Marginalized Identities 101

75-90 Minutes

Workshop Overview

Target Audience: Development practitioners, advocacy professionals, researchers, and community organizers with basic understanding of intersectionality

Prerequisites: Completion of Marginalized Identities 101 - Handout 1 or equivalent knowledge

Materials Needed: Program documents for analysis, laptops/tablets for assessment tools, flip chart paper, sticky notes

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Conduct intersectional analysis using systematic assessment tools and frameworks
Design inclusive development programs that address multiple forms of marginalization
Develop advocacy strategies that build solidarity across identity groups
Monitor and evaluate programs using intersectional indicators and methods
Build organizational capacity for intersectional practice and allyship

Part 1: Advanced Intersectional Analysis Tools

25 minutes

Success Story: Inclusive Skill Development in Jharkhand

Challenge: A state skill development program was achieving only 15% women's participation, with almost no Adivasi women and no persons with disabilities enrolled.

Intersectional Analysis Applied:

Data Disaggregation: Tracked enrollment and completion by gender, caste, tribe, disability, district
Barrier Mapping: Identified transportation costs affecting tribal women, lack of sign language interpreters, timing conflicts with agricultural seasons
Stakeholder Analysis: Found male gatekeepers in tribal households, accessible training centers absent in Adivasi areas

Targeted Interventions:

Multi-level Engagement: Work with male family members, tribal leaders, and women's groups simultaneously
Accessibility Retrofit: Made centers wheelchair accessible, provided assistive technology
Flexible Scheduling: Adjusted timings around agricultural calendar, provided childcare
Cultural Competency: Hired bilingual trainers from tribal communities

Results After 2 Years: 62% women's participation, 34% tribal women, 8% persons with disabilities

Systematic Intersectional Assessment Framework

ImpactMojo Intersectional Analysis Matrix

Step 1: Identity Mapping

Identity Dimension

Privileged Groups

Marginalized Groups

Intersections

Caste

Upper castes, OBCs

SCs, STs

Dalit women, tribal girls

Gender

Men, cisgender

Women, LGBTQ+

Trans persons of marginalized castes

Ability

Non-disabled

Disabled persons

Women with disabilities

Religion

Hindus (majority)

Muslims, Christians

Muslim women, Dalit Christians

Step 2: Barrier Analysis

Barrier Type	Assessment Questions	Data Sources
Structural	What laws, policies, or institutional practices create exclusion?	Policy documents, legal analysis, institutional audits
Economic	What financial barriers exist for different groups?	Cost analysis, income data, asset surveys
Social/Cultural	What norms, practices, or attitudes create exclusion?	Community consultations, focus group discussions
Physical	What accessibility barriers exist in design or location?	Accessibility audits, location mapping
Informational	How do information gaps affect different groups?	Communication analysis, literacy assessments

Hands-On Intersectional Assessment (15 minutes)

Choose a Real Program: Use a development program you're familiar with (education, health, livelihoods, etc.)

Individual Work (8 minutes):

Identity Mapping (3 min): Fill out the intersectional matrix for your program context
Barrier Analysis (5 min): Identify top 3 barriers for the most marginalized intersection you identified

Peer Review (7 minutes):

Pair up and share your analysis
Ask: "What intersections did I miss?" and "What barriers did I overlook?"
Provide feedback on each other's assessment

Part 2: Inclusive Program Design Methods

20 minutes

Targeted Universalism

Principle: Set universal goals, but use targeted strategies to achieve them

Application: Universal goal of education access, but specific interventions for tribal girls, disabled children, etc.

Example: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan with special provisions for marginalized groups

Participatory Co-Design

Principle: "Nothing about us without us" - meaningful participation in all stages

Application: Include marginalized groups as co-designers, not just beneficiaries

Example: Disabled persons designing accessibility features, not just consulting on them

Differential Impact Analysis

Principle: Analyze how interventions affect different identity groups differently

Application: Test program design for unintended negative consequences

Example: Digital payment systems may exclude illiterate women and elderly persons

Multi-Level Intervention

Principle: Address individual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural levels simultaneously

Application: Combine skill building, attitude change, policy reform, and legal advocacy

Example: Violence prevention: counseling + community engagement + legal reform + police training

Inclusive Design Principles in Practice

The ImpactMojo Inclusive Design Framework

1. Center the Most Marginalized

Start program design from experiences of those facing multiple discriminations
If it works for them, it will work for everyone
Example: Designing toilets for women with disabilities ensures they work for all women

2. Build Intersectional Leadership

Ensure diverse representation in program governance and decision-making
Create pathways for marginalized groups to move into leadership roles
Example: Reserve leadership positions for women from SC/ST communities

3. Use Intersectional Data Systems

Collect disaggregated data across multiple identity dimensions
Monitor outcomes for different intersectional groups
Example: Track not just "women's participation" but "Dalit women's participation"

4. Address Multiple Systems of Oppression

Recognize that discrimination operates through interconnected systems
Design interventions that tackle multiple forms of oppression simultaneously
Example: Address both gender norms and caste hierarchies in women's empowerment programs

Redesigning for Inclusion (12 minutes)

Scenario: A microfinance program has 85% upper-caste women participation. Only 12% are from SC/ST communities, 3% are Muslim women, and no women with disabilities are enrolled.

Small Group Redesign (groups of 4-5, 8 minutes):

Root Cause Analysis (3 min): Why are marginalized women excluded?
- What structural barriers exist?
- What cultural/social barriers operate?
- What individual/household barriers are present?
Intersectional Redesign (5 min): How would you redesign the program?
- What changes to targeting and outreach?
- What modifications to program design?
- What new partnerships or approaches?
- How would you measure success differently?

Gallery Walk (4 minutes): Post redesign ideas and do a silent gallery walk to see other groups' solutions

Part 3: Advocacy and Organizing Strategies

15 minutes

Legal and Policy Advocacy

Strategic Litigation:

Test cases challenging intersectional discrimination
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for systemic issues
Use of multiple constitutional articles simultaneously

Policy Reform:

Advocate for intersectional data collection in government surveys
Push for inclusive design in policy formulation
Ensure implementation guidelines address multiple marginalities

Success Example: NALSA judgment (2014) recognized transgender rights using gender equality AND dignity principles

Grassroots Organizing and Alliance Building

Coalition Building:

Create alliances across identity groups around shared issues
Build solidarity while respecting different experiences
Address power dynamics within coalitions

Community Organizing:

Train marginalized communities in advocacy skills
Support leadership development from within communities
Use participatory research to document experiences

Success Example: All India Dalit Women's Rights Forum bringing together caste and gender movements

Building Solidarity Across Differences

Solidarity-Building Strategies

1. Find Common Ground

Identify shared experiences of discrimination (e.g., exclusion from public spaces)
Focus on common goals (e.g., dignity, justice, equality)
Build campaigns around issues affecting multiple groups

2. Practice Intersectional Allyship

Acknowledge privilege within marginalized communities
Center voices of those facing multiple oppressions
Support without co-opting or speaking over

3. Address Internal Hierarchies

Recognize how marginalized groups can oppress each other
Create safe spaces for discussing difficult conversations
Develop conflict resolution processes

4. Share Resources and Platforms

Privileged groups use their platforms to amplify marginalized voices
Share funding, networks, and opportunities
Create joint programming and mutual support

Part 4: Monitoring and Evaluation with Intersectional Lens

15 minutes

Intersectional M&E Framework

Outcome Indicators (Disaggregated):

Program Goal	Standard Indicator	Intersectional Indicator
Increased school enrollment	% girls enrolled	% tribal girls, Dalit girls, Muslim girls, girls with disabilities enrolled
Improved healthcare access	% women accessing services	% transgender persons, Dalit women, disabled women accessing services
Economic empowerment	% increase in women's income	% increase in income for women by caste, religion, disability status
Political participation	% women in leadership	% SC/ST women, Muslim women, women with disabilities in leadership

Process Indicators:

Participation Quality: Are marginalized groups meaningfully involved in decision-making?
Accessibility: Are services accessible to people with different abilities, languages, locations?
Safety: Do marginalized groups feel safe participating in programs?
Cultural Relevance: Are interventions culturally appropriate for different communities?

Key Takeaway

Effective intersectional practice requires systematic analysis, inclusive design methods, solidarity-building approaches, and comprehensive monitoring that tracks outcomes across identity intersections. The goal is not just inclusion, but transformation of systems that create and maintain multiple oppressions.

Resources for Continued Learning

Intersectional Assessment Tools:

InterAction: "Intersectionality Guide for Development Practitioners"
Gender at Work: "Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Framework"
CARE International: "Women and Girls First Guidelines"
Oxfam: "Multi-dimensional Poverty Assessment Tool"

Indian Organizations Leading Intersectional Work:

Centre for Equity Studies: Intersectional research and advocacy
Sama Resource Group for Women and Health: Health and intersectionality
Swaraj Abhiyan: Multi-identity organizing and advocacy
National Alliance of People's Movements: Cross-movement coordination

Funding and Support:

Ford Foundation: Social justice and intersectionality grants
Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives: Equity-focused funding
Dasra: Strategic philanthropy for marginalized groups
India Development Review: Platform for intersectional analysis

Academic and Research Resources:

Kimberlé Crenshaw's Intersectionality Matters podcast
Economic and Political Weekly: Intersectional analysis of Indian society
Indian Journal of Gender Studies: Academic research on intersectionality
Contributions to Indian Sociology: Caste, gender, and identity studies

Next Steps in ImpactMojo:

Post-Truth Politics 101: Understanding representation and narrative in political discourse
Advocacy and Public Communication 101: Strategic communication for social change
Community-Led Development 101: Participatory approaches to empowerment
Social Research Ethics 101: Ethical considerations in researching marginalized communities

This handout is part of the ImpactMojo 101 Knowledge Series
Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 • Free to use with attribution • www.impactmojo.in

For complete intersectional assessment tools, advocacy strategy templates, and monitoring frameworks, visit the ImpactMojo platform.