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Marginalized Identities 101

Advanced tools for intersectional analysis and inclusive practice
ImpactMojo Workshop Series • Handout 2: Methods, Advocacy, and Implementation
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:

Part 1: Advanced intersectional analysis tools

25 minutes

Illustrative case (no real programme named, hypothetical figures): 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 (illustrative figures): 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):

  1. Identity Mapping (3 min): Fill out the intersectional matrix for your program context
  2. 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: Samagra Shiksha (which absorbed Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in 2018) with special provisions for marginalized groups

Participatory co-design

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

Application: Include marginalised groups as co-designers rather than only as beneficiaries

Example: Disabled people design accessibility features instead of only being consulted 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 "Dalit women's participation" as well as "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):

  1. 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?
  2. 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 give marginalized voices a wider hearing
  • 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?

Intersectional program assessment checklist

Design Phase:





Implementation Phase:





Evaluation Phase:





Summary

Intersectional practice needs careful analysis, inclusive design, solidarity across groups and monitoring that tracks outcomes for people at different intersections. The aim is to include people and to change the systems that exclude them.

Resources for continued learning

Intersectional Assessment Tools:

Indian Organizations Leading Intersectional Work:

Funding and Support:

Academic and Research Resources:

Next Steps in ImpactMojo:

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.