Intersectionality in Global Development: Why Gender Alone Isn’t Enough

Equality in global development is non-negotiable but in many conversations, the focus just stops at the gender.

Did you know that gender is not enough?

A person who lives in a rural area will face different challenges from those who live in the city.

This reveals one uncomfortable truth many people haven’t come to terms with: people are more than their gender identities.

They will face challenges based on where they live, their ethnicity, their religion, and even their disability.

That is why we need to consider intersectionality.

Intersectionality helps us understand how these identities, combined affect people’s lives. For example, in many African countries, women in rural areas struggle to access proper health care because gender inequality intersects with poverty, geography, and social exclusion. Add disability to this mix, and a woman is likely to face even steeper barriers to education, employment, and mobility even when development programs are designed “for women.”

When development efforts ignore these intersecting factors, the initiatives fail to reach those who need them most.

This is why a women’s entrepreneurship program might still unintentionally exclude widows who lack collateral, education, or legal documents. It’s also why many “gender-focused” policies end up benefiting only a small subset of women typically those already closer to opportunity.


Hence why global development initiatives need to be real and felt where they are most needed beyond general gender policies.

To create real, felt progress, global development initiatives must look beyond broad gender categories. They must recognize the specificity of people’s realities. When programs are designed with intersectionality in mind, they become fairer, more inclusive, and more effective.

Talking about gender is important but it cannot be the end of the conversation. When we consider the full spectrum of identities that shape people’s lives, equality in global development moves from being an aspiration on paper to becoming a lived experience for all.