Intersectionality from concept to practical tools in the design and implementation of gender equality and social inclusion programs.

I have been reading about intersectionality, a termed coined by  Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 and beautifully explained in her TED talk using  the example of DeGraffenreid v. General Motors  (1976) to illustrate the point. To summarize her idea, “Intersectionality is a multifaced connection between race, gender, sex, sexuality, class, ability, nationality, citizenship, religion, and body type and other systems that work together to oppress while allowing privilege”. Her illustration of this concept during her TED talk was clear and convincing and I wondered if this omission is possible in the design and implementation of gender equality and social inclusion programs in international development. I wanted to know how the concept of intersectionality can be translated into action and tools for development programs, and here is what I found out.

The use of the human rights approach to programming centered on the principles of non-discrimination, interdependency, and indivisibility of rights as programming tools, effectively eliminates the possibility of omissions or privilege for any group during the analytical and program design process. In addition, placing the individual as the subject of the analysis and at the centre of their development endowed with economic, social, political, cultural, and civic rights, which are independent, and indivisible, makes it unlikely to fade anyone out based on their sex, race, income, locality, religion, ethnicity, birth, or other status.

Intersectionality is therefore a concept that is addressed in the design and implementation of gender equality and social inclusion programs when a results and rights-based approach to programming is applied ensuring that programs are impactful and sustainability.