Organizing intersectional equality policymaking in R&I: Facilitators, barriers, and case insights

Abstract

This working paper has two interrelated aims. First, it provides a brief summary of the multiple case study on intersectional equality policy-making across nine HE&R organizations. This summary is based on our report D3. This summary underscores the context-specificity of intersectional equality policies and practices, and discusses which political strategies institutional actors can adopt to translate intersectionality into the design, implementation and governance of organizational intersectional equality policies. By adopting an open understanding of intersectionality as (1) overcoming siloed, single-axis approaches and (2) tackling power imbalances, the analysis of the cases allowed us to identify multiple factors facilitating and hampering the intersectional equality policy-making process - in terms of policy design, governance and implementation. Second, the paper discusses the outcomes of a participatory and co-creative knowledge exchange event that built on the factors identified in the case studies. This event involved two breakout room sessions in which participants evaluated the identified facilitating and hampering factors and reflected on how they integrate an intersectional perspective in their own institutional contexts. This approach not only validated the research insights but also generated insights of the different political strategies institutional actors use that work on intersectionality in practice, which can be useful for academics and policy actors in similar positions to draw from.