Who we are

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. Working with partners, we use a combination of practical tactics and innovation to deliver development programmes, public engagement, campaigns, advocacy and humanitarian assistance.

Towards a just and sustainable world

We have a vision of a just and sustainable world. A world where people and the planet are at the centre of the economy. Where women and girls live free from violence and discrimination. Where the climate crisis is contained. And where governance systems are inclusive and allow for those in power to be held to account.

How we work is as important as what we do. A combination of six approaches make us and our impact distinctive. Feminist principles guide us in all our work, helping to ensure our programmes uphold the dignity and rights of everyone. We believe in people power; we amplify the voices and actions of people that experience poverty and injustice, and work with those who fight for their causes. Thinking and acting locally and globally, we build coalitions within and between regions and from the local to the global level.

We provide enhanced humanitarian action, working with communities at risk of conflict and disasters before, during, and after crises. Our work to ensure digital rights and space for all offers new ways for people, communities, and decision-makers to connect, learn and mobilise. And we seek systemic change; we tackle not the symptoms of injustice but the systems that sustain them. We campaign for genuine, durable change.

Oxfam's staff oversees a distribution with the Country Humanitarian team in western Mosul, Iraq. Credit: Tegid Cartwright/Oxfam

Oxfam in Vietnam

Oxfam in Vietnam vision is of a Vietnam where all forms of poverty, injustice and inequality are eliminated by enabling women and disadvantaged communities to exercise their rights and voice their own agendas.

Oxfam undertook its first activities in Vietnam in 1955 and since the late 1980s we have been implementing long-term development projects across the country. Although Vietnam achieved lower middle-income status in 2010, rising inequality threatens decades of progress. Disadvantaged groups, such as women, ethnic minorities and the rural poor lack access to resources and economic opportunities. A lack of investment in education, healthcare and civic engagement for these groups further undermines their prospects for a better future.  

Ending inequality is fundamental to what we do. We believe that equality is essential for a just society – a society in which everyone, regardless of gender, has equal access to resources and opportunities, and is treated with dignity and respect. We work with our partners in government, civil society, business, the media, and academia to influence policy and change the systems that sustain inequality. To ensure lasting change, we work to change the narrative that says inequality is acceptable and inevitable.   

In 2018, we began a systematic review of our work in Vietnam. We evaluated our projects and assessed the effectiveness of our campaign, advocacy and communications work. And we listened. We consulted with our partners and our staff through a series of learning sessions and during numerous conversations. We talked about our principles, our performance, and our future direction. This learning process provided insights and guidance throughout the development of the Oxfam in Vietnam Country Strategy 2020 - 2025.

Photo from Justice Initiatives Facilitation Fund of the EU Justice and Legal Empowerment Programme in Vietnam (JIFF) / Oxfam in Vietnam