More than 500 organisations and academics from 87 countries, including DAWN, have issued a statement today calling on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stop promoting austerity and instead support policies that advance gender justice, reduce inequality, and put people and planet first.
The IMF has already begun locking some countries into long term austerity-conditioned loans, while encouraging countries to take such recovery measures through its short-term, front loaded emergency financing packages. Such policies will further entrench gender and economic inequality and undermine any chance of an inclusive recovery, especially as many countries in the Global South are expected to need more long-term financing in the near future
The statement comes ahead of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings slated to begin next week (12-18 October.)
We, the undersigned, call on the IMF to immediately stop promoting austerity around the world, and instead advocate policies that advance gender justice, reduce inequality, and decisively put people and planet first.
As those who care about governments’ ability to fulfill human rights and advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, we express the utmost alarm at the IMF’s advice for countries to return to austerity once the current crisis recedes. This pandemic has laid bare the deadly repercussions of systematically weak investments in health, education and social protection, hardest felt by marginalized populations including women, older people, racial and ethnic minorities, informal workers and low-income families. This crisis has also shone light on the shrinking of the
middle classes and worsening gap between rich and poor.
The IMF has spoken repeatedly of the need for a fair and green recovery. It has said that economic and gender inequality, climate change, and poor governance can weaken growth and undermine stability. In recent years, it developed operational guidance for staff on embedding gender and economic inequality analysis into its work and approved a macroeconomic framework for social spending. All of this would suggest that the IMF is ready to use its influence and authority to support countries in reducing inequality.
And yet, despite this rhetoric and its own warnings of deepening inequality, the IMF has already started locking countries into new long-term austerity-conditioned loan programs in the past few months. Beyond the conditionality in these recent programs, we note that a significant number of the IMF’s COVID-19 emergency financing packages contain language promoting fiscal consolidation in the recovery phase. And with governments struggling to pay increased debt servicing and expected to continue to need extraordinary levels of external financing for years to come, IMF loan programs – and the conditions that accompany them – will play a highly influential role in shaping the economic and social landscape in the aftermath of this pandemic.
Fiscal consolidation driven austerity would only worsen poverty and inequality and undermine the achievement of economic and social rights. The IMF’s own research corroborates this. Time and time again, rigid and rapid fiscal consolidation conditioned in IMF programs has meant devastating cuts in health and education investments, losses of
hard-earned pensions and social protections, public wage freezes, layoffs, and exacerbated unpaid care work burdens. In all cases, it is the most vulnerable people in societies who bear the brunt of these reforms, while the elite, large corporations and creditors enjoy the benefits. Aside from the direct impacts, fiscal consolidation doesn’t ensure economic recovery and the creation of new jobs, and rapid consolidation could instead deepen the downturn. It won’t deliver a just transition towards climate resilient economies either.
Instead of austerity cuts, it is critical to create fiscal space and give governments the time, flexibility and support to achieve a sustainable, inclusive and just recovery. Immediate and urgent steps are needed to support the financial health of countries through grants and other highly concessional financing, supporting debt cancellation and restructuring, and issuing a new allocation of Special Drawing Rights. Medium to longer term recovery efforts, however, should continue promoting further fiscal and policy space that allows for an increase, rather than a decrease, in social spending, and progressive tax policies that collect sufficient revenue and redistribute wealth fairly.
This means systematically assessing the impacts of fiscal policy reforms on gender and economic inequality and rejecting those that have negative social impacts. It means negotiating agreements transparently with input from a range of stakeholders including civil society through national social dialogue. It means recommending and promoting progressive tax reforms such as taxes on wealth and the excess profits of large corporations, meaningfully combatting tax evasion, avoidance and illicit financial flows. And it means systematically supporting governments to restructure their debts so that they can prioritize investments in quality public services.
The global economy stands at a crossroads between further decades of austerity and debt crises, or adopting a macroeconomic framework compatible with fighting inequality, pursuing climate justice, realizing human rights and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Ahead of the 2020 IMF Annual Meetings, we call on the IMF to turn away from the mistakes of the past and finally close the dark chapter on IMF-conditioned austerity for good.
List of Signatories
Organization Signatories:
- Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP)
- Accountability Lab
- Act Church of Sweden
- Action against Hunger
- Action contre la Faim – France
- ACTION Global Health Partnership
- ActionAid International
- Afghanistan National Education Coalition Org.
- Africa Climate and Health Alliance
- Africa Earth Environment and Wildlife
Defenders - Africa Network Campaign on Education for
All (ANCEFA) - African Coalition on Green Growth
- Africans Rising
- Afrihealth Optonet Association
- Afrikajom Center
- AFRIKCKEAN
- AGERNA
- AIPD
- Al Hayat Center for Civil Society
Development - Albanian Coalition for Education
- Alliance contre la Pauvreté au Mali (GCAP
Mali) - Alliance of CSOs in Tajikistan for Education
- Alliance of Women Advocating for Change
- Alliance Sud
- amandla.mobi
- AMPDI
- Approche Participative, Développement et
Santé de Proximité (APDSP) - Arab Campaign for Education for All (ACEA)
- Arab Forum for the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities - Arab NGO Network for Development
(ANND) - Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and
Development - Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and
Adult Education (ASPBAE) - Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and
Development - Asociacion Ciudadana por los Derechos
Humanos - Asociación Po Ti Mujer
- Assocation Deme So
- Association Beninoise de Droit du
Developpement (ABDD) - Association Congolaise pour le
Développement Agricole (ACDA) - Association de Développement Agricole
Éducatif et Sanitaire - Association Démocratique des Femmes du
Maroc (ADFM) - Association for Promotion Sustainable
Development - Association of Women Action (AOWA)
- Association of Womens Organizations in
Jamaica (AWOJA) - Association Tunisienne de Droit du
Développement - ATGL
- Aube Nouvelle pour la Femme et le
Développement (ANFD) - Bank Information Center
- Beirut Cooperative Association
- Blood Patients Protection Council, Kerala
- Botswana Forum for Action and Reform
- Brazilian Campaign for the Right to Education
- Bretton Woods Project
- BUKO Pharma-Kampagne
- Cadire Cameroon Association
- CADTM International
- CAFOD
- Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE)
- Campaña Latinoamericana por el Derecho a la
Educación (CLADE) - Caritas Honduras
- CCFD-Terre Solidaire
- Center for Economic and Social Rights
- Center for International Environmental Law
(CIEL) - Center for Women’s Global Leadership
- Center Women and Modern World
- Centre for Advancement of Civil Liberties and
Development - Centre for Health Science and Law (CHSL)
- Centro de los Derechos del
Campesino/Nicaragua - Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los
Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos
(PROMSEX) - Cetro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales
(CDES) - Child Rights Centre Albania
- Childhood Education International
- Children and Young People Living for Peace
(CYPLP) - Citoyens Actifs pour la Justice Sociale
- Claim the Future
- CNCD-11.11.11
- Coalition for Education Solomon Islands
(COESI) - Coalition Marocaine pour l’Education Pour
Tous - Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la
Defensa de los Derechos de las Mujeres
(CLADEM) - CoopeSoliDar R.L
- Coordinadora de la Mujer
- CPM Micaela Bastidas
- Debt Free Project
- Debt Observatory in Globalisation (ODG)
- Delphi Capital
- DemNet Hungary
- De-Signature Casuals
- Development Alternatives with Women for a
New Era (DAWN) - Dianova International
- Disabled People’s International (DPI)
- Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for
Equality - Dominican Leadership Conference
- Dominican Sisters of Peace
- DUKINGIRE ISI YACU
- Durakhshi Marifat NGO
- Earthlife Africa Jhb
- East African Centre for Human Rights
- Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives
- Ecumenical Popular Education Program
(ANPE) - Education for all Somalia coalition (EFASOM)
- Education International
- Ekvilib Institute
- Emmaus International
- Emonyo Yefwe International
- EnaBanda
- Entropía Social A.C.
- Equal Education
- Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y
Familia - Equipo Juridico por los Derechos Humanos
- erlassjahr.de
- EuroMed Rights
- EuSAIN
- Faitima Jinnah OGA
- Farmers’ Voice (Krisoker Sor)
- Feminist Task Force
- FEMNET
- Finn Church Aid
- FOKUS – Forum for Women and
Development - Fondo Semillas
- Foro Social de Deuda Externa y Desarrollo de
Honduras (FOSDEH) - Forum Social Senegalais
- Forum Tunisien pour les Droits Economiques
et Sociaux - Foundation for Integrated Rural Development
- Freedom from Debt Campaign Pakistan
- Friends of the Earth US
- Fundacion Arcoiris por el respeto a la
diversidad sexual - Fundación de Mujeres Luna Creciente
- Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación
Familiar, A. C. (MEXFAM) - Fundacion para Estudio y Investigacion de la
Mujer (FEIM) - Fundación Unid@s
- Gatef organization
- GCE-Italy
- Gender Action
- Gender and Development Network
- Gender and Development in Practice
(GADIP) - Genderccsa
- Gestos (soropositividade, comunicação,
gênero) - Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women
(GAATW) - Global Alliance for Tax Justice
- Global Campaign for Education
- Global Campaign for Education Netherlands
- Global Campaign for Education US
- Global Health Advocates France
- Global Initiative for Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights - Global Justice Now
- Global Network of Sex Work Projects
- Global Policy Forum
- Global Social Justice Program at IPD
- Global South Coalition for Dignified
Menstruation - GRAP Senegal
- Green Economy Coalition
- Greenpeace
- Health Alliance International
- Health Poverty Action
- Hope for the Village Child Foundaton
- Huldah Foundation
- Human Rights Research Documentation
Center (HURIC) - Human Rights Watch
- IACE
- IBON Foundation
- Imaap Projects
- Indus Consortium
- Initiative for Social and Economic Rights
(ISER) - Institut National des Administrateurs du Mali
(INAM) - Institute for Economic Justice
- Institute for Economic Justice (South Africa)
- Institute for Gender & Development Studies –
University of West Indies - Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos
(INESC) - Instituto de Justicia Fiscal, Brazil
- Instituto Popular de Capacitación Colombia
(IPC) - Instytut Globalnej Odpowiedzialności (IGO)
- International Accountability Project
- International Federation for Human Rights
(FIDH) - International Trade Union Confederation
- International Women’s Rights Action Watch
Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific) - JAGO NARI
- Jamaa Resource Initiatives
- Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs
- Japan NGO Network for Education (JNNE)
- Jordan Coalition for Education for All
- Jordanian Coalition for Education
- Jubilee Debt Campaign
- Jubilee Scotland
- Jubilee USA Network
- Justice Is Global
- K.U.L.U. – Women and Development
- KRuHA
- Ladysmith
- Latindadd
- Laura Thompson Coaching & Consulting
Services - Lebanese Union of Persons with Physical
Disabilities (LUPD) - Lift Saxum
- Live Alive Network LIAN
- Local Green Party/Prairie Greens
- Madhyam
- Maharashtra State Bank Employees
Federation - Make Mothers Matter
- MARUAH, Singapore
- Mediating for the less privileged and Women
Development (MEWOOD) - Medical IMPACT
- Medicus Mundi International – Network
Health for All (MMI) - Medicusmundi spain
- MENA PLATFORM for Renewable Energies
& Energy Efficiency - Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
- Movimiento Manuela Ramos
- Murna Foundation
- National Campaign for Sustainable
Development Nepal - National Coalition of Civil Society
Organizations of Liberia - Nawi – Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective
- Network for Women ́s Rights and Feminist
Perspectives in Development (WIDE) - Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers
Association - NQBSS Livestock Breeders
- Observatoire de Suivi des Indicateurs de
Développement Économique en Afrique
(OSIDEA) - Observatori DESC
- Observatorio de la Deuda
- Oikos – Cooperação e Desenvolvimento
- ONG 3D
- ONG Étoiles de la fraternité
- ONG Un Monde Avenir
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Initiative
- Oxfam
- Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum
- Panafricaine pour l’Education au
Developpement Durable (PAEDD) - Papua New Guinea Education Advocacy
Network - Participatory Development Action Program
- PCQVP Mali
- People’s Health Movement
Canada/Mouvement populaire pour la santé
au Canada - Phakamani Trust
- Phelyn Skill Acquisition Center (PSAC)
- Phenix Center for Economic Studies
- Piña Palmera A.C.
- Plan International
- Plataforma Auditoria Ciudadana de la Deuda
- Policies for Equitable Access to Health
(PEAH) - Policy Research in Macroeconomics
(PRIME) - Princess of Africa Foundation
- Public Services International (PSI)
- Publiez Ce Que Vous Payez-Mali
- Radha Paudel Foundation
- Rapad Maroc
- Rasheed for Integrity and Transparency
- Rays of hope Support Iinitiative
- Recourse
- Red de Educación Popular entre Mujeres
(REPEM) - Red Dot Foundation
- Red Nicaragüense de Comercio Comunitario
(RENICC) - Red por la Justicia Tributaria en Colombia y
Centro de Estudios Cedetrabajo - Réseau Africain Pour le Droit à
l’Alimentation Sénégal - Right to Education Initiative
- Rose Academies
- ROTAB Niger
- Rural Area Development Programme
(RADP) - Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy
- Sadaqa
- SECTION27 (South Africa)
- Servicio Desarrollo Rural y Agricultira
(SEDRA) Chile - Servicios Ecumenicos para Reconciliacion y
Reconstrucction - Shirakat – Partnership for Development
- Sisters of Charity Federation
- Social Justice in Global Development
- Socialist Campaign Group of MPs
- Society for International Development (SID)
- Society for Rights of Persons with Disability
- Society for the Improvement of Rural People
(SIRP) - South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication
(SAAPE) - Southern Africa Climate Change Coalition
- Strategic Initiative for women in the Horn of
Africa (SIHA Network) - Success Capital Organisation
- Sukaar Welfare Organization
- Support for Women in Agriculture and
Environment (SWAGEN) - Tamkeen for legal aid and Human Rights
- Tedhelte
- TENFOREST
- The East African Centre for Human Rights
- The Human Rights and Privatization Project
at NYU School of Law - The Iraqi Institution for Development
- The Jordanian Association for Basic
Education - The Kota Alliance
- The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
- The People’s Fund for Global Health and
Development - Third World Network
- Transnational Institite
- Tripla Difesa Onlus
- Triumphant Health & Development Initiative
(THAD) - UNABU-Rwanda
- Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human
Rights - Uthema Maldives
- Vision Spring Initiatives
- VSO
- Water Justice and Gender
- Wemos
- Win Without War
- Woman Inc
- Womankind Worldwide
- Women Against Rape Inc.
- Women and Modern World Social Charitable
Center - Women Engage for a Common Future
(WECF) - Women In Development Europe+ (WIDE+)
- Women in Informal Employment:
Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) - Women’s International League for Peace and
Freedom - Women’s Major Group
- Wote Youth Development Projects
- YDA
- Yemen Organization for Promoting Integrity
- Youth and Small Holder Farmers Association
- Youth For Environment Education and
Development Foundation (YFEED
Foundation) - Zimbabwe Climate Change Coalition
- Zimbabwe Institute for International Affairs
Academic Signatories - Medha A S
- Khalil Abu Radwan
- Meena Acharya, Tanka Prasad Acharya
Memorial Foundation (TPAMF) - Frank Adamson, California State University
- Olanrewaju Adediran
- Kanika Agarwal
- Astrid Agenjo-Calderón, Universidad Pablo
de Olavide de Sevilla - A. Haroon Akram-Lodhi, Trent University
- Manuel Alcantara-Saez
- Rasha Alyatim
- Prem Anand
- Bethsabé Andía Pérez, Instituto Runa de
Desarrollo y Estudios de Género - Kossi Apedo
- Fidel Aroche Reyes
- Joaquín Arriola, Universidad del País Vasco-
Euskal Herriko Unibersitatea - Venkatesh Athreya, Bharathidasan University
- Radhika Balakrishnan, Rutgers University
- David Barkin
- Eudine Barriteau, The University of the West
Indies, Cave Hill Campus - Nicola Bates, Royal Holloway University of
London - Walden Bello
- Suzanne Bergeron, University of Michigan,
Dearborn - Gunseli Berik, University of Utah
- Anne-Emanuelle Birn, University of Toronto
- Chiara Bodini, Centre for International and
Intercultural Health, University of Bologna - Julio Boltvinik, El Colegio de México
- Korkut Boratav, Turkish Social Science
Organisaton - Lea Bou Khater
- Abdoul Maliky Bousso, Forum Civil
membre du Bureau Exécutif - Roger Bove, West Chester University
- Andrea Burke, Western University
- Theopiste Butare
- Saratchand C, Satyawati College, University
of Delhi - Francisco Calbet
- Francisco Cantamutto, IIESS UNS-
CONICET - Gloria Careaga, Facultad de Psicologia
- Andrea Cerdeira
- Sergio Cesaratto, University of Siena
- Cecilia Chan, The University of Hong Kong
- C. P. Chandrasekhar, Jawaharlal Nehru
University - Anuradha Chenoy
- Andrés Chiriboga-Tejada, Max Plank
Sciences Po Center on Coping with Instability
in Market Societies (MaxPo) - Anis Chowdhury, Western Sydney University
- Licia Cianetti, Royal Holloway, University of
London - Lylian Coelho Ferreira, INWES
- Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Simon Fraser
University - Andrew Cornford
- Agostina Costantino, CONICET-UNS
- Christopher Cramer
- Sharmistha DasBarwa
- Dilara Demir
- Ritu Dewan, Mumbai School of Economics
& Public Policy, University of Mumbai - Massamba Diene
- Lena Dominelli
- Edme Dominguez R
- Peter Dorman, Evergreen State College
- Devika Dutt, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst - Narasimha Reddy Duvvuru, University of
Hyderabad - Gary Dymski, University of Leeds
- Tom Dyson, Royal Holloway College,
University of London - Nevine Ebeid
- Martin Edwards, Seton Hall University
- Diène El Hadji Bara
- Rebecca Engel
- Sofia Ercolessi, London School of Economics
and Political Science - Bilge Erten
- Fernanda Faria Silva, Federal University of
Ouro Preto - Frederik Federspiel, London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - Ben Fine, School of Oriental and African
Studies - Marzia Fontana, The Institute of
Development Studies, University of Sussex - John Foster, University of Regina
- Odile Frank, Global Coalition for Social
Protection Floors - Mia Gandenberger
- José Manuel García
- Leonardo Garnier, Universidad de Costa Rica
- Laura Gatto, University of Lausanne
- Shambhu Ghatak
- Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Paul Gilbert, University of Sussex
- Mwangi Githinji
- Ilene Grabel, Josef Korbel School, University
of Denver - Alberto Grana
- Tyrone Grandstrand, Levy Economics
Institute of Bard College - Katarzyna Gruszka
- Krzysztof Hagemejer, Collegium Civitas
- Emmanuel Haruna, Kobe University
- Asha Herten-Crabb, London School of
Economics - Himanshu Himanshu, Centre for Economic
Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru
University - Craig Holmes, Oxford University
- Jason Hoobler
- Prue Hyman, Victoria University of
Wellington - Okwor Ijeoma
- Gustavo Indart, Department of Economics,
University of Toronto - Elisabet Jané Camacho
- Rajiv Jha, Shri Ram College of Commerce,
Delhi University - Naresh Kumar Jhamb, Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board - Will Jones, Royal Holloway, University of
London - Pramod (Raja) Junankar, UNSW Canberra
- Fadhel Kaboub, Denison University
- Aarushi Kalra, Brown University
- Zahra Karimi, University of Mazandaran
- Eduardo Katalahary
- Bhola Khan, Yobe State University
- Ausi Kibowa
- Konstantin Kilibarda, School of Labour
Studies, McMaster University - Mary King, Portland State University
- Gabriele Koehler, UNRISD
- Jeanne Koopman, Boston University African
Studies Center - Ronald Labonte, University of Ottawa
- Kathleen Lahey, Faculty of Law, Queen’s
University - Daniela Lai, Royal Holloway, University of
London - Melissa Langworthy
- Thibaut Lauwerier, University of Geneva
- Stephan Lefebvre, Bucknell University
- Jens Lerche, SOAS, University of London
- Adam Lerner
- Masaya Llavaneras Blanco
- Rita Locatelli
- Rodrigo Lopez-Pablos, ITMO University
- Diouf Mamadou – Mignane
- Laura Mann
- Divine Manu
- Pablo José Martínez Osés
- Pietro Masina, University of Naples
L’Orientale - Ana Luíza Matos de Oliveira
- Marjorie Mbilinyi
- Terry McKinley, SOAS, University of
London - Kate Meagher, London School of Economics
- Jameson Mencias, CELAG
- Pedro Mendes Loureiro, University of
Cambridge - John Miller, Wheaton College
- Aniruddha Mitra, Bard College
- Mritiunjoy Mohanty
- Tracy Mott, University of Denver
- Ndiaye Moustapha
- Muhammed Muqtada, International Labour
Organization (ILO) - G.N. Nagaraj
- Luiz M Niemeyer, Economics Department,
Catholic University of Sao Paulo - Bindu Oberoi
- Uchenna Obiajulu
- Akaninyene Obot, Nnamdi Azikiwe
University - Sarah Olembo
- Ben O’Loughlin
- Ozlem Onaran, University of Greenwich
- T. Sabri Öncü
- Isabel Ortiz, Global Social Justice Program
IPD - Mustafa Özer
- Opal Palmer Adisa, University of the West
Indies - Nuria Pedrals Pugès
- Maria Pentaraki, Queen’s University Belfast
- Patricia E. Perkins, York University
- Ivica Petrikova
- James Pfeiffer, University of Washington
- Nicolas Pons-Vignon, La Scuola universitaria
professionale della Svizzera italiana (SUPSI) - Pratiush Prakash
- James Putzel, London School of Economics
- Alicia Puyana
- Katharine Ransom, The Outreach Team
- Roland Riachi, American University of
Beirut - Paul Robertson
- Leopoldo Rodriguez, Portland State
University - Naomi Roht-Arriaza, UC Hastings Law
- Marco Romero
- Rick Rowden, American University
- Ariela Ruiz Caro, Andean Region and
Southern Cone, The Americas Program - Judith Ryder
- Alfredo Saad Filho, King’s College London
- Babacar Sall
- Carmen Sarasua
- Esther Schneider
- Caitlin Schroering, University of Pittsburgh
- Patricia Schulz
- Stephanie Seguino
- Veronica Serafini
- Om Sharma
- Rasheed Shittu
- Eleuterio Fernando Silva Prado, University of
Sao Paulo - Ana Sojo
- Frances Stewart, University of Oxford
- Diana Strassmann, Rice University
- Paul Stubbs
- Thomas Stubbs, Royal Holloway, University
of London - Ignasi Terradas, The University of Barcelona
- María Luisa Torregrosa, FLACSO Mexico
- Irene van Staveren
- Elisa Van Waeyenberge, SOAS, University
of London - Leonidas Vatikiotis
- María-Luisa Vazquez
- Denisse Vélez
- Teófilo Ventura
- Frans Verhagen, International Institute for
Monetary Transformation - Giovanna Vertova, University of Bergamo
- Stella Maris Vuillermet, Foro De Generos
PCIA BS AS Y CABA - Warren Whatley, University of Michigan
- Veronika Wodsak
- Yavuz Yasar, University of Denver
- Ajit Zacharias, Levy Economics Institute of
Bard College