This report provides evidence on the impact of excluding populations on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression (SOGIE). It argues that unless deliberate steps are taken by international and national development actors to address this exclusion, the explicit global commitment in the SDGs to eradicate inequality for all people will not be realised.
The report aims to provide empirical evidence for development actors to use the language of the SDGs as a tool to address the social exclusion of SOGIE groups in development programming. Findings are based on a comprehensive policy and literature review of documents on the MDG and SDG frameworks, and empirical literature on sexuality, gender and development, including primary research conducted on the Sexuality, Poverty and Law programme.
Key trends and issues in the literature highlight social exclusion of populations on the basis of SOGIE in seven development priority areas:
- Poverty: as a result of their increased vulnerability to social stigma and discrimination, SOGIE populations with lower socioeconomic status and educational levels are less able to access economic opportunity.
- Health: discriminatory legal frameworks and policy undermine effective SOGIE-inclusive HIV programmes. Where this isn’t the case, programmes need to look beyond a traditional focus on HIV to include mental and physical wellbeing, and access to essential health services more broadly.
- Education: discriminatory practices in educational settings contribute to non-completion rates of SOGIE populations, further compounded by the absence of LGBTQ issues in sex education curricula which can lead to exclusionary, and at times unsafe, environments.
- Gender equality and women’s empowerment: the absence of research on the relationship between gender identity, gender expression and gender equality in relation to trans people reflects their particular invisibility within public discourse and policy on (dis)empowerment.
- Economic growth and opportunity: workplace discrimination emerges as a key factor undermining equal access to employment for all, with social stigmatisation and fear of abuse prevents people from coming “out” at work.
- Safe, resilient and sustainable cities: there is a positive correlation between experiences of SOGIE discrimination and higher poverty and homelessness risks. Homeless youths who identify as LGB also experience higher rates of sexual risk, and sexual and physical abuse than heterosexual youth.
- Justice and accountability: Civil society can play a significant role in holding decision-makers accountable for implementation. Discriminatory laws have a negative emotional, physical and economic wellbeing on SOGIE populations. The integration of SOGIE-sensitive approaches to law and policy in one country increases the probability of the adoption of similar laws and policies.
Recommendations
Prioritising inclusive development requires visionary and collaborative work that translates the principle of ‘leave no one behind’. International development actors can:
- consult with local LGBTI groups in countries of operation, and work according to their needs and strategies
- generate two-way processes of capacity building so local knowledge can bolster international action, and international knowledge can support local action using the SDG framework as primary justification to lobby for change.
- establish programmes and projects that explicitly integrate SOGIE issues across all spheres of development and highlight examples of where this has been successful.
- sensitise delivery partners and staff to ‘leave no one behind’ principles and how they should apply to LGBTI and other marginalised groups.
- consider SOGIE policy when choosing delivery partners and integrate this awareness into procurement processes.
National development actors can:
- lobby national governments to include disaggregated data where appropriate and safe to do so.
- integrate SOGIE-specific, national-level indicators where appropriate and safe to do so.
- create and use cross-cutting indicators to track the integration of various marginalised groups, including SOGIE, across all thematic areas.