Institute of Development Studies

Why Is Development So Straight?

• Dates: 21 July 2009
• Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
• Location: IDS

Some development work has reinforced inequalities around sexuality and gender. Sometimes even the interventions seeking greater justice and equality – such as those associated with Gender and Development, the Men and Masculinities field, Rights-Based Development, empowerment and participation serve to reinforce oppressive sexuality and gender norms. If development really did justice to the diversity of people's social and sexual identities, livelihoods and living arrangements, how would it be different to the approaches we see today? How can development policies, programme and practices be refashioned so as to actively address the harmful effects of oppressive norms of sexuality and gender? What has worked to do this and what can be learnt from it? And what is needed, concretely, if we are to untie development's straightjacket and pursue ways of doing development work that can be both more just and respectful of diversity and difference and more effective at transforming oppressive structures and relations of power?

This one-day workshop will bring together practitioners, policy makers, activists, and academics. It will be convened by a number of programmes co-ordinated by the Institute of Development Studies - Participation and Development Relations, Sexuality and Development, Pathways of Women's Empowerment, and HIV and Development.

For more information and to sign up to attend, please fill out the attached form and send to Stephen Wood (s.wood@ids.ac.uk) if possible by July 6th. Unfortunately there are no funds for travel so this will probably attract a mainly UK audience.

Why Is Development So Straight? Application Form