OI-Inequality and Civic Space The project  by Oxfam Pan Africa Programme is developing a continental inequality campaign built on three broad pillars: (1) Building an African narrative on inequality and civic space and shifting the terms of debate based on this narrative in partnership with home grown movements; and (2) Fiscal Justice: Progressive tax systems, inclusive of fair corporate and individual taxation, equitablepublic spending on essential services and efficient management of public revenue and (3) Civic Space -including civic participationin decision-making, development planning and budgeting with a particular emphasis on eliminating the gender injustice in budgeting and public spending to fulfil the rights of women and girls and/or land and extractives policies/conflicts. The objective is  the realization of a transformed economy that works for women and girls.

Specifically, this funding will build evidence and with regionalpartners in Africa campaign for progressive tax systems across the continent that will curb the current system that penalizes the poor while the rich continue to get away with not paying their fair share of tax. And, thereby contribute to the sustainability of Domestic Revenue Mobilization (DRM)- especially through Tax which is a requisite to financing SDGs and Africa#s Agenda 2063.
In addition, the aim is to develop the continental gender strategy and monitor its implementation at the national level, but also with a particular focus on inclusion of youth.

The right to be heard is pivotal to addressing poverty and growing inequality which requires citizens# and organizations that represent them to have the legal, political and social environment to actively engage in agenda setting, policy influencing and programmes. The campaign strategies will therefore include particular emphasis on civic space.

While there seem to be efforts made to address Africa#s development challenges through regional integration mechanisms, the high levels of corruption, fiscal irresponsibility, weak accountability of private sector activities, state capture and shrinking Civil Society spaceall point to the need for a response that is people centred and contributes to sustainable development. There is an urgent need to ensure that African economic growth, including investments and its commercial relations with the rest of the world, becomes more inclusive, sustainable, and an enabler of achieving the SDGs especially those related to social services which require a steady income from taxes (such as 3, 4 and 10) and the Africa#s Agenda 2063. The African Union has declared 2018 as the year of #Anti-corruption# which provides a window of opportunity to engage in fiscal justice for reducing inequality in the continent.

In terms of outputs together with the regionalpartners The African Women#s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), Tax Justice Network -African (TJN-A), Third World Network Africa, The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) and Africans Rising, Oxfam will undertake the following actions:
1) A critical analysis of drivers of inequality on the continent and development of space for engagement of African CSOs with continental and regional institutions based on this analysis. This analysis and space for engagement will helpin strengthening capacities and building the confidence of African CSOs to engage at the continental level.
2) Undertake a regional and continental analysis of shrinking and shifting civic space using at least six country case studies to build a body ofevidence for civil society engagement strategies and action at national and regional levels with the aim to strengthen positive continentalvoices; multiply positive examples and curb and mitigate negative influences.
3) Influencing Capacity DevelopmentforCivil Society Organizations.
4) Undertake a comprehensive review of three major financing instruments of the African Union and four country fiscal policies to address the challenges of corruption, public spending and gender inequality.
5) Undertakebudget tracking for essential services and develop an Africa report to influence more and better financing for essential services.
6) Together with CSOs establish mechanisms to mobilize and coordinate a public  continental campaign to inform, empower and mobilize citizens, targeting governments, regional and international institutions and the private sector .

All these interventions are with a specific gender perspective on the injustice suffered by women and girls due to unfair tax systems, gender discriminative budgets, distribution of wealth and amplifying the voices of women and girls in decision making processes.