The Covid-19 pandemic has amplified existing inequalities across the globe, hitting the poorest and most vulnerable communities the hardest. At the same time, the world’s richest have continued to accumulate wealth and power.

By: Teresa Loch

The gap between the richest 1% and the poorest of the world has grown significantly. We have also seen our right to life being determined by our bank balance. In effect, Covid-19 has shone a spotlight on the greater crisis of our time –extreme inequality. 

The Global Protest to Fight Inequality is a massive moment for us to demand real solutions to inequality. Activists from various countries across the globe are working together to put forward solutions which work for the people instead of rewarding only those at the top. Members of the Fight Inequality Alliance are mobilising across the world to challenge the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few and to shine a spotlight on the crisis of inequality.

I can think of 4 reasons why I am excited to join the Global Protest to Fight Inequality:

  1. The Global Protest centres people on the frontlines of inequality. Grassroots activism is the heart of the Fight Inequality Alliance thus the movement brings together people on the frontlines of inequality to tackle the structural roots of the problem and builds mass pressure for change. People at the grassroots understand their lived realities better and their solutions are the people’s solutions – they create the system change needed. The Global Protest makes sure that the poorest have a voice and that these voices are heard by those in power.
  2. The Global Protest to Fight Inequality demands transformative change. Greater efforts are needed to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger and invest more in education, health and policies which pay particular attention to the needs of disadvantaged and marginalised communities. We cannot expect transformative change from elites because the rules are rigged in their favour and at the expense of the many. There is a need for solutions that work for the 99%. Ultimately, the solutions to inequality will come from those who are at the frontlines of inequality and not the 1% who cause and continue to benefit from it.
  3. Reducing Inequality ensures a life of dignity for all. The fight against inequality means demanding real improvements which work for the well-being of the majority and create more equal societies. The biggest tragedy of inequality is that the growing levels of it impair the ability of individuals to fulfil their human potential and better their own circumstances. Reducing inequality means ensuring a life of dignity for all.
  4. We have every reason to fight inequality. Extreme inequality is out of control and it is a major concern in many parts of the world. Inequality is a major obstacle to sustainable growth; it makes it harder to reduce poverty; undermines good governance and democracy; and squashes human potential. Because inequality has devastating impacts on the human condition, any protest and action that challenges inequality is one I will wholeheartedly support.