Inclusion and equity

Particular groups of people and individuals remain excluded from the resources, services and opportunities which could help them move out of poverty. Even within contexts of strong overall developmental progress, inequity in development outcomes remains. The basis of this exclusion and inequity can include a complex range of political, social and economic factors, but at its core it is about power dynamics within households, communities and society. Understanding and addressing these dynamics and the institutionalised barriers that result from them is crucial to reducing poverty and vulnerability.

Equity and inclusion are directly linked and inter-related. Effectively addressing inequity requires an understanding of not only which people and groups are excluded but also how and why they are excluded. This means analysing the power dynamics that create and reinforce exclusion and discrimination in particular contexts. Policies and strategies to increase inclusion and equity need to be rooted in an understanding of the local context, including the formal (organisational) and informal (social norms, relationships and customs) institutions that affect choice of, access to and control over resources, services and opportunities.
 
Understanding the differences between groups and people, and the different forms of resources, services and opportunities needed to ensure they benefit equitably or fairly from development, is needed at various levels: e.g. household, community, regionally and nationally. At the household and local levels, this means understanding disparities within families and communities. Within households, for instance, gender is often a key factor which results in exclusion and inequity. At other levels, differences based on factors such as religion, ethnicity, location or race may mean particular population groups (or geographic regions) are more excluded than others and benefit less from development interventions. Policy solutions to address exclusion therefore need to take into account and be adapted to these diverse contexts: the formal and informal institutions that exclude women from specific castes in particular parts of India are different from those which exclude disabled people in Egypt, for instance.
 
OPM has extensive experience in analysing and understanding the factors which create and maintain exclusion and inequity in different contexts and at all levels, and turning this analysis into practical policy recommendations. For instance, OPM reviewed practices within 17 projects funded by the Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (a $650-million fund for the two provinces affected by the 2004 Tsunami and 2005 earthquake), using an analytical framework which included a focus on inclusion and equity issues and made practical recommendations for improving project implementation and the monitoring and evaluation of these areas.

At a different level, OPM conducted a study on the political economy of sanitation, in order to systematically understand and help practitioners manage the political economy of pro-poor sanitation investments and service provision. The analysis led on to practical advice to sanitation practitioners to help them better manage stakeholder relations and the complex institutional relationships of the sanitation sector in order to enhance the design, implementation and effectiveness of operations that provide pro-poor sanitation investments and services.