Top 109 Quotes & Sayings by Winnie Byanyima

Far too many governments are cutting back on their investment in human development.

We treat a planet at crisis point as an externality that can be shunted into a future generation. We continue to act as if we had the natural resources of several planets, not one.

We need to harness the boundless energy and creativity of our youth.

Conflict and callous politics drive famine.

By allowing super wealthy corporations and individuals to avoid paying their fair share of tax, tax havens are denying governments' revenue that could and should be spent on schools, healthcare, and other essential services.

I grew up thinking the most decent job to do was to fight injustice.

Billions of people are being left behind by economic growth.

The move to a zero-carbon future is unstoppable.

I am angry that the international community has failed to find a permanent solution to the plight of the Rohingya. I am also ashamed that, in not speaking out loudly enough, we - humanitarians - have been complicit.

The high price of medicines is crippling healthcare systems and denying people access to the treatments they so desperately need.

My own life values were shaped in great part by my mother, who instigated women's clubs in my village. Women were able to organize and stand together. What inspired me most about their work was the power it gave them to assert their rights and the rights of their daughters, be it education or property inheritance.

I'm ready to do any kind of work, as long as it absorbs my passion for making a just world and equal world.

Instead of presiding over an economic system that panders to big business and a wealthy elite, a more human economy must be established which meets the needs of African women and young people.

Progressive taxation can offset the effect of growing inequality.

Democracy in Myanmar cannot be achieved with discrimination and gross violations of human rights.

Economic inequality is a corrosive force that undermines economic growth, puts a brake on the fight against poverty, and sparks social unrest.

Having an economy that works for the 99% is achievable.

I am still haunted by the memory of my Ugandan friends dying from HIV years ago because high prices kept the medicines they needed out of reach.

The Paris Agreement threw people of the world a lifeline, and the United States played a vital role in getting us there, not least by working closely with China to clear the decks to a global deal.

Rule of law, access to justice, and financial transparency happen by design, not accident.

Global growth and development that is strong, sustainable, and inclusive requires the challenges of inequality to be met head-on.

We have international organizations for health, trade, and football - even for coffee - but not tax. Why not?

Extreme inequality is no temporary blip. It is hard-wired into our economies.

For me, growing up as an activist under an oppressive dictatorship in Uganda, the U.N. was a friend to those of us who fought our way to freedom, as it was for the millions who joined decolonization struggles in the African continent.

The proud fight against colonialism is one that should be consigned to history.

If the civil society is not transparent, honest, and accountable, then you cannot be a champion of social justice.

Ending extreme poverty is possible.

Leadership is so defined by men, and we need to revise that - we need to be able to say that the people we honor are not the conquerors but the peacemakers.

I don't think it's helpful to go dismantling the past, but you can refuse to honor aspects of it that you don't believe in anymore.

Tackling the extreme gap between the rich and the poor and tackling climate change is part of the same struggle.

Our economic system has enabled companies and individuals to use their power and influence to capture and retain an ever-increasing share of the benefits of economic growth while the benefits for the poorest in society have shrunk.

GDP excludes care work and other unpaid work, most of which falls to women and girls in rich and in poor countries alike.

Governments should end the extreme concentration of wealth in order to end poverty. This means tackling tax dodging but also increasing taxes on wealth and high incomes to ensure a more level playing field and generate the billions of dollars needed to invest in healthcare, education, and job creation.

The discrimination of women and girls goes to the core of any and all analyses of the world's economic, political, and environmental problems.

Tax abuse is a scourge on our global community, but especially for Africa.

The conniving, rich oilmen that were so desperate to prevent and frustrate the Paris Agreement found cheerleaders in Mr. Trump and his party. They choose to protect their profits from a flailing fossil fuel industry over human lives and a clean, inclusive future for us all.

Inequality, climate change, and conflict are evicting millions from their homes. But these perils are being met with 'anti-answers' such as nationalism, closed borders, lies, and hatred.

That a country has a strong civil society is, I believe, particularly necessary for good development.

The world belongs to the wealthy, and nowhere is this injustice more apparent than in the workplace.

The importance of tackling inequality in Africa cannot be overstated.

Taxing companies, particularly successful multinational companies, is one of the most progressive forms of taxation.

Inequality is inextricably linked with distribution of land and natural resources.

Developing countries are losing significant tax revenues through corporate tax dodging.

Development cooperation between nations is very important because it is one of the building blocks of shared peace, prosperity, and human rights for all. It is one of the antidotes to the poison of xenophobia.

Cutting down a forest for timber adds to GDP, but what we don't record is the loss to our wealth in terms of natural resources.

Wealth does not trickle down to the poor. Oxfam knows this, the IMF knows this, the World Bank knows this. Poor people have always known this.

The U.N. must be made more inclusive, accountable, democratic, effective, and reflective of a world in which political and economic power has shifted.

We don't have to accept an economy that doesn't work just because some people have got rich in the status quo. That is not democracy.

Corporations are driving down wages and working conditions across the globe to maximize returns for their shareholders. They use their power and influence to ensure the rules align with their interests - no matter the cost.

Rather than engineering our economies solely to maximise GDP, Africa's business and political leaders must build economies explicitly designed to end poverty and inequality.

We don't want to tell young girls and boys that the odds are stacked against them from the start. Instead, we could tell them that with passion, conviction, and determination we can build a better future. This future is possible by redesigning our economy to truly reward hard work rather than wealth.

African countries lose billions every year because of tax dodging by big corporations and wealthy individuals. They lose billions more from overly generous tax incentives in a misguided belief that this is the only way to attract foreign investment.

High corruption and the influence of big business and the wealthy elite keeps the poorest Nigerians trapped in poverty and cut off from the benefits of economic growth and basic services. Some people - searching for the means to survive - became vulnerable to groups like Boko Haram.

African countries lose the most from tax dodging. African governments must, therefore, do more to push for a full reform of the global tax system and demand action from countries, such as the U.K., whose financial centres sit at the heart of the global network of tax havens.

Global governments should start seriously talking about the creation of a World Tax Authority with the mission to ensure that tax systems will deliver for the public interests in all countries.

Without women's equal access to positions of decision-making power and a clear process to get there, gender equality, global security, and peace will never be realized.

Women, men, and children have fundamental rights to humanitarian assistance and protection. Yet far too many states block aid and attack their own citizens, and too many others - including some of the world's wealthiest countries - turn their back on those fleeing conflict and violence.

Oxfam believes that any global talks to reform tax rules must include all countries, including the poorest.

When we talk about women's economic empowerment, we should be careful that we're not just giving women more to do.

Here's something we're rarely told growing up: our world rewards wealth, not hard work or talent.