Why prioritise gender inequality over other forms of oppression, such as those based on class, ethnicity and religion? This article from Gender and Development draws on insights from gender training sessions to examine gender, identity and power in development organisations. It recognises that identities are always multiple and interconnected, so gender cannot be viewed in isolation. Power dynamics between different identities give privileges to some and make others vulnerable. Gender training should acknowledge these differences and find strategies to promote equality.
Some perceive that gender training will lead to an exclusive focus on women in development programmes. One way to deal with this concern is to present evidence of global gender imbalances and argue that promoting women’s rights will lead to sustainable development. But the challenge is justified. Instead of prioritising gender-based oppression over other forms of oppression, gender training should help explore the concept of oppression itself.
- All of us have multiple identities. Some give us privileges and others make us vulnerable, depending on the political, economic, and socio-cultural context. These identities determine how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us.
- Training which focuses of gender and identities helps participants acknowledge their own part in systems of dominance. This is not always easy, especially for those in dominant positions.
- Talking about who you are can be self-affirming; creating feelings of pride and self-respect. But it can also provoke feelings of anger, pain, guilt and frustration; negative feelings associated with being excluded.
- An approach known as ‘transversal identity politics’ creates space for training participants to discuss inter-connected concepts of gender, identity, power, exclusion and belonging. Acknowledging and understanding individual differences can help groups work together meaningfully.
These insights are important for development organisations thinking about gender and diversity. People working in these organisation have their own privileges and vulnerabilities. At the same time, organisations reflect systems of dominance in the broader social and political context. Four training principles help establish gender and diversity policy at an organisational level:
- People are central to the process of learning and change: Organisational transformation should not be imposed, it should make sense to people based on their own experiences.
- Diversity and patterns of dominance should be acknowledged: People should be judged by their actions, not by their identities, so there is space to discuss personal experiences. As well as acknowledging the identities of those who are present, it is important to investigate who is not present and why.
- Empowerment of individuals as well as groups: Personal ‘problems’ should be politicised in order to uncover underlying systems of inclusion and exclusion. Mutual, meaningful dialogue should be encouraged, without participants stereotyping each other.
- Dichotomous perceptions in thinking and action should be broken: Terms such as ‘male and female’, ‘black and white’, ‘urban and rural’ are used to reinforce systems of dominance. In organisations, rules exist about how things are done and how they are not done. These dichotomies can seriously block gender and diversity policy.
