Inequality Campaigns in South Asia 2026
Davos Week of Action 2026 | Fight Against Inequality
Global inequality continues to deepen as wealth and power concentrate in the hands of a few, while billions struggle to meet basic needs. Since 2015, the world’s richest one per cent have accumulated over USD 33.9 trillion, exacerbating economic injustice and weakening democratic governance. In South Asia, inequality is shaped by income, gender, caste, geography, and unequal access to services, disproportionately affecting informal workers, women, youth, and marginalised communities.
During the Davos Week of Action 2026, the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE), together with its members, mobilised coordinated actions across Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Alongside public mobilisations, all three countries implemented digital actions, that generated significant local and national news coverage and helped raise awareness on inequality and economic justice in the region. These actions aimed to amplify grassroots voices, advocate for equitable policy responses, and strengthen regional and global solidarity against inequality. The campaign engaged diverse constituencies, including youth, workers, researchers, and civil society organisations, to reinforce people-led demands for inclusive, rights-based, and accountable economic systems.
As part of the regional campaign, SAAPE issued a press release highlighting the alarming rise in billionaire wealth and its implications for political and economic inequality, reinforcing people-led demands for fair taxation, strong public services, and accountable governance.
Amplifying Grassroots Voices for Equity in Nepal
On 21 January 2026, SAAPE, in collaboration with the NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN), Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), civil society organisations, youth groups, women’s associations, farmers’ groups, labour unions, and other marginalised communities, organised a public demonstration at Lalit Mandap in Patan. The event brought together civil society members, community representatives, and youth from Dalit, Indigenous, LGBTIQ, and climate-affected communities. Through street drama, youth dialogue, and poetry, participants called for people-centred development, progressive wealth taxation, reduced debt dependence, and stronger social protection systems. The action concluded with a public declaration reaffirming collective demands for transparency, inclusion, and systemic reforms that prioritise dignity, food security, and equal opportunities for all.
Mobilising Fishing Communities for Justice in Sri Lanka
From 12–26 January 2026, the National Fisheries Solidarity Organisation (NAFSO), a SAAPE member working with fishing and coastal communities, coordinated actions across Sri Lanka to bring grassroots realities to national and global attention. Campaign activities included sending 6000 postcards and letters to the President and the Ministry of Fisheries, meetings with government officials, and community mobilisations in Negombo and the Northern Province. The postcards highlighted poverty, landlessness, environmental degradation, and unequal welfare distribution. The campaign achieved concrete responses from local authorities, including commitments to issue land titles and register landless families, demonstrating the power of sustained, grassroots-led advocacy.
Demanding Justice-Based Budgeting in Bangladesh
On 25 January 2026, the Democratic Budget Movement (DBM) organised a human wall in front of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Manik Mia Avenue to protest rising economic and social inequality. The action formed part of regional mobilisation, linking national struggles to global debates on inequality. Civil society representatives, researchers, development professionals, youth activists, and citizens joined together to demand fair and inclusive economic policies. The demonstration called for justice-based budgeting, stronger public investment, and accountability in national and global economic governance. As part of the campaign’s media and digital advocacy, DBM, together with Safety and Rights, Bangladesh, issued a press release amplifying these demands and contributing to national public discourse on economic justice.