This report addresses the significance of deep identity based forms of exclusion, which constrain the life chances of affected social groups. It explores policies and programmes that address these intersecting inequalities in a group of countries that have made significant efforts and improvements, as a way of indicating what is possible in this difficult terrain.
The report considers the lessons provided by these experiences, which can inform the development of the next generation of global development targets, post-2015. Countries focused on in this report include: Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Key findings:
- The people most likely to be left behind by development are those facing ‘intersecting inequalities’, or economic deficits intersecting with discrimination and exclusion on the grounds of identity and locational disadvantage. The most enduring forms of identity-based inequalities are ascribed from birth; such as race, caste, and ethnicity, and which persist over generations.
- Political change leading to the development of inclusive governments able to address intersecting inequalities is something which can be built slowly over decades (Brazil), or happen relatively rapidly where the ground has been prepared by social movements (Bolivia, Ecuador, Pakistan); it can involve alliances with social movements (India) or violent conflict (Ethiopia, Nepal). The case studies discussed in the report presented two main types of political trajectories: governments with a strong inclusive and redistributive agenda combined with class-based social mobilisation; and multi-ethnic countries in which movement-based governments are the expression of identity-group mobilisation which aggregates large but previously marginalised groups in an effective political project. While different political trajectories are possible, inclusive governments may end up pursuing quite similar policy and political agendas.
- The experience of seven countries (Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, India, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Nepal) shows that key ingredients for addressing intersecting inequalities are: social movements demanding changes in the ‘rules of the game’; political trajectories and processes of constitutional change that facilitate and actualize these changes; social guarantees, opportunity enhancements and developmental affirmative actions as well as specific policies and programmes which show commitment to reduce intersecting inequalities over time.
- Constitutional change is a critical ingredient to address the deep seated historically determined inequalities that have persisted into the modern era. New constitutions offer a political moment when the normal structures of politics can be laid aside in favour of a more participatory process, in which civil society organisations can find more space. In most of the cases analysed for this report, progressive, detailed legislation and public policies and programmes have followed quickly on constitutional development. Constitutional change includes introducing mechanisms of political participation that privilege multiply disadvantaged groups, in particular from racial, ethnic or religious groups, and also women.
- The post-2015 agenda can help establish global norms which will support and encourage mobilisation to tackle intersecting inequalities, including a strong commitment to universal quality basic services, and the development of country-specific frameworks of targets and indicators monitoring intersecting inequalities.
