Assessment Approaches and Findings on Intersectionality from An Inclusive Development Analysis in Sierre Leone and Guinea

• In Event: Catalyzing Change by Building Community Awareness and Understanding of LGBTQI+ issues in DRC, Guinea, Sierre Leone, Timor Leste and Serbia

Proposal

IDAMS’s inclusive development analyses (IDAs) in Sierra Leone and Guinea gathered evidence of effective approaches and gaps in the inclusion of marginalized groups (LGBTQI+, people with disability/albinism, marginalized groups in border regions between Guinea and Mali, etc.) in current programming in Guinea and Sierra Leone and generate concrete recommendations on how to improve inclusion of these groups in current and future activities. The IDA will explore the inclusion of these groups in relation to the seven principles for inclusive development: conflict sensitivity (understanding the grievances that reinforce conflict dynamics); non-discrimination (ensuring that programs do not cause further exclusion); inclusion (understanding the barriers that prevent access and participation); equity (adopting equitable approaches appropriate to the needs of certain persons); accessibility (ensuring accessibility in USAID programming); equality (as a long-term goal of programming). Using these principles allowed the assessment to understand where marginalized groups may be disadvantaged or disempowered, the opportunities for widening their engagement in social, economic, civic and political affairs, and factors affecting their wellbeing (such as health and exposure to violence). The IDA emphasized the importance of hearing from a broader range of diverse intersectional stakeholders and to explore views from within the LGBTQI+ community on their needs and the opportunities they see for growth. This presentation will share methodologies used in the IDA for data collection when engaging partners to discuss sensitive information around gender identify and inclusion, including stakeholder mapping to identify key champions and advocates that LGBTQI+ groups trust, key informant interview question guides, and mini surveys. The presentation will also share findings and describe how programming is being developed to respond to the IDA findings.

Author

• Fabrice C Houdart, Georgetown University