Sexing development and relocating gender: an organisational case study

Area of Science:

• Development Studies
• Gender Studies
• Sociology of Sexuality

Background:

• Gender mainstreaming in international development has diluted its effectiveness for women's liberation.
• Sexuality, despite its intersection with gender, is largely overlooked in development contexts.
• Conventional development discourse often frames sex through biomedical and moral lenses, associating it with risk and danger.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate how a sexuality lens can enhance development approaches beyond traditional gender equity and sexual health programs.
• To explore the social and cultural factors shaping sexual meanings and gender roles.
• To advocate for a paradigm shift in development discourse to include pleasure and agency alongside risk.

Main Methods:

• Drawing on project staff experiences within a large international development agency.
• Analyzing community engagement on sexual and women's rights.
• Qualitative insights from practical gains and struggles in program implementation.

Main Results:

• A sexuality lens offers richer understandings of social and cultural influences on gender and sexual meanings.
• Moving beyond a focus on women's vulnerability to incorporate agency and pleasure.
• Identified the limitations of solely focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive health, or contraceptive use.

Conclusions:

• Sexuality is integral to development, and sexual rights are foundational for HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive health, gender equality, and social inclusion.
• Reshaping understandings requires challenging biomedical and moralistic views of sex.
• Broader social, cultural, and political forces are essential for transformative change in development.