Navigating Diversity: Strategies For Resourcing Intersectionality

Central to the UN Trust Fund’s Strategic Plan (2021-2025) is the commitment to leaving no one behind. The UN Trust Fund employs a twin-track approach of focusing on one hand, on specific experiences of intersectional marginalization that were recognized as underfunded at a particular time and on the other hand, also taking steps to mainstream an intersectional approach in the remainder of its portfolio.

On 30 July 2024, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) held the first webinar of its series “Resourcing Ending Violence against Women and Girls Globally”. The webinar welcomed over 150 participants and the INERELA+ Executive Director Munya Mandipaza was one of the participants. The event featured presentations by authors of key knowledge products from two series – “Disability, Inclusion and Intersectionality” and “Humanitarian Crisis and Inclusion”. It also included insights from four UN Trust Fund grantee partners and from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Dr. Elisabet Le Roux and Dr. Selina Palm noted the importance of adopting a twin-track approach to addressing violence against women and girls living with disabilities through both disability-specific and disability-inclusive programming. Their remarks were the twin tracks should be speaking to each other, learning from each other and intersecting with each other.

Risnawati Utami, founder and Executive Director of Organisasi Harapan Nusantara (OHANA) in Indonesia, described how they provide safe spaces and free legal aid to support women and girls living with disabilities who face specific stigma and discrimination. She called for long-term funding for intersectional programming.  Emanuela Paul, the “Rethinking Power” Programme Coordinator at Beyond Borders in Haiti, highlighted the critical role of continuous learning, adaptability and establishing partnerships with experts and local organizations of people with disabilities, to ensure stronger impact and sustainability of their project.

Dr. Erin Stern, author of two knowledge products for the ‘Humanitarian and Intersectionality’ series, noted the need to “ensure the transparent, inclusive, flexible recruitment of refugee or forcibly displaced women and girls as programme participants to ensure project success and sustainability. Jane Waithera Maina, Programme Manager at Refugee Consortium of Kenya, emphasized the role of power dynamic analysis, advocacy for stronger legislation and policies, and stakeholder training. Additionally, by continuing to address the structural inequalities and integrating intersectional considerations into our strategies, we can continue to create more effective, inclusive and sustainable solutions for the empowerment and protection of refugee women and girls. Munya Mandipaza the INERELA+ Executive Director emphasised that donors should deliver more flexible, core, long-term funding for civil society and women’s rights organizations to enable them to adapt during times of crises.

April Pham, Senior Gender Advisor at OCHA, indicated that OCHA is committed to responding to the needs of the most marginalized individuals. She acknowledged the need for strong advocacy and additional funds to tackle gender-based violence, including in emergencies.

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