Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion

marginalized people, who may inadvertently be exposed to increased stigmatisation or risk of
gender-based or other targeted violence. The Fund sees ‘harm’ as a continuum,
understanding that discriminatory attitudes are the underlying cause of violence and other
severe harm. To ‘do no harm’ requires deep understanding of the complex dynamics of
people’s lives. It requires robust program monitoring systems, responsive to unintended
consequences. Accepting violence as a daily reality in the lives of women and marginalised
people, transformative practice recognises the importance of understanding the causes and
dynamics of such violence. It requires understanding of and linking with survivor-centred and
rights-based prevention and responses services for advocacy and referral.

gender, class, race or religious superiority, colonialism, age, ability, sexuality and others.
These hierarchies have deep historical roots, are reinforced by deeply entrenched attitudes
and norms, and by discrimination and violence. Policies, services and programs are largely
designed by, and (consciously or unconsciously) in the interests of, those who belong to more
powerful groups. Situations and needs of marginalised groups are often deprioritised, and
marginalised people face barriers to advocating for fairer policies and systems. A
transformative approach will challenge unequal distribution of privilege and power, shifting
from ‘power over’ to ‘power with and within’. This links in with the concept of ‘allyship’.

against, complex cultural, political and economic interests. Resistance can be seen as active
or passive avoidance of change, while backlash is often understood as more extreme and
aggressive forms of resistance. Resistance can come from people of any gender, individually
or collectively, in any setting, and can take many forms (either implicitly or explicitly).
Understanding that resistance is inevitable and being prepared for it is the starting point for
developing effective strategies to address it.

including WASH, calls for recognition of the interconnectedness between diverse human and
other factors. The 2030 Agenda and SDGs are framed around five pillars: people, planet,
prosperity, peace and justice, and partnership. None of these can be considered in isolation.
Together, these aspects form a useful framework for a holistic approach to transformative
WASH. It is also useful to consider the implications of practice for people ‘here and now’,
people ‘elsewhere’ and for future generations (OECD, 2016).

development. Useful concepts here include ‘nothing about us without us’, ‘intersectional
inequalities’ and ‘allyship’. This principle requires availability of sufficient skilled expertise and
that we work closely with and resource rights-holders organisations that represent
marginalised people. It means using both ‘mainstream’ and ‘twin track’ approaches; and
recognising the different capacities, situations and needs of people at different stages of their
lives. While this Strategy takes an integrated approach to inclusion, it sees moving towards
gender equality as a fundamental concern and the interests of women and girls as paramount.

practice on some of the most challenging aspects of GESI-transformative practice. The top two
priority issues identified by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who responded to a survey,
were ‘do no harm and respond to violence’ and ‘addressing resistance and backlash’. Other
issues discussed were ‘transformative organisations’, ‘integrating approaches to intersectional
disadvantage’, ‘expanding thinking and practice on disability in WASH’, and ‘addressing
sexual and gender minority rights in WASH’. Other issues were raised during development of
the Strategy, resulting in agreement to incorporate ‘engaging men and boys as partners for
change’ as a cross-cutting dimension of each of the boundary-pushing issues. Identification of
ways that the Fund can collectively push the boundaries of transformative WASH practice will
be continuously reviewed through the life of the Fund.