Institute of Development Studies

Sexuality and Development Programme

Effective policies on sexuality and development require both an authoritative evidence base and dynamic multi-stakeholder communications to achieve the greater realisation of sexual rights and access to basic services in relation to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 3, 5and 6. This means influencing policy debates and processes to take into account the specific context in which people live, including how sexuality is experienced, and how it is constructed by the social, economic and cultural environment. For example, what economic interests and what norms around control of women's bodies lead to adolescent marriage of girls? How do girls themselves experience these relationships? How do inequalities and norms around masculinity affect sexual violence? This three year programme aims to develop and share knowledge and understanding so that these questions are answered and addressed to generate practical policy solutions.

The Super Goal of this programme is the greater realisation of sexual rights, including in relation to HIV/AIDS and SRH, particularly for those facing poverty and injustice. The goal is to enable development interventions to more effectively support realisation of sexual rights and access to basic services in relation to these particularly for the poor. The purpose is to strengthen evidence-based policy and programmes relating to sexuality and development.

The programme will be operational in Brazil, China, South Africa and India. It will bring sexuality researchers, NGOs and activists into policy arenas and support their engagement with the governments of these countries, as well as with bilateral and multilateral institutions at global as well as specific country level. Its main outputs consist of:

1. Effective policy engagement
2. Capacity strengthening through the development of new skills, tools and capabilities
3. Operational analysis to inform policy and practice
4. Effective monitoring and evaluation system

• IDS key contact: Kate Hawkins
• Project dates: November 2007 - March 2011
• Project status: Open
• Funder: Department for International Development (DFID)
• Total project value:£ 300,000

Researchers

• Andrea Cornwall
• Susan Jolly
• Jerker Edstrom

Partner Organisations

• University of KwaZulu, Natal (UKZN)
• Pink Space Sexuality Research Group, China
• The Brazilian Interdisciplinary Association on HIV/AIDS (ABIA)
• Nirantar Centre for Gender and Education, India
• The Pleasure Project

Selected Events

• Sexuality and Development Workshop 2008 - 10/04/2008
  How do development interventions impact on people's sexualities? And how can development agencies move towards more constructive engagement with sexuality? These were the topic of discussion in IDS from 3-5 April, for more than 70 workshop participants from a range of activist groups, NGOs, universities, government bodies and donor organisations worldwide.