an economy that works for the 99% is achievable.”

“Without women's equal access to positions of decision-making power and a clear process to get there, gender equality, global security, and peace will never be realized.”

“The concentration of wealth in the hands of the few threatens the ability of ordinary people to raise their voices and have a say over how our societies are run.”

“Wealth is used to entrench inequality, not to trickle down and solve it.”

“Progressive taxation can offset the effect of growing inequality.”