Blog Series: Getting started on gender+ and intersectionality in project design, Part 1
Part 1: What is gender? What is intersectionality? And why do they matter?
by Patrick Regan and Raphaela Van Oers
In many of the projects we work on, we often see that gender and intersectionality are not fully embedded in the project design. Inclusion is one of the core values at RES, so it’s important to recognize that gender-based discrimination, and how that intersects with other forms of discrimination, are key issues for many projects and programmes.
It can be hard for organizations to know where to start with some of these topics, so we’ve created a three-part introductory blog series about incorporating gender+ and intersectionality in project design. This first post covers the key terms and definitions that will be helpful for engaging with gender and intersectionality, and for understanding the next two blog posts.
Gender
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research defines gender as “the socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society. Gender identity is not confined to a binary (girl/woman, boy/man) nor is it static; it exists along a continuum and can change over time. There is considerable diversity in how individuals and groups understand, experience and express gender through the roles they take on, the expectations placed on them, relations with others and the complex ways that gender is institutionalized in society.”1
Gender is often considered in very binary terms (women vs. men, girls vs. boys), but also includes gender diverse people who might identify as non-binary, gender fluid, or gender queer (among others). Various cultures and areas around the world have historically recognized and incorporated more than two genders. These include, for example, Two-Spirit across Indigenous North America, Hijra in Hindu society across South Asia, Muxe in Zapotec cultures in southern Mexico, and Sekrata among the Sakalava people in Madagascar.2
It may be important for your organization to think beyond the gender binary, and to adopt a broader definition of gender that includes gender diverse people, in order to consider how your projects might impact other gender identities, and to ensure no one is left behind.
Sex
According to the UN Free & Equal, sex refers to the “classification of a person as having female, male and/or intersex sex characteristics. While infants are usually assigned the sex of male or female at birth based on the appearance of their external anatomy alone, a person’s sex is a combination of a range of bodily sex characteristics. A person’s sex may or may not be aligned with their gender identity. In an increasing number of countries, a person can change the sex marker on their identity documents.”3
It is important to keep in mind the differences between sex and gender while engaging in discussions and projects relating to gender, equity, and human rights.
Intersectionality
First coined by American civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality refers to the overlapping or intersecting identities, relationships, and social factors that shape a person’s life and experiences. These often include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, class, age and religion.
Intersectionality reveals some of the complexities of inequality, and recognizes that a person can face multiple forms of discrimination and oppression based on more than one factor at the same time. For example, an older lesbian woman might face discrimination based on her age, sexuality, and gender.4
Intersectionality can be used as a theoretical lens, framework, methodology, or way to think about the world. The UNPRPD and UN Women describe the importance of an intersectional lens: “An intersectional lens is required to reach the furthest behind first and achieve: Substantive equality that leaves no one behind; More inclusive and responsive policy making and service delivery; Better use of resources: improved stakeholder collaboration builds a better understanding of the context, solution and results in more tailored services.”5
Adopting an intersectional lens or methodology in your project design is another step towards recognizing the various forms of discrimination, addressing the overlapping systems of oppression, and ensuring that your project does not replicate these.
Gender+ and Gender Mainstreaming
Two other terms that may be useful for your organization to engage with are “gender+” and “gender mainstreaming.”
Gender+
The plus symbol at the end of “gender+” indicates the inclusion of an intersectionality perspective. María Bustelo explains that “the term ‘gender +’ is used to include an intersectionality perspective, that is, a recognition that gender is intersected by other inequalities, such as ethnicity, class, age, disability, and sexual orientation.”6
Gender mainstreaming
Gender mainstreaming refers to a strategy for supporting and promoting gender equality by integrating a gender perspective and assessing the gendered implications of any and all parts of a planned action. As defined by the EIGE, “gender mainstreaming has been embraced internationally as a strategy towards realising gender equality. It involves the integration of a gender perspective into the preparation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, regulatory measures and spending programmes.”7
Check back next week to learn more about how different organizations are adapting their projects to consider gender and intersectionality
[1] Canadian Institutes of Health Research. “What is gender? What is sex?” https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/48642.html.
[2] Scott de Groot. “What Is Two-Spirit? Part One: Origins.” Canadian Museum for Human Rights, March 26, 2024. https://humanrights.ca/story/what-two-spirit-part-one-origins; The Editors of Encyclopaedia Brittanica. “6 Cultures That Recognize More than Two Genders.” Encyclopedia Britannica, January 12, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/list/6-cultures-that-recognize-more-than-two-genders; Independent Lens. “A Map of Gender-diverse Cultures.” PBS, August 12, 2015. https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/content/two-spirits_map-html/.
[3] UN Free & Equal, https://www.unfe.org/know-the-facts/definitions/.
[4] UNPRDP and UN Women, “Intersectionality Resource Guide and Toolkit,” https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-01/Intersectionality-resource-guide-and-toolkit-en.pdf; UN Declaration on Minority Rights, “Guidance note on Intersectionality, Racial Discrimination & Protection of Minorities,” https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/minorities/30th-anniversary/2022-09-22/GuidanceNoteonIntersectionality.pdf.
[5] UNPRDP and UN Women, “Intersectionality Resource Guide and Toolkit,” https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-01/Intersectionality-resource-guide-and-toolkit-en.pdf.
[6] Bustelo, 2016, “Evaluation from a Gender+ Perspective as a Key Element for (Re)Gendering the Policymaking Process.” Journal of Women, Politics & Policy 38 (1): 84–101
[7] EIGE, “What is gender mainstreaming,” https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/what-is-gender-mainstreaming; Adaptation Fund, “A Study on Intersectional Approaches to Gender Mainstreaming in Adaptation-relevant Interventions,” https://www.adaptation-fund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AF-Final-Version_clean16Feb2022.pdf.