Abstract:
Gender-based programmes and projects have a tendency to operate under a 'one-size-fits-all' notion that tends to overlook social barriers and cultural differences between women. Some positionalities are overshadowed by hegemonic discourses which produce and perpetuate essentialist and constructionist assumptions and are attached to particular gendered identities. Intersectionality provides the best solution by emphasizing the interconnectedness of social categories which mutually constitute each other and which can unite or perpetuate social divisions between certain groups of women. The main objective will focus on how two gender based Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) may benefit from and maximize their inclusivity through an intersectional approach. I argue that an intersectional approach will capture specific positionalities within collectivities that are often silenced and invisible through generic and homogeneous notions that are attached to gendered identities. The case studies of this thesis are the New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women (NZFGW) and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and I examine the policies, projects and programmes both organizations endorse and construct. What this thesis recommends is that both NGOs adopt an intersectional approach to the work they carry out to gain greater inclusivity to gendered identities across axes of difference and recognize 'other' positionalities. An intersectional approach that is attentive to transversalism can improve the effectiveness and inclusivity of gender-based projects and programmes that the NZFGW and the YWCA construct and endorse.