There’s a growing interest around intersectional humanitarian approaches in Myanmar, as practitioners are starting to apply an intersectional lens to their programs to promote greater inclusion. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the military coup, ongoing conflict, and disasters like Cyclone Mocha in 2023 (and the recent floods by Typhoon Yagi), the existing protracted crisis has only deepened, making it harder for humanitarian actors to meet the needs of the most vulnerable.
Intersectionality offers a fresh way of thinking about inclusion in humanitarian work. It helps connect humanitarian assistance to the multiple forms of vulnerability people experience, recognising that marginalisation can come from any combination of identities and social factors like gender, age, race, religion, ability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. In Myanmar, cultural norms, religion, and traditional practices are deeply intertwined with these intersecting identities, shaping how conflict and political instability are experienced differently by various groups. These unequal vulnerabilities and power dynamics make it tough to assess needs and deliver targeted aid effectively.
Our report REFRAMING INCLUSION: Integrating Intersectionality in Humanitarian Response in Myanmar dives into emerging evidence to highlight promising practices for operational actors and policymakers in Myanmar. It also points out key opportunities for humanitarian stakeholders to integrate intersectional approaches into their programming.
What is Intersectionality?
Intersectionality is a concept that helps us understand how different aspects of a person’s identity—like gender, age, race, religion, ability, and socio-economic status—interact to create unique experiences of privilege and discrimination. Coined by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, it originally emerged from black feminist movements but has since become a crucial tool in various fields, including humanitarian response.
In humanitarian work, applying an intersectional approach means recognising that people can be marginalised or excluded due to a combination of their identities and social and political factors. This helps in designing programs and policies that address these complex layers of vulnerability more effectively.
Local terms and conceptual differences
The humanitarian sector is full of buzzwords and Western conceptions of terms that don’t always resonate locally, making it crucial to communicate technical terms in plain language. This research underscores the importance of embracing contextualised, locally led approaches that might not fit the typical sector mold but are essential for effective and inclusive aid.
In Myanmar, the term “intersectionality” has no direct translation in the Burmese language. Yet, many local organisations in Myanmar are already putting this concept into practice, demonstrating a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of social identities and vulnerabilities. Local organisations use terms like “rights-based approach”, “understanding unique identifications”, responding to “specific needs and identities”, “inclusive programming”, and “community-focused approaches” when describing how they approach designing humanitarian programs for specific groups in vulnerable situations. These terms capture the essence of intersectionality in the language that people better understand or is practical in the operating context.
For example, the Gender Equality Network (GEN) in Myanmar has provided the terminology in Burmese as “လူမှုရေးနှင့် နိုင်ငံရေးဆိုင်ရာ ဝိသေသများ စုဆုံပြီး ခွဲခြားဆက်ဆံခံရမှုများ,” which loosely translates to “the intersection of social and political identities leading to discrimination.” This shows the importance of adapting global concepts to fit local contexts, making interventions more relevant and effective. For the purpose of translating the executive summary of this report into the Burmese language, we use the phrase “ကဏ္ဍပေါင်းစုံ ပေါင်းစပ်မှု” which refers to “intersection of multiple issues such as identity, societal and political factors”.
Locally led approaches to intersectionality in Myanmar
There may not be consistent terms/phrases being used but it is evident that organisations in Myanmar are effectively using intersectional approaches. Local actors work closely with communities to identify factors that influence access to aid, tailor needs assessments and incorporate cultural and religious dynamics into their programs.
For example, a local women’s rights group supporting ethnic minority Kachin women in IDP camps consider multiple factors when providing aid. This includes considerations for single mothers, elderly women, survivors of gender-based violence, or mothers of disabled children, to understand how to deliver more effectively and improve access to aid. By recognising these multiple layers of identity, they address the unique challenges faced by these women in a holistic way.
Another great example is the collaboration between international organisations and local partners to adapt needs assessment tools. These tools are customised to capture the specific vulnerabilities of different groups, such as older people with disabilities in rural villages, ensuring that aid is appropriately targeted.
Challenges to integrate intersectional approaches in the response
While the integration of intersectional approaches in Myanmar is promising, it’s not without challenges. One major barrier is the lack of understanding and awareness of intersectional approaches among some humanitarian actors. This gap can hinder the adoption and scaling of these practices. Additionally, the complexity of Myanmar’s socio-political landscape, marked by ongoing conflict and political instability, further complicates the implementation of intersectional approaches.
The promising practices in Myanmar show the potential for scaling up intersectional approaches. However, this requires addressing challenges like resource allocation, technical capacity, and stronger partnerships. Local organisations often face significant risks and constraints, such as limited funding and the need for greater institutional support. To scale up these practices, it’s crucial to invest in capacity strengthening and provide adequate resources to local actors. This includes recognising and compensating their contributions, fostering equitable partnerships, and ensuring that intersectional approaches are embedded in organisational policies and frameworks.
What are the opportunities to scale up the intersectional practices?
These challenges also present opportunities. Strengthening the understanding of intersectionality across diverse humanitarian actors in Myanmar can foster more inclusive and effective responses. Sharing emerging practices in networks and forums and addressing barriers and challenges across different types of programming, can enhance the overall impact of humanitarian efforts. Specialist organisations focusing on specific issues like gender equality or disability inclusion offer valuable insights into intersectional approaches. Strengthening needs analysis to include intersectional approaches and fostering collaboration across partnerships and networks are essential.
Moreover, there’s a need for systematic inclusion frameworks that are tailored to specific needs across Myanmar. These frameworks should draw on elements of intersectional approaches and be supported by evidence of their impact on broader inclusion efforts.
What’s next?
The lack of a direct translation for “intersectionality” in Burmese highlights the need of ensuring that humanitarian concepts are communicated in ways that are locally relevant. This research emphasises the need for contextually appropriate solutions and language, recognising that effective humanitarian aid must be rooted in the realities of the communities it aims to serve. By exploring how local organisations in Myanmar are already practicing intersectional approaches, this research contributes to building a shared understanding and encourages the adoption of locally led, inclusive strategies.
For a deeper dive into these insights and to continue the dialogue, we encourage you to read the full report in English REFRAMING INCLUSION: Integrating intersectionality in humanitarian response in Myanmar. Executive summary in Burmese language can be found here.
For more information about this research or support in implementing changes in your own organisation, please contact the research team:
San May Thu at sanmaythu@humanitarianadvisorygroup.org
Josie Flint at jflint@humanitarianadvisorygroup.org
