Global Issues

Inequality

How can inequalities be addressed and reduced?

The Situation

Across the globe, income and wealth inequality within countries is growing. Inequality of opportunities and a lack of participation mean that certain groups are excluded from the development of society as a whole. All too often, people’s origin, gender, or social status continue to determine their place in society, while discrimination and unequal access to resources prevent them from living a self-determined life. The negative impacts of inequality lead to the fragmentation of societies, threaten sustainable social and economic development and, in the long run, peace.

The Goal

Our goal is to help reduce inequality and enable a life in dignity and with equal rights for all. We want to do justice to the complex and multilayered issue of inequality and highlight the different factors that lead to exclusion. To reduce inequality, it is vital to overcome discrimination, shift mindsets toward a fairer distribution of resources, and ensure that everyone can participate in society, politics, and the economy.

Our Strategy

We seek to improve the level of awareness of the causes and effects of inequality in both research and practice. We focus particularly on the issue of how different forms of inequality and discrimination interact and influence each other. We support actors tackling inequality by providing spaces to share ideas and develop approaches, which address all forms of inequality and exclusion.

News and insights

Inequality

Democracy is not a question of money

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“We Keep Underestimating the Power of Youth”

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Reducing Inequality

How a citizens' council could contribute to tax justice

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Inequality of wealth in germany

Wealth for all - but how?

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Report

Community spirit in Cali: Citizen Participation transforms an informal settlement

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Publication

The transformative power of intersectionality

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Publication

Insights from the Intersectional Dialogues on Migration

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New e-booklet

The Transformative Power of Intersectionality

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Principles for Intersectionality in Social Change Work

"Intersectionality is a prism, through which to look at the world"

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#recorded

The contribution of philanthropy to reducing inequalities

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How tomorrows news could also read

Inequalities have been drastically reduced!

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Guest contribution

Getting to the Table: Disability, Inequality and the Pandemic

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Technology and Inequality

“Society as a whole will benefit from feminist digital politics”

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Reducing Inequality

Visions for an Equitable Digital Future

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Feature

How Can We Achieve a More Just World?

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Inequality – Current Trends and Reasons for Hope

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In a nutshell

UN Climate Summit in Glasgow: Between Success and Disappointment

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Opinion

Beyond Net-Zero

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“We Need to Break the Silos”

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Tackling Digital Inequality Together

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Publication

From Rhetoric to Action - Delivering Equality & Inclusion

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Opinion

What the Eye Does Not See…: Fighting Inequality with Better Data

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Contributions

Narratives That Represent All

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Publication

Mapping Systemic Approaches to Understanding Inequality and Their Potential for Designing and Implem…

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The Many Faces of Inequality

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Discover our projects

Inequality

Support Program “Reducing Inequalities Through Intersec­tional Practice”

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Inequality

Advocating for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

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Inequality

Making Voices Heard and Count

We support the “Leave No One Behind” partnership, founded in 2017, which has developed a data-based approach to reducing inequalities at the...

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Climate Change, Inequality

Supporting Community-Led Solutions for Climate Resilience

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Inequality

Unbias the News

Within a new, remote cross-border newsroom, we support underrepresented journalists whose stories are missing from the international news. Including a more diverse range of voices allows the media to report in a more nuanced...

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Inequality

Wealth Inequality and Elites in the Global South

What characterizes wealth inequality in the Global South and what role do elites play in creating and maintaining it? This interdisciplinary...

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Inequality

Forging a Path to Equality in a Digital World

CONCORD analyzes and influences EU international cooperation for more equal, just and inclusive societies, with a special emphasis on the influence...

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Inequality

The 1.5-Degree Pledge for Society

Within this project, we support the development of guidelines for an environmentally sustainable and socially just future from the perspective of...

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Inequality

UrbanCommunity

We are building an UrbanCommunity for sustainable and just cities in Europe through micro-funds and peer-learning.  

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Democracy, Inequality

Wellbeing Ecomomy Alliance

Co-designing economic policies to address multiple interlinked crises.

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Inequality

Working Together to Shape a Just Socio-Ecological Transition

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Inequality

Pathfinders Grand Challenge on Inequality and Exclusion

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Inequality

Leap

Supporting systems change, participation and learning in philanthropy.

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Inequality

Applying the Doughnut Model: Participatory Municipal Development

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Democracy, Inequality

Citizens' council ZUKUNFT:STEUERN

A feasibility study is examining whether the topic of "justice and taxes" is suitable for a nationwide citizens' council.

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Inequality

Understanding Inequality at Grassroots

The aim of the project is to better understand factors that impede social mobility. Therefore, we promote exchange between the OECD and civil...

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Inequality

Systemic Justice

The organisation works to radically transform how the law works for communities fighting for racial, social, and economic justice. 

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Inequality

Young and Online in African Cities

Tech based activations for just and sustainable urban development

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Inequality

ReStart Ukraine

The aim of the project is to develop a recovery framework for Ukrainian municipalities severely damaged by war. 

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Inequality

Collective Abundance

Shifting European philanthropy from a climate change to a climate justice agenda.  

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What we are focusing on

The Foundation supports projects that reduce inequality systemically, considering power inequalities and multiple layers of oppression. For sustainable change, disadvantaged groups in particular must be included in the development of joint solutions.

Technological change

Technological change permeates all areas of our society and changes the way we live together. In the application of e.g. automated facial recognition or decision-making systems, it is evident that technologies perpetuate many forms of discrimination that also exist in the analog world. However, the needs of marginalized groups are rarely included in the development and use of new technologies and their political regulations. The Foundation’s funding centers the perspectives of those communities based on the understanding that technological change can only contribute to social and global justice when participation of all is ensured.

Climate change as a social issue

The impacts of climate change are leading to an increase in global inequality. People who are currently well off are able to deal with the negative effects more easily than poorer and marginalized communities. However, ecological inequality can only be effectively reduced through joint efforts – in all regions and with all social groups. Measures to protect the climate and reduce inequalities must therefore be addressed jointly. Here lies an opportunity for a more equitable society, in which to date rarely heard voices are accounted for and can shape future developments.

Open funding of systemic approaches

The various forms of inequality manifest themselves in numerous areas of society and affect different groups in society. Within this broad spectrum, the foundation therefore supports other actors and approaches that work systemically to reduce inequality. Proposals should thus pay particular attention to addressing the structural causes of inequality, achieving long-term social change, working across siloes, and centering the perspectives of marginalized groups in the process.

More information

Portraits of the members of the advisory group

Inequality Advisory Group

Over the next few years, the Foundation will be working with renowned experts from various sectors on the topic of inequality. As the Inequality Advisory Group, they will advise the Robert Bosch Stiftung on their future work.

More to read

Do you have a funding proposal you would like to submit?

We are pleased about your interest in working with us. As a nonprofit foundation, we have limited funds at our disposal, which is why we cannot support every project idea submitted to us. Some helpful information on funding is provided below. You will generally hear back from our team within four weeks regarding our decision on your funding proposal.

  • Acute humanitarian emergency aid
  • Infrastructure projects or costs, construction projects, investments, renovation measures, operating equipment
  • Projects that are in the past, have already begun or are about to begin
  • Material purchases, printing cost subsidies and evaluation measures beyond the projects we have already funded
  • Individuals can only be funded within the framework of project-specific calls for proposals. This also applies to doctoral projects or fellowships.

Your contact person

Atje Drexler
Senior Vice President
Inequality, Peace
Phone+49 711 46084-420
e-mail to Atje Drexler
Lilia Torno
Team Assistant
Phone+49 711 46084-149
e-mail to Lilia Torno

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