Deepening Intersectionality in Governance and Human Rights Agenda

Rethinking Governance: From the Human Rights Based Approach to Intersectionality

Our existing multilateral system is proving increasingly challenged to deliver the transborder, multi-sectoral interventions needed to address the complex and interconnected challenges we face. At the same time, Democracies who have traditionally been the main driving force in the crafting of the international legal norms upon which the current multilateral system is built – are in steady retreat. In this circumstance, how can our existing governance system, be democratic or not, address the challenges of inclusion?

Governance is the set of formal and informal practices through which an organization sets goals, assigns responsibilities, establishes systems, and assesses outcomes of organizational action. So, it refers to the systems and processes concerned with ensuring the overall direction, effectiveness, supervision and accountability of an organisation. In short, it deals with purpose, people, process, and performance. It often regards building capacity, convergence, complementarity and control. However, governance automatically does not guarantee an inclusive approach to development.

Our existing multilateral system is proving increasingly challenged to deliver the transborder, multi-sectoral interventions needed to address the complex and interconnected challenges we face.

In fact, the application of intersectionality is not wholly new. Some of its aspects are already in application through the UN and other multilateral and bilateral mechanisms’ work within the framework of the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA). In the last decade, the HRBA emerged as one of the conceptual programming frameworks aimed at mainstreaming the core human rights principles into the national development policies and programmes. To this end, the UN agencies focused on promoting the concept and simultaneously building the capacities of national governments who are the duty bearers to respect, fulfil and protect human rights.

Many UN agencies had started to experiment with the new approach in conjunction with Results Based Management which has been in practice since the late 1990s in the UN system. Hence, the intersectionality would not be a completely new framework given both frameworks’ focus on realities on the ground and protecting interests of the rights holders through deeper engagements of the duty bearers.

In the last decade, the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) emerged as one of the conceptual programming frameworks aimed at mainstreaming the core human rights principles into the national development policies and programmes.

Intersectionality offers a more comprehensive understanding of human rights by recognizing how multiple social identities (like gender, race, class, and disability) intersect to create unique experiences of discrimination and privilege. A multi-dimensional, intersectional approach which can accommodate overlapping factors would therefore be a more pragmatic solution in the changing, increasingly fragmented world we live in. This would promote thinking creatively about social justice issues and human rights principles, assessing how issues connect with seemingly unrelated topics within broader governance framework, and considering how they may have unintended consequences for other areas.

Interplay between Intersectionality and Governance

As indicated above, intersectionality is a method of analysis providing a framework to assess the impact of multiple and compounding systemic oppressions and discriminations and how these influence policy formulation, results, and outcomes, services, and decision-making. That includes the impacts of classism and poverty, sexism, racism, disability discrimination, homophobia and xenophobia.

The end outcome is to improve the lives of communities of identity and the analysis will include data about the experience of those communities. Hence it clearly interplays with governance agenda as it is used as a basis to focus attention on how systemic oppressions and discriminations operate together. For example, criminal justice issues are related to public health issues, public health issues to poverty, poverty to immigration and so on. Preventing and responding to violence against women with disabilities requires a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach. It includes strengthening legal frameworks, enhancing support services, ensuring that an inclusive lens is applied to prevention efforts, raising societal awareness, improving data collection and promoting intersectoral collaboration. It is also crucial to prioritize the voices, experiences and agency of women with disabilities in developing and implementing policies and interventions.

Intersectionality is a method of analysis providing a framework to assess the impact of multiple and compounding systemic oppressions and discriminations and how these influence policy formulation, results, and outcomes, services, and decision-making.

In fact, the world experienced successful experimentation of intersectional governance through cross-sectoral collaboration in the public health response to COVID-19. Elected representatives/public sector leaders in most countries set goals for pandemic response and recovery, helping to focus and facilitate cross-agency efforts and drive work towards a common, mission-critical goal identified by state leaders. Partnerships with community-based organizations helped to build trust and to disseminate information and resources. COVID-19 was a catalyst for shifting the delivery of many medical services to telehealth across the country—a move that offered new options for treating individuals with limited access and people living in rural and remote areas. Government officials emphasized the importance of a data-driven approach to decision making in the COVID-19 response, particularly important when deciding how to spend public resources.

Thus, incorporating a truly intersectional approach in governance requires routinely considering how various issues be impacted, how various actors interact with each other, how they – both issues and actors - connect with each other, and whether one approach with one issue area will somehow undermine efforts by those working on a different, but intersecting issue area. Organizations in different sectors typically have access to different types of resources. Large, multinational corporations that are publicly owned and widely traded often have capabilities of global scale and relevance that may be crucial to the public good of the nations in which they are headquartered or based in. All these are signs of complex, multilateral and intersectional governance.

In fact, the world experienced successful experimentation of intersectional governance through cross-sectoral collaboration in the public health response to COVID-19.

Promoting access to opportunity requires deliberate consideration of how seemingly unrelated issues and areas connect. However, it is not an analysis that is meant to promote individualism. Of course, some of the elements of individualism will somewhat be covered in the broader intersectionality discourse.

In Governance initiatives, intersectionality helps organisations and policymakers understand that oppression or discrimination does not occur in isolated categories. A person who is both Black and a woman may face different challenges than a White woman or a Black man due to the overlapping nature of racial and gender discrimination. This intersectional perspective is essential in crafting policies that address systemic barriers and discrimination more effectively.

A person who is both Black and a woman may face different challenges than a White woman or a Black man due to the overlapping nature of racial and gender discrimination.

Deepening Intersectionality in a fragmented world

Intersectionality is an approach or lens that recognizes that governance is shaped by a multi-dimensional overlapping of factors such as race, class, income, education, age, ability, sexual orientation, immigration status, ethnicity, indigeneity, and geography. For example, using an issue-based start or problem-based start can make a difference – people can look at particular issues, challenges or areas in public health or health inequities and then understand the ways in which different individuals or different groups may be affected by that particular issue. Public health’s commitment to social justice makes it a natural fit with intersectionality’s focus on multiple historically oppressed populations.

It is clear that to achieve inclusive, intersectional governance, we must change the systems and policies that have resulted in the generational injustices that give rise to racial, ableist, gender based and ethnic disparities. There is no denying that a lack of effective, intersectional and disaggregated data whether on access to justice, housing, health inequalities, educational attainment, or the labour market is a barrier to intersectional analysis.

Compared with a decade ago, practitioners today see a greater interest in social equity and an acknowledgment of diverse social determinants-intersectional issues – of service sectors i.e., health, justice, housing etc. in part because of the past crisis response and increasing social awareness. With the rising global pushback against any efforts to deliver a fairer, more just society, it is crucial that intersectional analysis and practice delivers deep and sustained change that cannot be undone overnight as a consequence of a mere political whim.

Many governments across different regions have demonstrated a commitment to addressing these issues, as evidenced by both policy and legislative development in different parts of the world. Issue of social inclusion, social protection, social justice, human rights and civil rights are gaining gradual currency in governance. Such efforts send an important message to those in the field and at the sub-national/provincial and local levels worldwide working to improve public health through policy changes, awareness raising about inclusive and accessible health system and services, increasing funding to address the social, economic, and environmental factors that shape health; and community buy-in and engagement. More importantly, the key stakeholders are now aware that an intersectional approach identifies better the way that people’s social identities can overlap, creating compounding experiences of discrimination. The health equity can only be achieved if the health system can tackle the compounding experiences of discrimination(s) while ensuring inclusive service delivery.

It is clear that to achieve inclusive, intersectional governance, we must change the systems and policies that have resulted in the generational injustices that give rise to racial, ableist, gender based and ethnic disparities.

The health equity can only be achieved if the health system can tackle the compounding experiences of discrimination(s) while ensuring inclusive service delivery.

An Agenda Based on Actionable Recommendations

Achieving intersectionality in governance requires an intersectional and coordinated approach that reaches across sectors, communities, and countries, with health, social justice and other relevant sectors at its core. For example, the most recent pandemic (COVID 19) has underscored the need for equity to be at the center of the global health governance agenda to ensure that the most marginalized and excluded have access to essential services. Unconscious or implicit bias can manifest in various forms, such as racial bias, gender bias, and age bias. It can influence the way we interact with others, make hiring decisions, and navigate social situations. Overcoming unconscious bias requires self-reflection, empathy, and a willingness to challenge our preconceived notions.It has also highlighted the need to re-think the global governance and equity agenda to focus on the foundational causes of health inequalities, for example:

With only five years to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a great deal of work to be done if business is to contribute meaningfully to national efforts. Based on existing practices and emerging trends, intersectionality in governance would certainly encourage cross-actors, cross-community, cross-sector and cross-issue collaborations, investing equally in each other’s issues, narrative goals and policy agendas. Government representatives, activists, advocates, lawyers, artists, scholars, cultural workers, and strategists should work with each other collaboratively alongside those directly impacted. These types of collaborations may encourage innovative solutions, expand networks and meta-networking, and transformative and human rights compliant changes.