Submission: International Development Select Committee, 10th September 2015

Stonewall’s response to the International Development Select Committee’s inquiry into the Sustainable Development Goals

Background

1. Stonewall welcomes this opportunity to submit evidence to the International Development Select Committee’s inquiry into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. Stonewall is a leading British-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equality (LGBT) charity, established in 1989. Stonewall has helped to secure key legislative changes in Britain and works closely with employers, local government, health services and schools to make sure LGBT people experience equality in their daily lives. In 2011 Stonewall began to work internationally to support LGBT movements and their allies to work for equality.
3. Over the last year, Stonewall has worked directly with over 30 LGBT human rights activist groups around the world and has advised DFID on its new approach to LGBT inclusion in development. Through our regular roundtable on international development, we work with 15 UK-based development providers to help them build LGBT inclusion into their programmes. More information can be found at www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work.

Summary

4. This paper highlights some of the ways in which LGBT people are marginalised in international development initiatives and shows how, if implemented appropriately, the new SDG framework can help to address this problem. It specifically looks at 6 of the SDGs, with their associated themes, and provides evidence for how LGBT people are being marginalised worldwide. It makes a series of suggestions for DFID and other key UK Government departments to take a lead internationally and spearhead an LGBT-inclusive implementation of the SDGs.

‘Leave No One Behind’: an inclusive development framework

5. Due to persistent patterns of exclusion, LGBT people are likely to be among those most in need of development assistance. Furthermore, research by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), commissioned by DFID, shows how LGBT people are often excluded from development initiatives, due to insensitive programme design and discriminatory laws, policies and practices. To rectify this problem, Stonewall recommends that the SDGs, which will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the global framework for development in 2016, must be implemented in an LGBT-inclusive way.
6. Despite the efforts of human rights organisations worldwide, including Stonewall, there will be no explicit reference to LGBT people within the SDG’s goals and targets, due to be finalised at the end of this month. However, Stonewall observes that the SDGs’ central theme of ‘leave no one behind’ is a clear mandate to make sure LGBT people benefit from development.
7. In June 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) led to the creation of an outcome document that would form the basis of the post-2015 development process. This document clearly stated that the post-2015 development framework should ‘leave no one behind’ and that all people should be included in development. This principle was reiterated throughout the following consultations and by Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon in two reports[1]. Since then, ‘leave no one behind’ has become a central theme in the “Sustainable Development Goals”[2]. This inclusive approach is reiterated in many of the proposed goals and targets.
8. Stonewall commends the Department for International Development (DFID) for explicitly adopting the principle of ‘leave no one behind’, for example in its Disability Framework[3]. Stonewall also welcomes DFID’s new approach to LGBT inclusion and look forward to seeing this develop into tangible streams of work. Stonewall believes that DFID is in a strong position to take a lead internationally in making sure that LGBT people are specifically included in the implementation of the SDGs. We want to ensure that ‘leave no one behind’ means just that: the inclusion of all groups that are marginalised from development processes.

LGBT Inclusion within the SDGs

9. Stonewall has chosen to highlight 6 SDGs and their associated themes, to illustrate how LGBT people are excluded by current practice and show how the SDGs should be applied. In efforts to ensure LGBT inclusion, we believe the UK Government should focus on applying ‘leave no one behind’ to these 6 goals in particular.

Goal 1: End Poverty in all its forms everywhere.

10. Social discrimination means that LGBT people are often excluded from important economic resources, like employment, business loans, housing and social safety nets. Many are also excluded from the family support that most people rely on. This severely affects their ability to earn money, stay financially & physically secure, and pursue their goals.
11. One study found that compared to heterosexual families, same-sex families are more likely to be poor[4]. In a study from the Philippines, interviewees said that their gender expression was a barrier to higher education, and stereotypically “queer” professions tended to be irregular as well as poorly remunerated[5].
12. The UK Government and its development partners should ensure that all programmes focussed on poverty eradication, social protection and private sector development are LGBT-inclusive, and do not involve discriminatory policies and procedures. They should also pilot specific initiatives to end LGBT poverty, such as establishing safety nets and supporting the business activity of LGBT beneficiaries.

Goal 3: Ensure health lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

13. LGBT people are often excluded from available health services, whether general health, mental health, or sexual & reproductive health. This can be due to:
• Criminal laws which penalise same-sex relationships and make it hard for LGBT people to discuss their health needs openly.
• A lack of services that meet their specific requirements, such as services for trans men and women to transition safely.
• Discrimination and/or lack of awareness by health-workers.

These factors, coupled with stigma and exclusion by family and society, can make LGBT people more vulnerable to a variety of health conditions.

14. Research in India has found that stigma against men who have sex with men (MSM) meant they were less likely to access critical health services, such as HIV/AIDS treatment and condoms[6]. Research among women who have sex with women (WSW) in Lesotho found that they were also not able to access appropriate health care resources[7]. In terms of mental health, a study in Lebanon found that the psychological wellbeing of MSM was directly shaped by the experience of stigma in their family, and in their schools, universities and work places[8].
15. The UK Government and its development partners should provide more assistance to meet the specific needs of LGBT people, which could include:
• More services that provide prevention, treatment, care and support for conditions that affect LGBT people disproportionately.
• More safe spaces and services that address the wider health needs of LGBT people.
• More services for trans beneficiaries to transition safely.
16. The UK Government should also ensure that all healthcare programmes are LGBT-inclusive, whether they focus on general, mental or sexual & reproductive health, for example by training healthcare providers and putting inclusive policies in place.

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

17. In many contexts, children and young people are bullied and/or excluded by teachers and peers, if they are (or are perceived to be) LGBT. This discrimination can lead to poor academic results, unhappiness, or premature exit from school and university, which in turn affects their future prospects. Additionally, LGBT young people can suffer from inappropriate sexual and reproductive education that does not cater to their needs.
18. Research in Brazil found that LGBT people who were ‘out’ in schools suffered the most severe forms of physical violence and social discrimination, as well as the highest number of students who reported considering suicide[9]. In another study in Rwanda, homophobia and transphobia within families and communities was found to negatively affect access to education among LGBT people[10].
19. To address this, we recommend that the UK Government and its development partners ensure all their education programmes are LGBT-inclusive, use inclusive curricula (in particular, inclusive sexual & reproductive education curricula), provide awareness-training for teachers on how to deal sensitively with LGBT students, and promote a culture of acceptance, non-discrimination and anti-bullying.

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

20. Lesbian, bisexual and trans women often experience discrimination and violence on both the basis of their gender and their LBT status. However, the national and international development programmes meant to address these problems can actually reinforce them, for example by not recognising female same-sex partners as valid aid-recipients. In addition, international development organisations often work with a narrow definition of ‘gender’ that is not trans-inclusive, which means trans people are not recognised as beneficiaries in gender-based programmes.
21. A survey conducted in nine townships in South Africa (mainly with lesbian and bisexual women and girls) found that only 12 per cent felt safe from verbal and physical abuse in their neighbourhoods while 27 per cent never felt safe[11].
22. Goal 5 calls on development actors to end all (not just gender-based) discrimination and violence against women and girls. The UK Government and its development partners should ensure that programmes working for gender equality and an end to violence against women and girls address the particular issues faced by lesbian, bisexual and trans women. They should also expand the definition of ‘gender’ in development policy and programmes to become trans inclusive.

Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries.

23. LGBT people are often excluded and discriminated against in private and public life, by employers, service-providers, politicians, and wider society. This is usually reinforced through laws, policies and practices that either indirectly discriminate by not taking LGBT needs into account, or directly target them. Such laws, policies and practices can also reinforce negative social attitudes, and encourage backlash against LGBT communities.
24. Goal 10 also creates clear space within the SDG framework for development institutions to work for full equality and non-discrimination. Firstly, Target 10.3 calls for states to ensure equal opportunity, ‘including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices’.
25. Secondly, Target 10.2 prohibits exclusion on the basis of ‘other status’, and the UN Human Rights Commission has explicitly stated that this phrase applies to sexuality and gender identity (UNHRC Resolution 17/19 2011). The SDG Outcome Statement also argues that human rights and fundamental freedoms are guaranteed ‘without distinction of any kind as to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability or other status’ (Para. 19).
26. The UK Government should work with local LGBT groups to end discriminatory laws, policies and practices. This could be through material support, capacity-building and other forms of partnership.

Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

27. Many LGBT people face acts of violence (and threats of violence) from the public and even from families. Many do not report these incidents for fear that they will not be taken seriously. In some contexts, these acts are committed by the police and security forces meant to protect; and this is especially the case where there is discriminatory legislation in place. This situation can be worsened by discrimination in the courts and in the media. Finally, restrictive civil society laws can negatively impact the right of LGBT groups to organise and lobby for change.
28. More work needs to be done to train police and security forces how to deal effectively with LGBT hate crime. There have been some notable successes in this area, even in countries where same-sex activity is technically illegal, for example in Jamaica. DFID and the FCO could do more to support such initiatives through their security and governance programmes.

‘Swing States’: supporting the emerging consensus on LGBT Human Rights

29. In applying the SDGs to its programme of work, the UK Government should recognise that, unlike the MDGs, the SDGs apply to all states, not necessarily the poorest in economic terms. Around the world, there are a number of ‘swing states’ that have demonstrated potential for moving towards LGBT equality in law, policy and practice. If supported, these states could help to shift the global consensus on LGBT equality, and lead to a greater impact on the lives of LGBT people internationally.
30. A full analysis should be done to determine which states have the most potential to achieve this, but they would include Mozambique, Vietnam and Nicaragua. DFID could consider piloting LGBT-inclusive programmes in these ‘swing states’, in addition to those countries where it normally works.

Monitoring and evaluation to help ensure LGBT equality

31. To date, the evidence for LGBT inclusion in international development is limited. Under the MDG framework, there were no requirements for specific indicators to track the impact of programmes on LGBT people, nor were there any requirements for data to be disaggregated by sexual orientation and gender identity.
32. In 2015, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), in collaboration with Stonewall, released a paper[12] advocating for international organisations to identify, monitor and evaluate the impact of the SDGs on LGBT people. Specific recommendations were for:
• Group-specific indicators that chart the progress of LGBT beneficiaries within particular programmes or sets of programmes.
• Data disaggregation according to sexual orientation and gender identity.
33. International Development bodies should only use LGBT-specific indicators and disaggregated data if the information can be collected and tracked confidentially, sensitively and in consultation with local groups. Innovative data-collection methods may be necessary to achieve this, since LGBT people may be less willing to identify themselves publicly and may be harder to reach due to marginalisation.
34. The IGLHRC/IDS paper outlined a number of indicators that international development bodies and states should measure. These are:
• Constitutional and/or federal legal protection to the right to non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, statelessness, and migrant status.
• The elimination of surgery and sterilisation requirements for individuals to change their gender marker.
• The prohibition of irreversible and non-essential health intervention for intersex infants (including so-called ‘normalising’ surgery).
• Tailored sexual and reproductive health services in primary health facilities, including anti-retroviral treatment and HIV prevention of mother-to-child transmissions programs.
• Comprehensive police protocols for investigating incitement to violence surrounding assault against individuals from marginalised groups (hate crimes).
• The ensuring of transparent, accountable and inclusive global and national governance that includes and represents marginalised groups, including those excluded from decision-making processes on the basis of their gender, migrant status, sexual orientation, gender identity, income, ethnicity, religion and other factors.
• The ensuring of comprehensive sexuality education in primary and secondary schools for all.
• The elimination of laws that criminalise adult consensual sexual or gender identity or behaviour such as sodomy, LGBT propaganda, cross-dressing, adultery, etc.

Recommendations

35. On the basis of the evidence above, we recommend that the UK Government (especially DFID, FCO and other departments with Overseas Development Aid budgets) takes the lead in making ‘leave no one behind’ a reality, by adopting an explicit policy with commitments to:

• Push for LGBT needs and LGBT beneficiaries to be recognised within the SDG Framework.
• Integrate LGBT needs into international development programmes, with an SDG justification.
• Where appropriate, use LGBT-specific indicators and disaggregate data according to sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Consult with LGBT groups in programme design, implementation and evaluation, to set direction and ensure harm is not being done.
• Fund local LGBT groups, so they can meet gaps in service-provision and advocate to change negative attitudes and laws that impede human rights and threaten development gains.
• Sensitise delivery partners and staff to ‘leave no one behind’ principles and how they should apply to LGBT and other marginalised groups.

36. Stonewall is available to support the UK Government to explore and implement any of the above recommendations as appropriate. For more information on this submission, please contact Jasmine O’Connor, Head of International Campaigns, Policy and Research, on jasmine.oconnor@stonewall.org.uk or 020 7593 3464.
37. You can learn more about Stonewall’s International work at http://www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work/international-work-1

Page 7