Publications

Backlash in Action? Or Inaction? Stalled Implementation of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010 in Bangladesh

IDS Working Paper 590

The Bangladesh government adopted the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act in 2010. While the formulation and enactment of the Act was an achievement for the government and the coalition that championed it (the Citizens’ Initiative Against Domestic Violence, CIDV), its...

Mpox in Nigeria – Lessons from Diverse Experiences

In 2022, the virus mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern. From October 2022 to February 2023, a research team from the UK and Nigeria studied the recent story of mpox in Nigeria, and what it could mean for responses in other countries and across national...

Photo Story: Views of Mpox in Nigeria

Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) was first ‘discovered’ in 1958, though it’s only in the past year that it’s gained significant international public attention. The disease can have very visible symptoms, with painful lesions that spread all over the body in more severe cases. In...

Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Development

In the drylands and mountains where pastoralists live, uncertainty is everywhere. In these settings, negotiating access to resources, navigating volatile markets, making use of varying social relations in times of stress, and responding to conflict and complex political dynamics is essential if...

When Complex is as Simple as it Gets: Guide for Recasting Policy and Management in the Anthropocene

IDS Working Paper 589

Many readers recognise and understand that complex is about as simple as it gets for major policy and management. This guide is for those unwilling in the Anthropocene to shrink back into the older platitudes about ‘keep it simple’ and ‘not to worry, we’ll scale up the analysis later on’.

Technology and Tax: Adoption and Impacts of E-services in Rwanda

ICTD Working Paper; 88

Many low-income countries are increasingly digitising their tax services, which can bring a range of benefits, from reducing compliance costs and improving record-keeping, to limiting opportunities for corruption and increasing fairness in the tax system. However, the success of these benefits...

Kelbesa Megersa & 6 others

Taxing Mobile Money in Kenya: Impact on Financial Inclusion

Many people argue that mobile money has the potential to increase financial inclusion and improve the livelihoods of poor people in Africa. However, while many African governments impose specific taxes on mobile money transactions, very little is known about their effect on the use of mobile...

Awa Diouf & 2 others

Towards Digital Transformation for Universal Health Coverage

The Covid-19 pandemic has re-emphasised the need to ensure equitable access to safe, effective and affordable health services. The very rapid shift to the use of smartphone apps and telephone consultations (telemedicine) has highlighted the potential impact of digital innovations on the...

Gerald Bloom & 6 others

The Politics of Taxation and Tax Reform in Times of Crisis: Covid-19 and Attitudes Towards Taxation in Sierra Leone

ICTD Working Paper; 166

The Covid-19 pandemic has had significant fiscal implications around the world. A key question facing governments is whether and how the pandemic has shaped taxpayer attitudes and what that means for the prospects for tax reform and new revenue raising in the wake of the pandemic. We aim to...

Vanessa van den Boogaard & 2 others

Confronting Uncertainties in Pastoral Areas: Transforming Development from Control to Care

Pastoralists must continuously confront uncertainties, responding to high levels of vari- ability and volatility where the future is unknown. Yet mainstream modernising development in pastoral areas aims to create stability through control, enacted through restrictive plans and...

Ian Scoones

People’s Agenda for Pandemic Preparedness

In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Covid-19 is no longer a health emergency. Now that the world is in this new period of living with the coronavirus, it is an important time to gather knowledge gained from our experiences. Over 50 researchers from 25 countries...

Catherine Grant & 50 others

Between God, the People, and the State: Citizen Conceptions of Zakat

ICTD Working Paper; 167

The global pool for zakat – one of the five pillars of Islam mandating an annual payment typically equivalent to 2.5 per cent of an individual’s productive wealth – is estimated to make up between USD 200 billion and 1 trillion. States have long sought to harness zakat for their own...

Max Gallien & 2 others