INTERSECTIONALITY RESOURCE GUIDE AND TOOLKIT

UNPRPD, UN WOMEN

INTERSECTIONALITY RESOURCE GUIDE AND TOOLKIT

An Intersectional Approach to Leave No One Behind

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logo UNPRPD - MPTF

logo UN Women

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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ACRONYMS

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INTRODUCTION

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Scope and purpose of the toolkit

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Who is it for?

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How to use this toolkit

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SECTION 1: INTRODUCING INTERSECTIONALITY

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What is intersectionality?

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Why does it matter?

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SECTION 2: EIGHT INTERSECTIONALITY ENABLERS

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1. Reflexivity

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2. Dignity, choice and autonomy

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3. Accessibility and universal design

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4. Diverse knowledges

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5. Intersecting identities

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6. Relational power

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7. Time and space

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8. Transformative and rights-based

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SECTION 3: INTERSECTIONALITY IN PRACTICE

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A framework for action

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Analyse

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Adapt

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Assess

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SECTION 4: MENU OF SERVICES AND TOOLBOX

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TOOL 1: Power flower - exploring your identity and privilege

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TOOL 2: Key considerations for creating safe spaces

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TOOL 3: Intersectionality context analysis

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TOOL 4: Analysis to adaptation

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

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KEY REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

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FOREWORD

There is growing recognition that structural barriers and rising inequalities must be addressed in order to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the pledge to leave no one behind. The COVID-19 crisis has amplified this need as those experiencing intersectional discrimination face disproportionate impacts in terms of access to health care, risk of violence, unemployment and wellbeing.

Intersectionality can go a long way towards addressing these inequalities. With growing recognition that failure to address complex social systems and identities can obscure or deny the human rights protections due to all, it is crucial to design programmes and policies that effectively address not only discrimination based on disability but the situation of those affected by all forms of compounded and intersecting forms of discrimination. This does not require an ‘add and stir’ approach, but rather a full shift in mindset: one that is willing to sit with the discomfort that comes with exploring the relational nature of power and discrimination both within and beyond UN systems.

The Resource Guide and Toolkit has been developed to help both organizations and individual practitioners and experts to address intersectionality in policies and in programmes. It may be used by individuals or teams to assess their own knowledge, attitudes and practice, at a programme level as a supplement to existing design, adaptation and assessment processes or at policy level to better understand and address the different and intersecting effects of policy on marginalised persons.

Hence this Resource Guide and Toolkit will support this journey and prompt the user to inquire into and embrace ‘the messiness of difference’ that exists when all users and practitioners begin to recognise that “there is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives”.

many women are seated in a conference room. Woman in the front row is sitting in a wheel chair.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Resource Guide and Toolkit is the result of a collaborative effort between UN Women, UNPRPD, Members of Civil Society Advisory Group including the International Disability Alliance and its Community of Practice members, and inter-Agency joint project partners. The content herein has been greatly benefited and enhanced by the expertise and perspectives of diverse persons from the disability movement across the globe. Their experience, insights and comments helped significantly in finalizing the product.

Intersectionality Series Editor: Abul Hasnat Monjurul Kabir, UN Coordination Adviser and Global Team Leader, Disability Inclusion and Intersectionality, UN -Women; Intersectionality Consultant: Teresa Thomson; Contributors: Agnes Abukito, Uganda; Christine Kirungi, Uganda; Dalyla J. Pérez Montúfar, Mexico; Dulamsuren Jigjid, Mongolia; Elizabeth Campos Sánchez, Peru; George Khoury, Lebanon; Amba Salelkar, Kavita Nair, India; Krishita Adhikari, Nepal; Peter Ochieng, Uganda; Pirkko Mahalmaki, Finland; Matilda Apio, Uganda; Nisu Adhikaiji, Rosario Galarza, Peru; Tungi Mwanjala, Tanzania; Yana Zayed, Palestine. Production Support: Priyanka Narahari, Gerado Franco ( UN -Women).

Peer Reviewers: Christian Courtis, OHCHR, Alessandro Di Rosa, Megan T Tucker, Rosanne Wong, Omar Robles UNICEF; Monjurul Kabir, UN -Women; Amanda McRae, Women Enabled International; Dale Buscher, Women’s Refugee Commission; Diana Hiscock, HelpAge International; Hannah Loryman, Sightsavers; Kathy Al Ju’beh, CBM Global; Rosario Galarza, International Disability Alliance; Sebastien Fahrni and the UN North Macedonia Country Team; Ola Abualghaib and Sreerupa Mitra, UNPRPD; Tatiana Cernomorit and the UN Moldova Country Team

Peer Assist for piloting: Participating members of the UN Inter-agency joint project Group, UN Moldova and North Macedonia Country Teams for their help in validating, piloting, testing and reviewing the toolkit.

Participating Agencies as part of UNPRPD funded Joint Programme: OHCHR; UNDESA; UNICEF; UNFPA; and UN - Women [Coordinating and Management Entity for the Joint Programme].

Membership of the Civil Society Advisory Group for the Global Toolkit Initiative: ADD International; CBM Global; Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA); HelpAge; International Disability Alliance (IDA); Sightsavers; Water Aid; Women Enabled International; Women’s Refugee Commission.

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ACRONYMS

CEDAW

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

CRC

Convention on the Rights of the Child

CRPD

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

CSO

Civil society organization

GBV

Gender-based violence

IOM

International Organisation for Migration

OHCHR

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

OPD

Organisation of persons with disabilities

SDGs

Sustainable Development Goals

SOGIESC

Sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics

UNCT

United Nations Country Team

UNDESA

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

UNFPA

United Nations Population Fund

UNICEF

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund

UNPRPD

United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

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INTRODUCTION

Since their beginnings, human rights frameworks have formed the bedrock of the United Nations system; however, structural forms of inequality continue to pervade and prevent equality for all. In recognition of this, world leaders agreed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; 17 goals and 169 targets that set out to eradicate poverty, end discrimination and commit to an equitable future. The need has become more urgent in the context of COVID-19, as the UN System and Member States respond to a crisis that has brought systemic inequality to the fore and disproportionately impacted the lives of persons with disabilities and others already marginalised by systems of oppression such as patriarchy, ableism, racism, ageism, colonialism and imperialism.

Intersectionality offers a new way of thinking about these complexities. It is not an ‘add and stir’ approach nor does it “provide definitive answers to social problems”; rather, it reframes our understanding of marginalisation and “creates spaces for reflexive consideration and critical engagement.” 1 Applying an intersectional lens helps connect human rights to the multiple forms of discrimination that people experience. It is essential to achieve equal outcomes for all in global efforts to fulfil the pledge to leave no one behind.

1: Henne, Kathryn, (2013, December). “From the Academy to the UN and Back Again: The Travelling Politics of Intersectionality”, p.1 Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, Issue 33.

This Resource Guide and Toolkit emerged from an identified need to use an intersectional approach that included people with disabilities in all their diversity in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, programmes, advocacy and inter-governmental processes. However, the authors and collaborators realised that an effective intersectionality resource needed to go beyond a focus on specific intersecting identities, such as disability and gender, as this would still exclude those who are most marginalised. Consequently, this toolkit is framed around a set of core intersectionality enablers, including diverse knowledges, power relations and reflexivity, in order to address the “multi-level interacting social locations, forces, factors and power structures that shape and influence human life.” 2

The Resource Guide and Toolkit is the result of an inter-agency joint project between UN Women, UN DESA, UNICEF, UNFPA and OHCHR and supported by the UNPRPD. A Civil Society Advisory Group (ADD International, CBM Global, Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA), HelpAge International, International Disability Alliance, Sightsavers, Water Aid, Women’s Refugee Commission, Women Enabled International) was formed to ensure reflection of diverse views throughout the toolkit development process. An intersectional approach was used to steer toolkit development. In particular, we thank the International Disability Alliance and its Community of Practice members for their support in co-designing of the toolkit. The content herein has been greatly benefited and enhanced by the expertise and perspectives of diverse persons from the disability movement across the globe. Their experience, insights and comments informed the ultimate direction and approach of the toolkit. The toolkit was also informed by among key partners, members of diverse groups, and thematic experts and desk review of existing resources and best practices.

Scope and purpose of the Resource Guide and Toolkit

This Resource Guide and Toolkit offers a starting point for those wishing to deepen their understanding and apply an intersectional approach to their work. It aims to provide conceptual clarity, a practical framework and tools for reducing compounded and intersecting inequalities faced by people experiencing diverse and compounded forms of discrimination. Its purpose is to:

  1. Contribute to an understanding of intersectionality that bridges the gap between theory and practice.

  2. Help practitioners, policymakers, and advocates mobilise efforts to address the 2030 Agenda and its goals by embedding an intersectional mindset as part of their policies, programmes and services.

This Resource Guide and Toolkit is comprised of eight enablers and a framework for action that helps the user to reflect and identify actions that can be taken to address intersectionality.

The Resource Guide and Toolkit:

Is designed to be integrated within existing work, processes and tools (including Common Country Analyses and UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks).

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As with any resource, this toolkit should be reviewed and updated over time, based on user feedback and as further gaps and priorities emerge.

Who is it for?

The Resource Guide and Toolkit is for practitioners, policy makers, experts, and advocates. The intended user for the project is UN Country Teams (UNCT) and colleagues across the UN system working to support Member States. However, it is applicable to any individual, civil society, government or private sector entity seeking to apply an intersectional lens to their work.

How to use this Resource Guide and Toolkit

Intersectionality is an approach, a mindset; not a mere toolkit. It is a way of thinking, reflecting and working.

Transformative change begins where ‘the individual and system meet’ and intersectionality must be addressed through a process that focuses on self-reflection, relationships and contexts. 3 The effectiveness of an intersectional approach depends on how willing the user is to challenge themselves and interrogate their own attitudes and ways of working and cannot be achieved via checklists or prescriptive processes. With this mindset the user will be able to then apply the enablers and action framework across their existing work processes, whether this is at policy, programmatic or institutional level.

Guide to Resource Guide and Toolkit sections

SECTION 1 Introducing intersectionality: An explanation of the theoretical concepts that underpin an intersectional approach and how these help us uphold human rights for all.

SECTION 2 Eight intersectionality enablers: The eight core enablers needed to apply an intersectional lens and some key questions to help us apply this to how we think and what we do.

SECTION 3 Intersectionality in practice: An action framework to apply an intersectional approach at any stage in a process (analyse, adapt, assess). Practical examples are given for how the eight intersectionality enablers may be applied at each stage.

SECTION 4 Menu of Services and Toolbox: Tools for practitioners to adapt and implement as part of an intersectional approach.

Guide to icons

Key messages Link to activity from the toolbox Resources for further reading Tips and reminders Case study/ good practice

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SECTION 1: INTRODUCING INTERSECTIONALITY

This section:

What is intersectionality?

Originally coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality has gained popularity and is often discussed as a theory, methodology, paradigm, lens or framework. Many different definitions have been proposed, largely by academics and policymakers, and rarely by those most negatively impacted by it. 4

Resources for further reading

In essence, however, intersectionality is “a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power.”

- Kimberlé Crenshaw, 2015

It recognises that people’s lives are shaped by their identities, relationships and social factors. These combine to create intersecting forms of privilege and oppression depending on a person’s context and existing power structures such as patriarchy, ableism, colonialism, imperialism, homophobia and racism. 5

It is important to remember the transformative potential of intersectionality, which extends beyond merely a focus on the impact of intersecting identities. Crenshaw herself admits that she is “amazed at how it gets over and under-used,” describing many applications as “just multiplying identity categories rather than constituting a structural analysis or a political critique.” 6

Intersectionality Wheel

This circular infographic is depicting the Intersectionality Wheel. The innermost circle is depicting ‘ infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, Middle age and Old age’. The circle covering the inner circle stands for ‘Religion, Gender & sexual identities, Poverty status, Race, Indigeneity, Geographic location, Disability and Education’. The outer circle is for ‘Colonialism, Homophobia, Ageism, Racism, Classism, Religious discrimination, Ableism, Sexism, Transphobia’.

The original design is adapted from The Equality Institute’s version of the Intersctionality wheel

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Table 1: What intersectionality is and isn’t*

Focus of intersectionality

What it is…

What it isn’t…

Social inequality

Mutually constituted and intersecting social categories

Adding up advantages and subtracting disadvantages

Dynamic nature of inequality

Inequalities as dynamic relationships

A static and siloed examination of inequalities

Contextual dependency

Understanding that power configurations are time and location-dependent

Assumptions regarding the importance of any one or multiple social categories

Structural and political context

Structural and political factors that shape inequalities

Focus on individual behaviour without consideration of structural and political constraints

Power relations

An exploration on how social inequalities are shaped by power relations

Ignorance of the impact of power relations on social inequalities

Implications for most disadvantaged

Focus on implications for those most marginalised within a group

Focus on implications for those whose status is protected or elevated within a group

Reflexivity

Practitioners’ reflection on how their own background identities shape the research process and interpretation of results

Practitioners’ attempt to completely remove themselves from the research and analysis process

* Adapted from Larson, E., et. al, (2016, April). “10 Best resources on…intersectionality with an emphasis on low and middle-income countries”, Health Policy and Planning, Oxford University Press, Issue 31.

Why does it matter?

An intersectional lens is required to reach the furthest behind first and achieve:

Without an intersectional approach, the global pledge to leave no one behind will remain aspirational. Understanding the importance of intersectionality will lead us to ask ourselves who is left behind, why and under what circumstances.

It identifies hidden structural barriers and supports an understanding of how individual experiences differ, even within already marginalised or underrepresented groups. Failure to examine these elements risks to undermine the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the perpetuation of intersectional inequalities.

Many international human rights instruments treat different forms of discrimination as separate and distinct, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Table 2: Intersectional discrimination and rights violations

Issue

Intersecting discrimination

Rights violations

Slavery in Mauritania 7

Women and girls on the basis of birth (caste), ethnicity and gender

Forced sterilisation and abortion in Czech Republic 8

Inequalities as dynamic relationships

Forced drugging in the United States 9

Older women and men with disabilities living in nursing homes

Child or forced marriage in India 10

Indigenous and rural women and girls on the basis of place of residence, ethnicity and gender

Sexual violence in Democratic Republic of Congo 11

Women and girls on the basis of gender, socioeconomic status and ethnicity

Forced separation of indigenous Australian children 12

Indigenous children on the basis of ethnicity, age, gender, cultural practices, physical and mental health, economic status and place of residence

Sexual violence in the Philippines 13

Girls on the basis of gender, disability, age and socioeconomic status

Below is a selection of just some of them (the nine core international human rights instruments are highlighted in bold).

In recent decades intersectionality has gained significant traction particularly in the context of international human rights law. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) was the first human rights treaty to recognise multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and defined this further in General Comment No. 6 on Equality and Non-Discrimination. Increasingly, other non-binding instruments/recommendations are also referring to multiple discrimination. 14

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Table 3: Human rights instruments

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) - 1948

Convention relating to the Status of Refugees - 1951

Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons – 1954

United Nations Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples - 1960

Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages - 1962

International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) -1965

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) – 1966

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) – 1966

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) – 1979

Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief - 1981

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) -1984

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – 1989

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICPMW) – 1990

United Nations Principles for Older Persons -1991

Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities - 1992

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – 2006

International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) – 2006

ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (C169) and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – 2007

Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas – 2018

“Intersectional discrimination” occurs when a person with a disability or associated to disability suffers discrimination of any form on the basis of disability, combined with colour, sex, language, religion, ethnic, gender or other status. Intersectional discrimination can appear as direct or indirect discrimination, denial of reasonable accommodation or harassment. For example, while denial of access to general health-related information due to inaccessible format affects all persons on the basis of disability, the denial to a blind woman of access to family planning services restricts her rights based on the intersection of her gender and disability... States parties must address multiple and intersectional discrimination against persons with disabilities.”

- General Comment No. 6 (2018) on Equality and Non-Discrimination: Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

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Intersectionality connects these international human rights instruments through one lens, helping us to recognise how experiences of multiple discrimination are not discrete. It is a tool for equity that supports contextual approaches to development and rejects the ‘one-size fits’ all programmatic approach cautioned against by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. 15

Key messages

Intersectionality is not an ‘add and stir’ approach nor does it “provide definitive answers to social problems”; instead, it reframes our understanding of marginalisation and “creates spaces for reflexive consideration and critical engagement.”

- Mrs Rashida Manjoo, United Nations

Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Its Causes and Consequences 2012

Applying an intersectional lens helps to connect human rights instruments to address the multiple forms of discrimination that people experience. Only by doing this will we be able to achieve equal outcomes for all.

This flow chart is showing the ‘Intersectional Lens’. It is shown to be connected to ‘Substantive equality, Leave no one behind and Inclusion’. ‘Human Rights instruments and People experiencing multiple forms of decimation’ are shown to be leading to ‘Intersectional Lens’.

Five girls in wheel chairs are sitting in a circle facing each other in a playground. All of them are wearing the same colour uniform.

© UN Women/Samar Abu Al-ouf

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SECTION 2: EIGHT INTERSECTIONALITY ENABLERS

This section:

1. Reflexivity

Examine your own unconscious biases, beliefs, judgements and practices, as well as those of your organisation, and how these may influence how you work and engage with others. Don’t take your assumptions for granted.

Do I critically reflect on how my biases, attitudes and beliefs influence my opinions and actions? How does my privilege directly or indirectly disadvantage others? What can I do to address this?

2. Dignity, choice and autonomy

Respect and uphold the dignity, choice and autonomy of all people. This cannot be assumed on behalf of others and decision-making cannot be substituted.

Who has independence and who doesn’t? Who shares their perspectives and who doesn’t?

Who has full control over how they live their life and who doesn’t?

3. Accessibility and universal design

Take a universal design approach, ensuring accessibility and reasonable accommodation.*

Have you asked people what they need to participate? Have you removed physical, transportation, information and communication barriers or provided reasonable alternatives? Have you addressed attitudinal, environmental and institutional barriers?

Reasonable accommodation means necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Universal design means the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design. Universal design shall not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is needed.

*Source: UNCRPD. Also, CBM Global Disability Inclusion, Al Jubeh, K., Dard, B., Zayed Y., (2020, November). Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action, Delivering on 7 accessibility commitments.

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4. Diverse knowledges

Prioritise and learn from people with diverse forms of knowledge who are typically excluded from ‘expert’ roles. There is a relationship between power and knowledge production and design.

How do we know what we think we know? Who told us? Who has not been consulted?

5. Intersecting identities

Consider how diverse identities interact to create unique social effects that vary according to time and place. Identities are not singular and distinct, nor are they additive.

What are the intersecting identities of the people we engage with? Who is missing?

6. Relational power

Be aware of and challenge relational power, including our own. People may experience power in one context/ time and oppression in another.

Who holds power and in what circumstances? Who makes decisions? How are they accountable?

7. Time and space

Recognise the influence of time and space. Nothing is static, privilege and disadvantage are fluid and influenced by our social positioning and location.

Does privilege look different in this location? Across different generations?

Does discrimination look different in this location? Across different generations?

8. Transformative and rights-based

Promote human rights and address inequalities by transforming social structures and changing the way resources and relationships are produced and allocated.

Are we changing the way that resources are produced and/ or distributed? Are we changing the way relationships are produced and/or distributed?

A woman with disability is operating the laptop with her feet in a conference room.

© UN Women/Ryan Brown

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SECTION 3: INTERSECTIONALITY IN PRACTICE

This section:

A framework for action

To apply an intersectional lens to policies and programmes and operational support we need to think holistically about what we are trying to change and how we are trying to change it. The below framework helps us to support the empowerment of those experiencing intersectional discrimination, realise rights and challenge unequal power relations. 16 It expresses how change happens across two primary dimensions. The first is across individual through to collective or systemic levels, at all levels of society. The second is across all visible and invisible forms of power; from social norms and exclusionary practices through to formal laws and policies.

The top two domains map the individual, family and community level elements, while the bottom two are systemic. The domains on the right map the formal and tangible while the left domains cover the informal, intangible elements. An effective – and intersectional – policy or programme will interrogate the relationships between each of the four domains.

The top left domain considers agency, commitment, knowledge and skills needed for equality. The top right domain is about access to and control over resources and opportunities. The bottom right domain considers laws, policies, programmes, resource allocation and accountability mechanisms; these are the visible rules that govern changes in terms of equality. The bottom left domain is often least considered (with the exception of some gender equality-focused programming) and considers the impact of social norms, attitudes, exclusionary practices on progress towards intersectional equality.

Sometimes working in one domain will lead to change in others, for example:

But this doesn’t always happen:

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flow chart depicting the framework for action described above

STEP 1 Analyse; STEP 2 Adapt; STEP 3 Assess

This framework should be applied dynamically, according to context and never as a checklist. This framework can be used to integrate an intersectional approach within existing tools and at various stages of a process.

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Analyse

How will the policy, programme or action affect those experiencing intersectional discrimination? How will it promote equality and address discrimination?

The first step of an intersectional approach is to analyse and explore the root causes of intersectional discrimination.

Table 4: Analysing initiatives using the intersectionality enablers

Issue

Actions

Reflexivity

Uncover and interrupt your own unconscious biases and proactively seek the feedback of those experiencing intersectional discrimination.

Listen to others and be conscious of how your position/status may inhibit others from speaking up.

Dignity, choice and autonomy

Be sensitive to people’s situations and right to inherent dignity.

Respect all opinions, be careful not to make assumptions or rely on proxies.

Accessibility and universal design

Allocate resources (including budget) to ensure meaningful participation of all marginalised persons with disabilities including spoken, local and sign language interpretation, captioning, audio description, braille language, plain language, easy read formats.

Diverse knowledges

Actively engage with people who have intersecting experiences of discrimination at all stages of analysis.

Determine an analysis framework that privileges and learns from diverse forms of knowledge.

Dedicate resources (including time and budget) to seek out diverse knowledges, recognising different cultures and ways of communicating.

Intersecting identities

Explore how identities interact to create unique social effects and inequalities.

Relational power

Identify how power varies from one person to another and in what circumstances.

Explore how systems and attitudes influence power dynamics.

Time and space

Consider how inequality and discrimination vary according to time ( e.g. , intergenerational change) and location ( e.g. , rural to urban, coastal, migrant, between countries).

Transformative/rights-based

Identify gaps in broader formal and informal systems based on analysis of impacts on intersecting identities.

Analyse how social norms, roles and relations impact on those with intersecting experiences of discrimination.

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a) Check yourself

Intersectionality recognises that we all bring personal values, interests and beliefs based on our own unique lived experiences. The first step in any intersectional approach then is to explicitly reflect on and address our own power and subjectivity. You should consider:

Link to activity from the toolbox

Tool 1: Power Flower

This activity will help you to reflect on your own subjectivity and assumptions in this process.

Resources for further reading

Further resources

To learn more about unconscious bias, view the University of California, San Francisco’s Office of Diversity & Research Unconscious Bias Resources: https://tinyurl.com/y5bjazb7

For an in-depth discussion on power and its central role in intersectional analysis, see Hankivsky, O., & Cormier, R. Intersectionality: Moving Women’s Health Research and Policy Forward: https://tinyurl.com/y47827xl21

Tips and reminders

TIP – this is not a one-off exercise – keep checking yourself and challenging your assumptions at every step!

b) Understand who is affected, and how

Key messages

“Intersectionality serves as a cautionary reminder not to speak for those who cannot, or ask others to share our agenda while they wait for their own”

- Kathryn Henne, 2013

The next phase of analysis is to begin to define the problem or issue your intervention seeks to address, and explore who is affected by this issue, in what ways. By using a reflective, participatory and collaborative process you can begin to develop a more robust picture of the issue and uncover any assumptions, missing target populations or inequalities that are being reinforced.

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What role can diverse communities play in these interventions? How will they be meaningfully engaged and supported to provide input into the design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions and policies? 17

Link to activity from the toolbox

Tool 2: Key considerations for creating safe spaces

Tips and reminders

REMINDER to consider who is defining the problem and who is answering these questions. Who is not answering these questions but should be?

c) Understand the root causes of intersectional discrimination

Key messages

“The way I try to understand the interconnection of all forms of subordination is through a method I call ‘the other question’. When I see something that looks racist I ask ‘Where is the patriarchy in this?’

- Mary Matsuda, 1991

The final phase of analysis is to deepen your understanding of the root causes of intersectional discriminations and inequalities that may be raised in relation to the issue.

Link to activity from the toolbox

Tool 3: Intersectional context analysis

This tool provides a list of questions that you may need to consider to understand intersectionality in any given policy or programme setting. The questions should be contextualised, adapted and added to. They may also be used to supplement existing frameworks (see, for example, PRPD Country Situational Analysis Guidance) and ensure that analysis – and subsequent adaptation – really explores the specific intersecting forms of discrimination experienced in a particular context. You may not be able to answer all the questions; cover what is possible in each context and note where further investigation or analysis is required.

Resources for further reading

Further resources

For practical disability and gender analysis tools that help inform planning, practice and systems see CBM International’s Disability and Gender Analysis Toolkit: https://www.cbm.org/fileadmin/ user_upload/CBM_disability_and_gender_ analysis_toolkit_accessible.pdf

A woman is sitting in a tri-cycle

© UN Women/Praveen Rao Kaliga

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Table 5: Examples of how to apply intersectional enablers at the Analysis step:

Enabler

Applied

Not applied

Reflexivity

The lead consultant in an analysis of the situation of indigenous peoples in Australia considers their own individual connection to colonisation.

Two white men conduct a report on police violence against people with disabilities in the United States, even though police violence occurs disproportionately against people of colour in the United States. 18

Dignity, choice and autonomy

Protection and anonymity are provided for community members so they can participate in analysis consultations but are worried about identification as they are a member of a stigmatised minority group e.g. , albinism, LGBTIQ+, HIV-positive status.

Feedback is sought from young adults with intellectual disabilities via their parents regarding their access to sexual and reproductive health care services.

Accessibility and universal design

A diverse range of people with disabilities is consulted to identify the physical, communication, information and transportation barriers that can prevent people from engaging in the project.

Women with intellectual disabilities from remote areas are not consulted due to a failure to provide reasonable accommodation.

Diverse knowledges

Muslim women of all ages are consulted to understand their perspectives on women’s empowerment.

An analysis of women’s empowerment in Morocco assumes that women are coerced into wearing the hijab.

Intersecting identities

Analysis explicitly acknowledges that identities are not singular and seeks out the least represented within already marginalised groups and how intersectional discrimination impacts them (SEE CASE STUDY 2).

People with disabilities are considered as a homogenous group and consultation with the leadership of a national level OPD is considered sufficient for analysis.

Relational power

A power analysis of internal and external stakeholders is undertaken and used to frame the problem and its root causes.

An analysis identifies intersecting forms of oppression but does not connect this to who holds power and how the solution can be addressed.

Time and space

Analysis shows that younger generations of women and men in urban Papua New Guinea are more supportive of men’s equal role in unpaid care work.

A situation analysis of Roma women living in the United Kingdom fails to consider the generational differences in responding to intimate partner violence.

Transformative/ rights-based

Analysis of the situation of indigenous populations considers the impact of systemic violence and intergenerational trauma.

Analysis looks at availability of health services without consideration of cultural norms.

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Case study 1: Constant reflection to avoid perpetuating unconscoius bias is essential, even for development practitioners

Social norms and gender biases are present in everybody, consciously or unconsciously. Therefore, it is relevant to work to deconstruct these biases in everyone involved in the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities, including themselves.

In Ethiopia, although an established and recognised organisation had developed an in-depth gender assessment with some disability-sensitive dimension, it turned out only six men and one boy with disabilities had participated in activities. The study mentioned the general perception people hold on disability, exclusion and stigma, and how women and girls with disabilities faced obstacles to marriage or lacked companionship. Bridging the Gap-II (BtG-II) has supported this organisation in designing adequate terms of reference and activities for the given project, to strengthen the inclusion of women with disabilities, presenting them as active members of society.

In Sudan, one of the localities in North Kordofan did not let any representative of women with disabilities participate in the trainings because the community belonged to an ethnic minority which does not allow women to participate in public activities. To minimise the impact of social and gender biases, BtG-II has organised trainings and consultative workshops in Sudan for government officials, OPDs and other stakeholders on inclusion of disability rights and a gender perspective in legal and policy frameworks, together with awareness-raising sessions to change the negative attitudes and social norms towards women and girls with disabilities.

In Burkina Faso, thanks to a training about menstruation and the preparation of suitable sanitary napkins, women with disabilities felt free to talk about the management of their periods, and were then able to make their own reusable sanitary napkins, a subject which was previously seen as taboo.

“The society of Burkina Faso tends to think that we, the disabled, do not have the right to be part of this society. We (the disabled) are not trusted because they think we do not have skills.” President of UNAFEHB, Burkina Faso.

Source: Mayher, Cristina Lopez, (2021, April). Bridging the Gap II. The Empowerment of Women and Girls with Disabilities. Brussels: European Union.

A boy in a wheel chair is waiting near a  railway track  with a girl.

© UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson

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Case study 2: Acknowledging people with disabilities are not a homogenous group improves intervention results

Through a UNPRPD joint programme, national guidelines and a toolkit for GBV prevention were developed in Timor-Leste, and ADTL (umbrella OPD), the Community Based Rehabilitation Network (CBRN) and 10 lead facilitators including facilitators with disabilities held training on the toolkit for prevention of GBV to service providers in Dili in the justice, health, and social services sectors. Recognising the inter-sectional dimensions of disability and gender, OPDs (ADTL and CBRN-TL) participated in the national Gender Coordination Group meeting facilitated by the Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion and UN Women in February 2020.

Two OPD members are also representatives of the EU -UN Spotlight Initiative National Civil Society Reference Group, which was established in 2020 and ensures OPD voices are included in national mainstream efforts to address GBV.

Towards ensuring the sustainability of engagement of women with disabilities, the UN has included support to OPDs in advancing disability-inclusive services for survivors of violence and capacity strengthening of OPDs in joint UN projects, such as the EU -UN Spotlight Initiative (involving UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP and ILO), and the UN -KOICA Together for Equality Project (led by UN Women, with UNDP, UNFPA and IOM). OPDs have been involved in the design and governance mechanisms of these initiatives, reaffirming the investment in engagement and capacity of persons with disabilities in development efforts.

Source: UNPRPD, Empower for Change – Reducing violence and discrimination against women and children with disabilities in Timor-Leste. Programme Report available at http://www.unprpd.org/our-programmes/76

four women sitting in wheel chairs are demonstrating with placards. The text seen in their placards are: change the picture CRPD women; Inclusion of women with disabilities and end violence against women with disabilities

© UN Women/Asfandyar Khan

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Adapt

How will you design or change the policy, programme or action to better meet the priorities of those most marginalised?

The second step is to take the understanding gained in the analysis step and adapt the policy, programme or action. This is a vital step in turning the understanding gained via the first step into collective action. Many issues may have been identified in the first step and this second step aims to determine if and how action is to be taken on any of these issues.

This should be decided based on the priorities of those experiencing intersecting forms of discrimination.

Link to activity from the toolbox

Tool 4: Analysis to adaptation

Use this tool to explore examples of good practice across these four areas and consider the specific adaptations that you may need to take according to the initial analysis conducted using the Intersectional Analysis tool (Tool 3).

Table 6: Adapting initiatives using the intersectionality enablers

Issue

Actions

Reflexivity

Recognise limitations and that your perspective is only one reality.

Dignity, choice and autonomy

Create safe and accessible spaces for all to participate equally including separate spaces where necessary.

Accessibility and universal design

Information and feedback mechanisms are provided in a range of accessible formats, including local languages.

Diverse knowledges

Define and design programme objectives and activities collaboratively with people with experience of intersectional discrimination.

Local staff are diverse, and the programme undertakes a proactive approach to inclusive recruitment.

Intersecting identities

Process, output and outcome indicators use qualitative and quantitative approaches to measure progress towards equality for the most marginalised.

Relational power

Activities challenge attitudes, stigma, stereotypes and discrimination faced by the most marginalised.

Time and space

Flexible and regular monitoring systems that can analyse the influence of external factors.

Transformative/ rights-based

Adopt specific measures to address equality and non-discrimination and promote the participation and empowerment of the most marginalised.

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Tips and reminders

TIP/GUIDANCE ON INCLUSIVE BUDGETING

“The budget is the government’s most important economic policy document. A carefully developed, implemented and evaluated budget is central to the realisation of all rights.”

Participatory budgeting has often been successful when Civil Society Organisations have been active in pushing for representation of marginalised groups.

During the Workers’ Party administration between 2001 and 2004, the government of São Paulo introduced ‘segment’ delegates to participatory budget councils, in addition to territorial and thematic representatives. These delegates represented nine target groups: Afro-Brazilians, elderly people, children and adolescents, youth, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, women, indigenous groups, homeless people and people with disabilities. Most of the proposals and decisions made in the participatory budgeting forums and council meetings were implemented. 19

Resources for further reading

Further resources

To learn more about developing intersectional indicators via a human rights-based approach to data management see Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)’s Guidance Note: https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/HRIndicators/GuidanceNoteonApproachtoData.pdf

A guide to measurement and implementation of human rights indicators is also available at: Human_rights_ indicators_en.pdf (ohchr.org)

A woman in wheel chair is throwing the volleyball in the air.

© UN Women/Samar Abu Al-ouf

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Table 7: Examples of how to apply intersectional enablers at the Adaptation step:

Enabler

Applied

Not applied

Reflexivity

A human resource team recognises its current recruitment processes limit opportunities for people from marginalised backgrounds and introduces methods to interrupt bias.

Traditional recruitment and promotion processes do not recognise the subjectivity implicit in merit-based approaches and lead to teams and work cultures that lack diversity.

Dignity, choice and autonomy

Establish a project steering committee with decision-making power that includes underrepresented people from already marginalised groups.

Awareness-raising materials to promote the project reinforce stereotypes and images are used without consent.

Accessibility and universal design

Sufficient resources and funding are provided to ensure full accessibility and reasonable accommodation (CASE STUDY 1).

Access to justice programme for survivors with psychosocial and learning disabilities consider courtroom accessibility and reasonable accommodations.

Diverse knowledges

Support unplanned activities requested or organised by women with disabilities (CASE STUDY 2).

Interventions to support access to menstrual hygiene products for women with disabilities in rural Nepal are designed by international disability experts who do not take cultural and gender norms into account.

Intersecting identities

Priorities of those experiencing intersectional discrimination are mainstreamed within a gender-responsive budgeting initiative.

Disability-specific surveys limit data collection of and disaggregation by disability.

Relational power

The programme intervention is designed and led by the women who are the primary beneficiaries of the project (CASE STUDY 3).

Women with disabilities are invited to participate in a women’s economic empowerment programme but there is no engagement with or attempt to address concerns of husbands and mothers-in-law.

Time and space

Context specific data is consistently collected and disaggregated to understand barriers faced by those most marginalised in rural areas.

Measures for participation and empowerment targeting people with disabilities do not address barriers faced by people in rural areas, including barriers due to sexism and colonialism.

Transformative/ rights-based

Strengthen capacity building and coordination between movements (SEE CASE STUDY 4).

Gender stereotypes are reinforced in education curriculum and training developed to support access to education for children with disabilities.

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Case study 1: Resourcing for full accessibility is essential for addressing intersectionality

Implementation usually requires adapting or adding actions to the original design scheme, as there are unexpected events and elements to take into consideration. To achieve this, activities must offer space, both in terms of resources and timing, to implement such modifications and really offer valuable interventions for women and girls with disabilities.

In Ethiopia, training for women with disabilities was provided taking into consideration the diversity of the group. Two deaf trainees were assigned a sign language interpreter, and facilitators paced themselves to give time for interpretation. The venue was made accessible to those with physical disability. The trainings didn’t have PowerPoint or other written materials accommodating people with low literacy. When videos were played, facilitators narrated what was shown to make it relatable to all participants. A woman from Somalia spoke a different language than those of the facilitators. Thanks to the available resources, organisers brought in a Somali interpreter the second day and have been availing that service to the participant in all other trainings.

Similarly, in Burkina Faso, BtG-II ensured that the diversity of women and girls with disabilities could participate in the activities, by providing assistants for those who needed it, and offering translation into sign language. The translation of documents into Braille was in progress at the time of the elaboration

Source: Mayher, Cristina Lopez, (2021, April). Bridging the Gap II. The Empowerment of Women and Girls with Disabilities. Brussels: European Union.

Case study 2: Supporting unplanned activities requested or organised by women with disabilities strengthens their leadership and intervention outcomes

In Zimbabwe, the UNPRPD supported joint UN programme-generated knowledge and evidence on Interface of Disability Culture and Gender in Zimbabwe: Perspectives from communities to assess discrimination experienced by women and girls with disabilities and mapped “Aspirations of Women and Girls with Disabilities”. These have become key tools for raising awareness on the CRPD and an entry point for dialogue on the status of women and girls with disabilities in Zimbabwe. This resource material was used to inform the Zimbabwe CCA development processes and was noted as a key reference document. Deaf Women Included – an OPD that seeks to represent deaf women and promote gender-responsive approaches – was selected to be the main contractor to undertake the UNPRPD activity on development of a Sign Language Manual of Court Usage.

Source: UNPRPD, Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Zimbabwe, http://www.unprpd.org/our-programmes/79

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Case study 3: Positioning beneficiaries as programme leaders

When evaluators were investigating the working conditions and experiences of women in domestic service in Asia, they found that the intervention was designed and led by the women who were the primary beneficiaries. However, this situation had to be fought for by the programme designer who was working with certain stakeholder groups who saw themselves as the most appropriate spokespersons for the women ( e.g. , employment agents). Working with care, the programme manager persuaded these stakeholders of the importance of hearing the voices of the beneficiaries and the possible gains to be made by positioning them as leaders. Once convinced, these gatekeepers became very supportive and became advocates of the process in other intervention sites.

Source: Stephens, A., Lewis, E.D., Reddy, S., (2018). Inclusive Systemic Evaluation for Gender Equality, Environments and Marginalised Voices (ISE4GEMs): A new approach for the SDG era. New York: UN Women Headquarters.

Case study 4: Two-way capacity building supports intersectionality and coordination between movements

One organisation, Pinoy Deaf Rainbow, focuses on capacity building for diverse SOGIESC people who are deaf by providing leadership skills training and human rights advocacy. Pinoy Deaf Rainbow also partners with organisations to increase the organisation’s ability to provide accessible HIV-awareness workshops and be inclusive of deaf people with diverse SOGIESC.

Respondents shared how two-way capacity building and being invited, or inviting others, to join meetings alongside people or organisations who were at the intersection, such as HIV-oriented organisations, were good entry points to explore how people with disabilities with diverse SOGIESC could be better supported by organisations. Being invited to the table to discuss anti-discrimination laws and policies was described as a good opportunity to increase awareness of people at the intersection.

One respondent shared how there had been opportunities for joint advocacy with a DPO and a diverse SOGIESC organisation moderated through a civil society network, which might suggest that an external party is sometimes needed to help broker the start of a working partnership.

One interviewee who is a person with disability and diverse SOGIESC described how their confidence was built when they were involved in training and capacity-building activities or observed others nominated to positions of leadership. This enabled them to have more of a voice, and led to peer-development opportunities. It was noted that when staff at organisations were open as being a person with disability with diverse SOGIESC the organisation itself became more accepting and understanding of people at this intersection. The feminist movement was described as a model that was drawn upon to help facilitate this inclusion of people at the intersection.

In particular, a mandate from funders for the specific inclusion of people with diverse SOGIESC in disability-inclusive development projects was identified as a key entry point of this report.

Source: Edge Effect, CBM-Nossal Institute, (2020, May). Out of the Margins: An intersectional analysis of disability and diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and sex characteristics in humanitarian and development contexts. Canberra.

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Assess

How will you evaluate whether the policy, programme or action has met the needs and priorities of those most marginalised?

The third step considers how to assess the level of change that has been achieved; whether a policy, programme or action has adequately addressed all eight intersectionality enablers.

a) Check yourself, and your relationship to the context

As at all stages, critical self-reflection is essential to achieving the goals of an intersectional approach. Before embarking on a learning or evaluative process it is important that the evaluator/practitioner again considers their own personal history, characteristics and experiences of discrimination and academic training and how these relate to the process at hand.

Table 8: Assessing initiatives using the intersectionality enablers

Issue

Actions

Reflexivity

Consistently and critically check your own attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and interpretations of results and outcomes.

Recognise that all learning and evaluation represents the position or viewpoint of the evaluator.

Dignity, choice and autonomy

Create safe spaces in which those most marginalised can be their true selves, without having to filter what they share or express but also, without causing further harm and oppression to others in that space.

Accessibility and universal design

Ensure diverse, creative, respectful and accessible methods ( e.g. , sign language, spoken, written, tactile sign, images, etc.) are used to consult with people who are most marginalised in monitoring and evaluation processes.

Share back learning and evaluation findings to communities and a wide range of stakeholders using local languages and accessible formats.

Diverse knowledges

Regularly take time to listen to those experiencing intersectional discrimination and adjust implementation accordingly.

Be led by the diverse knowledges of others and use this as the starting point for reflection and evaluation.

Intersecting identities

Consistently collect and analyse disaggregated data following OHCHR principles of participation, self-identification, transparency, privacy and accountability.

Rely on the leadership of people who are most marginalised in evaluation teams.

Relational power

Frame learning and evaluation questions according to the priorities of people most marginalised in the programme context.

Time and space

Clearly explain the specific context in which the learning or evaluation has taken place and recognise the impact that external factors have on findings/results.

Transformative/ rights-based

Learning and evaluation questions focus on how programmes perpetuate or challenge existing power and social structures as well as inequalities.

Disseminate findings in ways that encourage the use of results to enhance human rights and systemic change.

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Questions to reflect on could include, for example:

Tips and reminders

TIP/GUIDANCE – Learning from diverse knowledges – indigenous research scholars insights to respectful engagement

Consider how indigenous knowledge in the specific context of a policy, programme or initiative may be centred in the assessment process.

Maori people emphasise the need to learn the basic principles of interacting in a trustworthy way within their culture.

These Maori scholars provide us with a way of upholding the central intersectionality principle of diverse knowledges and help us think through ways of addressing power differentials that may help with open sharing of life experiences. 21

b) Collect data and identify emerging themes

An intersectional approach to data collection again requires acknowledgement of the power dynamics and need for building trust between those collecting data, doing the learning/evaluating and those most marginalised. While the specific methods for data collection are familiar and include observation, key informant interviews, focus groups as well as quantitative and disaggregated data, the difference lies in how you design and collate that information, in collaboration with the people you are collecting the data from.

Link to activity from the toolbox

Refer to Tool 2: Creating safe spaces

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Tips and reminders

TIP/REMINDER – Be careful not to assume positive outcomes based only on your own perspective or reality.

To illustrate this, consider the popular European fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood”. A little girl visits her grandmother in the woods. A wolf comes and eats the grandmother, but a hunter comes and chops the wolf open, and the grandmother emerges ‘unharmed’. The story ends with “They all lived happily ever after”. Whose reality is this? Does the wolf agree? Would forest dwellers or proponents of reforestation agree? Has the incident left all those involved without trauma? Who has defined happy in this instance? 23

Resources for further reading

Further resources

For further guidance on a systemic evaluation approach that integrates intersectional analysis see Inclusive Systemic Evaluation for Gender Environments and Marginalised Voices (ISE4GEM) framework: https://www.unwomen.org/ en/digital-library/publications/2018/9/ ise4gems-a-new-approach-for-the-sdg-era

A women is standing with the support of crutches  in front of a building. She is smiling and seems to have a prosthetic right leg.

© UN Women/Rena Effendi

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Table 9: Examples of how to apply intersectional principles at the Assessment step:

Enabler

Applied

Not applied

Reflexivity

An evaluator builds in self-checks for reflection as part of evaluation plans.

An evaluator draws conclusions about the success of a project based on their own beliefs and attitudes.

Dignity, choice and autonomy

An assessment of an education project for indigenous communities in Mexico considers educational outcomes and quality according to their values of self-determination.

The assessment measures educational outcomes based on the curriculum set by historical and current colonial powers.

Accessibility and universal design

Evaluation findings are shared in local languages and accessible formats.

Evaluation findings are contained in a final report that is written in English only.

Diverse knowledges

Indigenous women and girls with disabilities are actively engaged as experts and leaders in evaluation teams.

Evaluation relies on technical expert evaluators.

Intersecting identities

An economic empowerment programme evaluates impact on women with children with disabilities.

Findings assume that the economic empowerment programme benefitted all women equally, without considering differing unpaid care roles.

Relational power

Evaluation questions are framed to look at the root causes of an issue and are asked of a wide range of people (CASE STUDY 1).

Evaluation questions are informed solely by the perspectives of programme management.

Time and space

An evaluation of a women’s political participation programme identifies specific factors linking gender and the environment and how they vary depending on country and individual contexts (CASE STUDY 2).

An evaluation of an eye health project across different locations is based on a standard set of indicators with no assessment of differences in transportation, infrastructure and environment, fees and subsidies, timing of services.

Transformative/ rights-based

Evaluation of a fistula programme in Nigeria considers the broader issues of gendered social norms including early marriage.

A fistula programme is evaluated as successful because the target number of reconstructive surgeries was met.

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Case study 1: Recognising power in the framing of evaluation questions

A study of sexual abuse in a residential school for deaf people provides one poignant example of the misuse of power (Mertens, 1996). “I was contacted by a consulting firm to collect data for a contract they had received from a state’s Department of Education. The consulting firm did not mention sexual abuse in our initial communications; however, I discovered allegations when I asked for a copy of the request for proposals (RFP) and the proposal. The first line of the RFP stated: ‘Because of serious allegations of sexual abuse at the residential school for the deaf, an external evaluator should be brought into the school to systematically study the context of the school.’ When I mentioned this serious issue to the consulting firm contact person they acknowledged it was a problem but suggested we could address it by asking if the curriculum included sex education and if the students could lock their doors at night. I indicated that I thought the problem was more complex than that, but I was willing to go to the school and discuss the evaluation project with the school officials.

“Upon my arrival, I met with the four men who constituted the upper management of the school. For about 30 minutes they talked about the need to look at the curriculum and the administrative structure. They did not mention the topic of sexual abuse. So, I raised the topic, saying, ‘I’m a bit confused. I have been here for about a half hour, and no one has yet mentioned the issue of sexual abuse, which is the basis for the Department of Education’s requirement of an external evaluation.’ After some chair scraping and coughing, one school administrator said, ‘That happened last year, and I am sure if you ask people, they will say that they just want to move on.’ The administrators were correct that the incidents resulting in the termination of the superintendent’s contract and the jailing of two staff members had happened in the spring of the year, and I was there in the fall. I assured them that it was indeed quite possible that some people would say that they would prefer to move on, but it was important for me to ask a wide range of people two questions: What were the factors that allowed the sexual abuse to happen? What would need to be changed in order to reduce the probability that it would recur? I found that there were many answers to these questions, one of which was a desire to not talk about it and move on. However, allowing those with power to frame the questions would have resulted in a continuation of an overall context that had permitted many young deaf people to be seriously psychologically and physically hurt. A different approach to research and evaluation is needed to address the needs of those who have not been adequately represented in these contexts.”

Source: Mertens, D., (2009). Transformative Research and Evaluation. New York: Guilford Press.

A women with disability is operating the laptop with her feet. Two other disabled persons are seating besides her in the conference room.

© UN Women/Ryan Brown

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Case study 2: Identifying links in different contexts

Applying the ISE4GEM approach in an evaluation of women’s political participation, we were able to identify interesting linkages and inter-relationships between environments and the other gender environments and marginalised voices (GEMs) dimensions. For example, in one country, women participating in an agricultural initiative exercised their political participation when they engaged local authorities on climate change issues that were negatively affecting them. In another country, women were supported to increase their participation in disaster risk management groups, an area where women’s participation in decision making is limited but of increasing importance. In a third country, supporting women to engage and participate in climate change legislation at the local level was identified as an area that required attention. In a fourth country, the enhanced environmental issues that indigenous groups may face were highlighted. An overall finding of the evaluation was that more learning and capacity is needed to understand and address the intersectionality between gender and environments. The simple process of asking informants if they saw a connection between the GEMs dimensions in the context of women’s political participation led to reflection and more explicit awareness of a connection, even if what that connection was or meant for their work was not yet clear.

Source: Stephens, A., Lewis, E.D., Reddy, S., (2018). Inclusive Systemic Evaluation for Gender Equality, Environments and Marginalised Voices (ISE4GEMs): A new approach for the SDG era. New York: UN Women Headquarters.

A women in a wheel chair is leading a group  with placards and banners. Statue of a man riding a horse is seen in the background

© UN Women Kyrgyzstan/Meriza Emilbekova

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SECTION 4: MENU OF SERVICES AND TOOLBOX

Tool

Purpose

When to use

Who to use

Time needed

1. Power Flower

Anytime, but ideally at the start of any new policy or programme design process.

Anyone new or in need of refresher training on intersectionality basics. Policy makers, practitioners, workshop facilitators and all those wishing to learn more about intersectionality and relational power.

1.5 - 2 hours

2. Creating Safe Spaces

When preparing for consultations, meetings, interviews, workshops and other forms of engagement.

It should also guide how you interact with colleagues within your workplaces.

Practitioners and workshop facilitators.

N/A

3. Intersectionality Context Analysis

Anytime, but ideally at the start of any new policy or programme design process.

Policy makers, practitioners and workshop facilitators

3 - 4 hours

4. Analysis to Adaptation

After the context analysis is complete (Tool 3).

Policy makers, practitioners and workshop facilitators.

2 - 3 hours

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TOOL 1: POWER FLOWER - EXPLORING YOUR IDENTITY AND PRIVILEGE

Process

  1. Facilitator preparation:

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  1. Seat the group in a circle or semi-circle depending on whether you have used the floor or wall to place the large flower. Introduce participants to the purpose of the activity, highlighting that this is a safe space for us all to reflect on who we are and how certain characteristics/identities we possess may enable or hinder not only our everyday lives, but also the lives of others.

  2. Begin the activity by agreeing with the group the context that the activity will focus on ( e.g. , XX country) and write this on the centre circle of the flower. Then agree with the participants the different social characteristics/identities that they would like to explore with regard to the agreed context. The facilitator can kickstart this by suggesting some ideas from the cards already prepared. By the end, each of the 12 petals will have a category stuck to it.

  3. Hand out the A4 sheet/card with the 12 flower petals to each participant and ask them to note both the agreed categories and their own personal characteristics/identities corresponding to each category.

  4. After completing the individual flowers, reflect as a group on questions such as:

  5. By now the facilitator(s) should have created a safe space for participants to openly share their opinions and ideas. Next, go back to the main flower on the wall/floor and go through each category asking the group who they consider as having the most power within the context. (For example, which age group in XX country typically holds the most power?) Once there is consensus, write in these dominant characteristics one by one inside each corresponding petal.

A woman is  speakding in a conference. The name card before her reads - Special Rapporteur  on the rights of persons with disabilities

© UN Women/Ryan Brown

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  1. When finished, ask the group to return to their individual flowers and count the number of petals in which their personal characteristics/identities match those noted as dominant characteristics in the big flower. Participants will possess anything from zero to 12 matches.

  2. Ask the group to stand up and reorganise themselves in the chairs according to their number of matches. One end of the circle will represent the highest number and the other the lowest.

  3. Once the participants have found their new seats, ask them to sit down and take a look at the new arrangement. What patterns do they notice?

  4. Facilitate a discussion around questions such as:

Debriefing notes

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TOOL 2: KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR CREATING SAFE SPACES

1. Be aware of your own power, privilege, attitudes and beliefs

Respond to individual stories and ensure that people experiencing discrimination and marginalisation are not perceived as victims or at fault for something that is systemic. This means also being clear on your own politics and privilege as a practitioner – what does having an intersectional lens mean for you in your context? For instance, you cannot promote equality for other people experiencing discrimination without truly taking account of your own privilege and relational power.

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2. Promote safe and meaningful dialogue

3. Factor in accessibility and reasonable accommodation

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4. Be sensitive to time and space

5. Consent must be free and informed

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7. Ensure safe feedback mechanisms

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TOOL 3: INTERSECTIONALITY CONTEXT ANALYSIS

Process

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  1. Wrap-up: Synthesise the group reflections, clarifying any misunderstandings or doubts, and summarising the points you feel are relevant and important.

Question guide

In this analysis, you will look at the dynamics and forces operating in different sectors of society and how these affect those most marginalised and cause intersectional discrimination in a given policy or programme setting. The questions should be contextualised and adapted, and added to. They may also be used to supplement existing frameworks. You may not be able to answer all the questions; cover what is possible in each context and note where further investigation or analysis is required.

1. Agency, commitment, knowledge and skills

Name two to three major aspects of individual and family life and expectations that currently affect the wellbeing and rights of those most marginalised. Ensure you reflect on intra-household differences e.g. , people with disabilities, women, girls and gender-diverse persons, older and younger persons.

Consider, for example:

Name two to three aspects that describe the state of CSOs representing those most marginalised. Consider, for example:

2. Access to and control over resources and opportunities

Name two to three major dynamics and actors that impact access and control over resources and opportunities for those most marginalised. Consider, for example:

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Two women are seen smiling in a room. One of them is sitting in a wheel chair.

© UN Women/Ryan Brown

3. Laws, policies, programmes, resource allocation, accountability mechanisms

Name two to three major government policies, laws, institutions or decision-makers that are currently affecting those most marginalised in your context. Consider, for example:

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TOOL 4: ANALYSIS TO ADAPTATION

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Access and control of resources is a concept emerging from gender analysis methods that considers who has what within the household, community, workplace or society, and who makes decisions over that resource.

The differences in access to and control of resources are a potential indicator of power imbalances between different people or groups. Ownership of a resource does not automatically guarantee control or decision-making power over that resource. For example, women may have access to land or even own land in her own name but have no or limited control over how it is used. It is also important to consider who benefits from the use of these resources. 24

Accessibility…is a precondition for persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully and equally in society.’ 25 It means that people with disabilities are able to have access to the environment around them, to transportation, to information, communication technology and systems on an equal basis with others. It is not only about physical access and people with disabilities have different access requirements and preferences. 26

Disability Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines persons with disabilities as including ‘those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’. The full inclusion of people with impairments in society can be inhibited by attitudinal and/or societal barriers (such as prejudice or discrimination), physical and/or environmental barriers (such as stairs), and policy and/ or systemic barriers, which can create a disabling effect. 29

Discrimination

Equality

Gender based violence (GBV) is violence that is directed against a person on the basis of their sex, gender identity or sexual orientation. Violence against women is any act of gender based violence that causes or could cause physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women in public or private life. This includes all forms of violence including physical, sexual, emotional, cultural/ spiritual, financial and others that are experienced on the basis of gender. 29 , 30

Gender roles and relations are the functions and responsibilities expected to be fulfilled in any society and usually determined by underlying gender and social norms. This includes reproductive (caregiving and household), community and productive (breadwinning) roles.

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Gender transformative approaches seek to tackle the root causes of gender inequality and challenge unequal power relations. It moves away from a focus on a deficit model that focuses entirely on individual ‘empowerment’ and towards transforming the structures that reinforce gender inequality. 31

28: CRPD General Comment No. 6, 2018.

29: Adapted from OurWATCH (2015). Change The Story Framework.

30: CRPD General Comment No. 3, 2016.

31: Sourced from CBM International, Thomson, T., Al Jubeh, K., Dard, B., Zayed Y., (2019, November). Disability and Gender Analysis Toolkit.

Intersectionality recognises that people’s lives are shaped by their identities, relationships and social factors. These combine to create intersecting forms of privilege and oppression depending on a person’s context and existing power structures such as patriarchy, ableism, colonialism, imperialism, homophobia and racism. 32 It is important to remember the transformative potential of intersectionality, which extends beyond merely a focus on the impact of intersecting identities.

Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) are organisations of persons with disabilities that ‘should be rooted, committed to and fully respect the principles and rights recognised in the Convention. They can only be those that are led, directed and governed by persons with disabilities. A clear majority of their membership should be recruited among persons with disabilities themselves.’ 33

Power relations recognise that processes and systems of power interact to shape experiences of privilege and disadvantage between and within groups. A person can experience power in some contexts and oppression in others. 34

Reasonable accommodationmeans necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. 35

Reflexivity acknowledges the importance of power at the micro level of self and our relationships with others, as well as at macro levels of society. It is a transformative process as it brings critical self-awareness, role-awareness, interrogation of power and privilege and the questioning of assumptions in policy and programming processes. 36

Sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics

32: Hankivsky, O. (Ed.), (2014). Intersectionality 101. Vancouver: Institute for Intersectionality Research and Policy, Simon Fraser University.

33: CRPD General Comment No. 7, 2018.

34: Adapted from Hankivsky, O. (Ed.), (2012). An Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis Framework. Vancouver: Institute for Intersectionality Research and Policy, Simon Fraser University.

35: Sourced from World Blind Union and CBM Global Disability Inclusion, Al Jubeh, K., Dard, B., Zayed Y., (2020, November). Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action, Delivering on 7 accessibility commitments.

36: Sourced from Hankivsky, O. (Ed.), (2012). An Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis Framework. Vancouver: Institute for Intersectionality Research and Policy, Simon Fraser University.

37: Adapted from the Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 2007.

Gender identity reflects a person’s deeply felt and experienced sense of their gender, which may or may not align with the sex assigned to them at birth.

Social norms are the unwritten rules about how people are expected to behave in a given situation or social group. They are different from individually held beliefs or attitudes. Social norms are grounded in the customs, traditions and value systems that develop over time and vary across organisations, countries and cultures. They are maintained by social influence and those who challenge may face backlash such as losing power or status in a community. Social norms usually advantage those in the majority and keep the status quo that allows some groups to dominate. They may also act as a brake or accelerator in a behaviour change process; hence they should be a critical consideration in inclusive development. 39

Unconscious biases also known as implicit biases, are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs and prejudice about various social and identity groups, and these are often incompatible with one’s conscious values. We all apply these biases to all aspects of our lives, including our behaviour and decision making. Common biases that impact decision making include affinity bias which is a tendency to favour people who are similar to us, often resulting in group think; confirmation bias when we seek to confirm our beliefs, preferences or judgements with those like us; halo effect when we like someone or share similar traits with someone and therefore are biased to think everything about that person is good; and social or likeability bias when we tend to agree with the majority or someone more senior than us to maintain harmony. 40

Universal design means the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design. Universal design shall not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is needed. 41

38: Adapted from UN Free and Equal https://www.unfe.org/definitions/, accessed on 23 October 2021.

39: Sourced from CBM International, Thomson, T., Al Jubeh, K., Dard, B., Zayed Y., (2019, November). Disability and Gender Analysis Toolkit.

40: Sourced from World Blind Union and CBM Global Disability Inclusion, Al Jubeh, K., Dard, B., Zayed Y., (2020, November). Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action, Delivering on 7 accessibility commitments.

41: Sourced from World Blind Union and CBM Global Disability Inclusion, Al Jubeh, K., Dard, B., Zayed Y., (2020, November). Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action, Delivering on 7 accessibility commitments.

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KEY REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Acharya, R., Sabarwal, S., & Jejeebhoy, S., (2012) “Women’s Empowerment and Forced Sex within Marriage in Rural India”, Economic and Political Weekly. Vol. 47, Issue 2, pp. 65-69.

Berger, M. T., and Guidroz, K., (2009). “A conversation with founding scholars of intersectionality Kimberlé Crenshaw, Nira Yuval Davis, and Michelle Fine”. In Berger, M. T., and Guidroz, K. (Eds.), The Intersectional Approach: Transforming the Academy through Race, Class, & Gender (pp.61-78). Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.

Bouchard, J. and Meyer-Bisch, P., (2016). “Intersectionality and Interdependence of Human Rights: Same or Different?”. The Equal Rights Review, Vol. 16, pp. 194-201.

CBM International, Thomson, T., Al Jubeh, K., Dard, B., Zayed Y, DeGraff, N., (2019, November). Disability and Gender Analysis Toolkit. Accessed November 12, 2020. https://www.cbm.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CBM_disability_and_gender_analysis_toolkit_accessible.pdf

Crenshaw, Kimberlé, “Why Intersectionality Can’t Wait,” Washington Post, September 24, 2015.

Edge Effect, CBM-Nossal Institute, (2020, May). Out of the Margins: An intersectional analysis of disability and diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and sex characteristics in humanitarian and development contexts. Canberra.

Hankivsky, O. (Ed.), (2012). An Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis Framework. Vancouver: Institute for Intersectionality Research and Policy, Simon Fraser University.

Hankivsky, O. (Ed.), (2014). Intersectionality 101. Vancouver: Institute for Intersectionality Research and Policy, Simon Fraser University.

HelpAge International, (2019, April). A UN Convention on the rights of older people: 5 reasons why we need one. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.helpage.org/silo/files/fair-guidelines-government-handout-.pdf

Henne, Kathryn, (2013, December). “From the Academy to the UN and Back Again: The Travelling Politics of Intersectionality”, p.1 Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, Issue 33.

Human Rights Watch, (2018, February). They Want Docile: How Nursing Homes in the United States Overmedicate People with Dementia. Accessed August 25, 2021. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/02/05/they-want-docile/ how-nursing-homes-united-states-overmedicate-people-dementia

International Disability Alliance, (2021, June). Submission for the CEDAW Committee on the rights of indigenous women and girls. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/indigenous-submission

Larson, E., et. al, (2016, April). “10 Best resources on…intersectionality with an emphasis on low and middle-income countries”, Health Policy and Planning, Oxford University Press, Issue 31.

JASS, (2016, October) WE-RISE Toolkit. Accessed June 17, 2021. https://werise-toolkit.org

Matsuda, M., (1991). “Beside my sister, facing the enemy: legal theory out of coalition”, p.1189 Stanford Law Review, Vol. 43, No. 6.

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Mayher, Cristina Lopez, (2021, April). Bridging the Gap II. The Empowerment of Women and Girls with Disabilities. Brussels: European Union.

Mertens, D., (2009). Transformative Research and Evaluation. New York: Guilford Press.

OHCHR, (2018). A Human Rights Based Approach to Data - Leaving No One Behind in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Accessed November 12, 2020. https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/HRIndicators/ GuidanceNoteonApproachtoData.pdf

OHCHR, (2020, December) SDG-CRPD Resource Package. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/ Disability/Pages/SDG-CRPD-Resource.aspx

Rao, A. and Kelleher, D., (2005, July). “Is there life after gender mainstreaming?” , Gender and Development, Vol. 13, No. 2.

Silver, H., Scott, A., and Kazepov, Y., (2010, September). “Participation in Urban Contention and Deliberation”. In International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Vol.34, Issue 3, pp. 453-477

Stephens, A., Lewis, E.D., Reddy, S., (2018). Inclusive Systemic Evaluation for Gender Equality, Environments and Marginalised Voices (ISE4GEMs): A new approach for the SDG era. New York: UN Women Headquarters.

UNFPA & WEI, (2018, November) Guidelines for Providing Rights-Based and Gender-Responsive Services to Address Gender-Based Violence and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for Women and Young Persons with Disabilities. Accessed November 12, 2020. https://www.unfpa.org/featured-publication/women-and-young-persons-disabilities

University of California, San Francisco’s Office of Diversity & Research Unconscious Bias Resources. Accessed March 12, 2021. https://tinyurl.com/y5bjazb7

UNPRPD, (2020, August). The preconditions necessary to ensure disability inclusion across policies, services and other interventions. Accessed November 12, 2020. http://unprpd.org/sites/default/files/library/2020-08/Annex%202%20 UNPRPD%204th%20Funding%20Call%20Preconditions%20to%20disability%20inclusion%20ACC.pdf

UN Women, (2020, October). Addressing exclusion through intersectionality in rule of law, peace, and security context. Accessed October 19, (2021). https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/12/ brief-addressing-exclusion-through-intersectionality-in-rule-of-law-peace-and-security-context

Westley F., Zimmerman B., and Patton M., (2006). Getting to Maybe. Toronto: Random of House of Canada Limited.

World Blind Union and CBM Global Disability Inclusion, Al Jubeh, K., Dard, B., Zayed Y., (2020, November) Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action, Delivering on 7 accessibility commitments. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://worldblindunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Accessibility-GO-A-Guide-to-Action-WBU-CBM-Global.pdf

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