In the diverse and complex world of aid, development, and humanitarian work, we must understand the concept and importance of intersectionality and how people’s lives are shaped by their identities, relationships, and social factors. These create intersecting forms of privilege and oppression depending on a person’s context and existing power structures such as patriarchy, ableism, colonialism, imperialism, homophobia, and racism.
Intersectionality acknowledges that every individual has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression arising from multiple identities that intersect and interact with one another and can marginalise them – ethnicity, gender, race, class, marital or employment status, caste, religion, weight, location, physical appearance, sexual orientation, physical ability, etc.
Embracing intersectionality in the sector requires an understanding of how proposed projects and programs may deepen inequities, or lead to specific forms of marginalisation that are not captured by a single characteristic and finding intersectional approaches in policy-making and service delivery that increase stakeholder collaboration and are designed to improve equity and transform social structures.
Join our events to hear from speakers who will share their practical experience in embedding intersectional approaches to programs and projects in the sector.
As usual, the night will involve a relaxed chat facilitated by WiAD City leaders with questions to follow, and it will be an excellent opportunity to network.
Everyone is welcome, so please share the event with your friends and colleagues. Speakers will be announced soon - sent us a suggestion.
Cost: $25 - Non-members, $10 - Students and unwaged, Free - Members of Women in Aid & Development
Speakers
Navanita Bhattacharya
Navanita Bhattacharya works at the intersection of racial, gender, economic and social justice, where she uses her capabilities to change the structures, policies and processes that continue to keep some groups of people purposefully in the margins. Her work, over the last 30 years, has spanned South Asia, South East Asia, West Africa, Pacific, and Australia.
Currently as the Director of the Inclusion, Justice and Transformation Practice at Tetra Tech International Development, Navanita co-creates human-centric program design, brokering partnerships and facilitating collaborative ecosystems for systems-led change.
Navanita is raising a feminist human, who questions and challenges stereotypes and biases in her school, playgrounds and at home.
Lana Woolf
Lana Woolf is an inclusion specialist who has been working with equity-deserving communities for almost 30 years.
She is the co-founder of Edge Effect and has recently created the consultancy, Community Powered Responses. She works across the spectrum of inclusion - from policy development, training development and implementation, coaching, research, development practice and as an advisor. However, her greatest joy comes from working alongside communities to support them to rejuvenate their own communities. (Practicing participatory community development).
Lana has worked with organisations and programs such as DFAT, USAID, Plan Internationa, Water for Women, WaterAid, World Vision, Oxfam, FCDO, and ODI amongst a few. She has worked globally, but most of her work has been in the Asia-Pacific region. Lana spends her spare time as a co-host and producer of PX Whanau - Australia's only queer Pasifika radio show on 3CR. Lana is particularly interested in the intersections of ableism, sexism, heteronormativity, cisnormativity and ethnicity.