The @EQUAL project recognizes that inequality both affects – and is affected by – a wide range of economic and political factors. It focuses on one side of this dynamic relationship, but in so doing, will also offer insights relevant to how inequality is formed and reproduced and the role of institutions in this.
“@EQUAL reflects the core concern of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of leaving no one behind in absolute poverty. We wish to contribute decisively by bringing forward new empirical evidence that will help us come to grips with the impact of inequality on growth, human development and governance and what to do to combat inequality,” says Finn Tarp, DERG coordinator.
The project combines cross-national and within-country analysis, exploiting both existing data sets and collecting new data through surveys and lab-in-the-field experiments in two countries (Mozambique and Vietnam). It will employ diverse quantitative techniques in analysing both observational and experimental data.
“The purpose of this project is to explore inequality measures and understand the behavioural response of vulnerable and poor people with respect to inequality. Inequality is a global challenge, but solutions target individuals. The lessons from this project will educate and enable funders and policy-makers to better judge whether initiatives have the anticipated behaviour at the individual level to reach societal goals,” says Thomas Alslev Christensen, Head of Impact, Novo Nordisk Foundation.
The Foundation approved the project in December 2019. The budget is for joint work between DERG, the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research , the Central Institute of Economic Management in Vietnam and the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique.
Further information
Christian Mostrup Scheel, Senior Press Officer, phone: +45 3067 4805, [email protected]
