Addressing group-based inequalities

The project ‘Addressing group-based inequalities’ supports the Institute’s work on SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities to better understand inequality – how it varies, why it varies, and what the implications of this might be – and provide insights into how to address inequality. Within the framework of the UNU-WIDER 2019-23 work programme, the project aims to contribute to the Institute’s Theory of Change’s (ToC) three interlinked outputs of creating, strengthening, and exchanging knowledge. The goal of the project is to increase understanding among policymakers and academics of how inequalities can be reduced, and what policy models and frameworks exist for addressing inequality. More specifically, the project focuses on inequalities between groups (horizontal inequality), with particular attention to those defined by ‘culture’, ethnicity, race, and religion. It will include consideration of how group-based inequality affects and is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The project is divided into five research streams: i) horizontal inequality as an outcome (including consideration of migration, integration, and horizontal inequality), ii) experiences of reform, iii) affirmative action around the world, iv) theory of inclusive governance and v) Covid-19 and (horizontal) inequality. The research outputs of this project contribute to three major areas of policy-relevant inquiry: experiences of reform, affirmative action around the world, and the migrant experiences of displaced persons from Viet Nam and Afghanistan in the Global North.

The project is a new research initiative stemming from and building on work completed in ‘The politics of group-based inequalities’ project in the previous research programme (2014–18).

Upon the launch of the UNU-WIDER Work Programme 2019-2023 the research programme was divided into 6 flagship projects. Two years into the work programme these flagships have matured into several standalone projects, of which "Addressing group-based inequalities" originally under "Inequalities – measurement, implications, and influencing change " is one. As of 1 January 2021, this project has been included in Pelikan as its own entry.