No questions asked: the rise of loan sharks in lockdown South Africa
As the economic effects of Covid-19 kicked in, Eastern Cape residents preferred to borrow money from loan sharks, rather than relying on family and friends.…
The plight of domestic workers during India's lockdown
Domestic workers in the city of Bengaluru face multiple discriminations across class, gender and caste lines. The lockdown has made their lives harder.…
India’s lockdown tragedy: bleeding along the fault lines of a nation
India's lockdown has thrown into stark relief the devastating inequalities that exclude the majority of people from full social and economic citizenship.…
The African Union Covid-19 Response Fund: a new social contract
Building on the experience of past epidemics such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the African continent is on its way to build a new social contract.…
Will Covid-19 be the spark for the next global debt crisis?
If the old ways of dealing with debt are not abandoned, the disruptions to the economy brought about by Covid-19 could set in motion a global debt crisis.…
Covid-19 and displaced Syrians' livelihoods along the Turkey-Syria border
The pandemic is likely to cause significant disruptions to the incomes, remittances and trade ties of displaced Syrians living across Turkey and northwest Syria.…
Is the pandemic a revolution?
The revolutionary "struggle for happiness" has been a main driver of 20th century popular politics. Covid-19 shows us that this struggle is now everywhere.…
Africa's economic response to Covid-19: another missed opportunity?
African governments' coronavirus economic measures favour formal businesses, and neglect the informal sector, which is the one most in need of support.…