Within the humanitarian sector, inclusion refers to the active consideration on, consultation of, and (hopefully) collaboration with the most marginalised people. For people with diverse SOGIESC, inclusion means being considered and provided for in the humanitarian system and in humanitarian interventions. Inclusion is a persistent, over-arching challenge for people with diverse SOGIESC.
Humanitarian agencies and practitioners do not consistently consider the needs, concerns and skills of people with diverse SOGIESC. This means that people with diverse SOGIESC are not explicitly included in relevant policies or response plans. People with diverse SOGIESC need to be explicitly included of their unique skillsets, experiences, concerns and needs. For instance, people with diverse SOGIESC are often among the most marginalised people in a society: their pre-emergency marginalisation means humanitarian responses are unlikely to be attendant to the needs of people with diverse SOGIESC.
The resources available in the inclusion category cover an array of topics including: inclusive research, programming and practice; examples of the consequences of exclusion including lack of access to equitable shelter and healthcare in humanitarian settings; and mechanisms by which humanitarian practitioners can be more accountable for truly inclusive practice.
These resources have been compiled to enable humanitarian practitioners to move beyond a (binary) ‘gender and social inclusion’ framework towards a transformative concept of inclusion; one that draws upon the strengths and experiences while addressing the needs and concerns of people with diverse SOGIESC.
