Bridging Inequalities in Inclusion: Women’s Rights Organisations as the ‘Missing Link’ in Donor Government-led Participatory Policy and Programme Development

There is increasing acceptance of the ‘participatory approach’ as the ideal foundation of policy development. Yet recent experience has shown that the voices of the poorest and most marginalised women across the global South remain absent from policy-making practice, particularly at the international level. Crucially, rurally-based women from conflict-affect countries are excluded as a result of their unequal societal position, geographic location and the predominance of ‘top-down’ and piecemeal policy-making processes carried out by donor governments. This paper analyses the UK Government’s approach to developing policy aimed at furthering international women’s rights, focusing on the Women, Peace & Security agenda, demonstrating that donor governments can miss opportunities to ensure the full and meaningful participation of marginalised women’s voices in policy-making. Recent real-life examples are provided, including the development of the UK National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security 2014-2017, the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, the UK-hosted 2014 NATO Summit, and upcoming Afghanistan Development Conference. It is argued that in-country women’s rights organisations provide the ‘missing link’ to bridge the disconnect between grassroots, marginalised women and donor policy-makers. Furthermore, ensuring political space and establishing adequate structures and processes to engage these organisations can ensure not only that donor policy and programming responds fully to the interests and needs of the poorest and most marginalised women in the global South, but that the policy-making process itself is empowering to the women involved.