Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Citizen mobilization and increased transparency for better budgets

Overview

Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel has been able to amplify citizens’ needs and voices in the midst of one of the most complex contexts. Together with its partners, Oxfam has run a successful public campaign collecting signatures and backing from more than 42,000 people across the OPTI, in support of more Money 4 Medicine. The issue of access to medicine speaks to every citizen, and engaging people through volunteers on the streets was key to the successful approach. At the same time, Oxfam supports the capacity building of civil society on transparency and accountable budgets. Through direct engagement with different ministries, Oxfam and partners could create citizens’ budgets, which make the budget process and provision of public services understandable to the average citizen. This has also provided a way of encouraging the uptake of the needs and voices of citizens, and women in particular, into the budgeting process. In this way, Oxfam is contributing to increased transparency and accountability in the OPTI. This case study is part of Oxfam’s F.A.I.R.-EIU program Fiscal Justice Track Record, which provides an in-depth update on Oxfam and partners’ fiscal justice and inequality work in selected countries.