Feminism, Positive Masculinity and Intersectionality – and their use in the international development and humanitarian context
These three concepts are commonly used in the practice of gender equality and social inclusion, yet an explanation of how they are manifested, how they are caused and examples of effective interventions to address them at the community and policy level in a variety of contexts are not clear, leading to misinterpretations, confusion, sometimes hostility resulting to ineffectiveness.
As a girl or woman living in poverty with very few opportunities for social, economic, and political, etc. advancement, I wonder how these concepts are being translated and used to meet my development and humanitarian needs. To what extent has the conversation included my experiences or used my voice to shape them and adapt them to my reality?
These concepts have been developed often by academics and adopted as movements for change as well as cures for development and humanitarian gender related problems without consultations with the local communities they are designed to help.
It is time we gave voice to those whose lives we are so trying to improve. They understand their conditions more than anyone else and have the capacity to identify solutions to their problems if given the opportunities to create a better world for themselves and their families.
Feminism, positive masculinity, and intersectionality are in evidence in many of the communities we work with; are known by different names and are approached differently. Perhaps, it is time to find these examples at the local level, document them and use the stakeholders as development practitioners to improve their communities for a more efficient, effective, relevant, and sustaina
For more insight, watch:
“We should all be feminists | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | @TEDxEuston
“The Dangers of Western Feminism to African Women” | Elma Akob | @TEDxUniversityof Pretoria
