Sexuality and Empowerment: An Intimate Connection
What does sexuality have to do with women’s empowerment? Research from Pathways of Women’s Empowerment shows that sexuality affects women’s political and economic empowerment in a number of important ways. For example, in the ways that women experience seeking election to political office, how women are treated and respected (or disrespected) in the workplace and in public, and how families and communities place expectations on how women should behave. Being exposed to sexual harassment and sexual violence and not being able to exercise choice in their sexual relationships affects women’s well-being and ultimately undermines political, social and economic empowerment.
In this policy paper, we demonstrate why sexuality is so important for women’s empowerment, drawing on evidence generated by research carried out by the Pathways of Women’s Empowerment RPC and collaborative initiatives with the DFID-funded IDS Sexuality and Development Programme.
Download 'Sexuality and Empowerment: An Intimate Connection', Pathways Policy Paper, Kate Hawkins, Andrea Cornwall and Tessa Lewin (pdf file 1 MB)
Save us from Saviours
Save Us From Saviours from adam lavis on Vimeo.
This film directed by Katrina Mansoor of Animal Monday and executive produced by Andrea Cornwall and Meena Seshu shows the work of VAMP in India. VAMP (Veshya AIDS Mukabala Parishad) is an independent, collective of women in sex work established in 1996 by the women in the peer education programme of Sangram. VAMP manages the peer interventions in the sex worker community.
Further Reading
Amado, L. E. (2009) ‘Sexuality and Sexual Rights in Muslim Societies’, Development 52: 59-63
Anyidoho, A. (2010) ‘Changing Representations of Women in Ghanaian Popular Music’, IDS News, 11 January,
Armas, H. (2007) ‘Whose Sexualities Count? Poverty Participation and Sexual Rights’, IDS Working Paper 294, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies
Bhana, D. (2006) ‘The (Im)possibility of child sexual rights in South African Children’s Account of HIV/AIDS’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: 64-68
Cornwall, A. and Jolly, S. (2009) ‘Sexuality and the Development Industry’, Development 52.1: 5-12
Cornwall, A. and Jolly, S. (2008) ‘Sexuality and the Development Industry’, Workshop Report, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies
Ercevik Amado, L. (2006) ‘Promoting Sexual Rights through Human Rights Education: Experiences at Grassroots in Turkey’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: 117-122
Faiz Rashid, S. (2006) ‘Small Powers, Little Chioce: Contextualising Reproductive and Sexual Rights in Slums in Bangladesh’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: 69-75
Gosine, A. (2009) ‘Monster, Womb, MSM: The Work of Sex in International Development’, Development 52.1: 25-33
Greig, A. (2006) ‘Sex and the Rights of Man’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: 84-88
Huq, S. (2010) ‘Sex Workers’ Struggles in Bangladesh: Learning for the Women’s Movement’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: 134-137
Johnson, P. (2010) ‘Unmarried in Palestine: Embodiment and (dis)Empowerment in the Lives of Single Palestinian Women’, IDS Bulletin 41.2: 106-15
Jolly, S. (2010) ‘Sexual Pleasure Empowers Women’, Contestations Online Journal, Issue 2
Jolly, S. (2010) ‘Poverty and Sexuality: What are the Connections?’, Overview and Literature Review for Sida, Stockholm: Sida
Jolly, S. (2007) ‘Why the Development Industry Should Get Over its Obsession with Bad Sex and Start to Think About Pleasure’, IDS Working Paper 283, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies
Lewis, J. and Gordon, G. (2006) ‘Terms of Contact and Touching Change: Investigating Pleasure in an HIV Epidemic’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: .110–116
Lind, A.(2009) ‘Governing Intimacy, Struggling for Sexual Rights: Challenging Heteronormativity in the Global Development Industry’, Development 52.1: .34-42
Mansoor, K. and Cornwall, A. (2010) ‘Save Us from Saviours’, Film
Pathways (2011) ‘Empowerment: A Journey not a Destination’, Synthesis Report, Brighton: Pathways of Women’s Empowerment RPC
Pereira, C. (2009) ‘Interrogating Norms: Feminists Theorizing Sexuality, Gender and Heterosexuality, Sexuality and Development’, Development 52.1: 18-24
Raupp Rios, R. (2006) ‘Developing Sexual Rights: Challenges and Trends in Latin America’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: 46-51
Sharma, J. (2010) ‘Bringing Together Pleasure and Politics: Sexuality Workshops in Rural India’, IDS Practice Paper
Sharma, J. (2009) ‘Reflections on the Construction of Heteronormativity’, Development 52.1: 52-55
Sharma J. (2006) ‘Reflections on the Language of Rights from a Queer Perspective’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: 52-57
Touray, I. (2006) ‘Sexuality and Women’s Sexual Rights in the Gambia’, IDS Bulletin 37.5: 77-83
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