Why we must consider an intersectional approach for inclusive development

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are committed to ‘Leave No One Behind’” regardless of social identity. 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. This, of course, goes beyond SDGs and involves national development planning and goals.The COVID-19 crisis has amplified this need further as those experiencing intersectional discrimination face disproportionate impacts in terms of access to national and sub-national social services, health care, risk of violence, unemployment and social and personal wellbeing.

Intersectionality is not?a grand theory of everything. It is a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power. People’s lives are shaped by their identities, relationships and social factors. These combine to create advantages and disadvantages depending on a person’s situation.

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.

Intersectionality is the study of intersections between different forms of oppression or discrimination. It is, in fact, ?the acknowledgement that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression and we must consider everything and anything that can marginalize people – gender, race, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, etc. Such acknowledgement is critical for making development inclusive and participatory.

While there is no dearth of tacit knowledge on intersectionality; unfortunately, there was an almost an absence of explicit knowledge and applied guidance ?about it. This was the reason why ?some of us started thinking of addressing the knowledge gaps since late 2020. One way to address this need to generate and codify applied knowledge.

Data on older persons and people living with disabilities and how gender affects those issues is lacking. The disaggregation of data must be strengthened towards supporting the analysis of more complex intersecting dimensions of vulnerability and make visible those people who are most marginalized in specific contexts. This would directly contribute to making development more inclusive. This is the only way to ensure "no one will be left behind" and to "endeavour to reach the furthest behind first".