Tackling Inequalities

A group of protestors carrying a coloured flag by the Coliseum in Rome

Our passions drive our research, from tackling religious intolerance and online violence against women and girls to the inequalities LGBTQ+ people face, racial and ethnic educational disadvantages and unequal access and opportunities for disabled people.

Inequalities impact people’s lives at a structural (macro), socio-cultural, and personal (micro) level. We deliver change through multidimensional transformative research.

OU researchers work here because they believe in our social mission. They understand tackling issues such as migrant inequalities requires an intersectional approach because race and ethnicity are experienced through situated contexts, including poverty, education, gender, and geopolitics.

Our academics are campaigners and changemakers. They seek to understand and tackle inequalities by working together to bring the best knowledge and expertise to bear on our world's existential challenges. Our interdisciplinary team of researchers build long-term active collaborations with people, communities, non-governmental organisations and policymakers to transform lives, institutions and policy through robust research evidence that makes a difference.

Our passions drive our research, from tackling religious intolerance and online violence against women and girls to the inequalities LGBTQ+ people face, racial and ethnic educational disadvantages and unequal access and opportunities for disabled people.

Tackling Inequalities news and articles

A graphic with the words 'Engaging the Disengaged - a guide for policy makers and campaigners

Open University launches bold new toolkit to tackle political disengagement

The Open University has launched a new practical toolkit aimed at helping policymakers, campaigners, and researchers engage some of the UK’s most politically disengaged communities.

18th July 2025
A group of people standing on a stage under a screen with the words 'Global Education Coalition' on it

What will education look like in a fairer, greener future- and how do we get there?

As we approach 2030, the clock is ticking on the world’s promise to deliver Sustainable Development Goal 4: inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all. Yet for many educators and policymakers, global education still feels like an abstract or secondary concern - something for others, somewhere else.

1st July 2025
A group of people sitting on a stage in front of an audience

How can science and technology build a fairer, more sustainable world?

This question was at the heart of the Global Ministerial Dialogue on Science Diplomacy, held on 13 March 2025 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

1st July 2025