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Resource library: Promoting legal and policy changes

Promoting legal and policy changes icon

Welcome to our comprehensive resource collection dedicated to promoting legal and policy changes.

Here, you'll find a diverse range of resources aimed at supporting the design and implementation of inclusive legal and policy reforms that promote the rights and safety of all individuals. Laws and policies have a wide-ranging impact on people’s individual and collective lives, including their quality of life, ability to exercise their rights, and their access to services. Unfortunately, legal frameworks can mirror and perpetuate patterns of discrimination that exist in everyday life, limiting the people and groups who already experience discrimination. For instance, LGBT+ individuals and couples, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual violence, widows or divorced women, or girls who leave school early due to pregnancy, are likely to encounter social and economic exclusion due to restrictive policies or legislation based on their background or identity.  

Efforts to challenge discriminatory policies and legislation, whether undertaken individually or collectively, can be fraught with risks, especially for reformers already experiencing discrimination. This includes women human rights defenders and LGBT+ organisations, among others. 

Displaying 1 - 20 of 29 resources
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource sets out the evidence base on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), an assessment of evidence gaps, and emerging research priorities. It also sets out some of the key methodological and ethical challenges in accessing…
Published: - Report
This resource explains how feminist foreign policies (FFP), feminist development policies (FDP) and international gender strategies impact incidents of violence against women and girls (VAWG). It summarises the commitments on VAWG from a selection…
Published: - Fact sheet 
This short resource sets out evidence to show that infrastructure is vital for societal development and economic progress, however the benefits are often not distributed equally. It provides information for policy makers and programme staff on…
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource looks at how different international financial institutions (IFIs) frame and approach working on women’s economic empowerment, and the impact of this in practice. It provides information on what is effective in women’s economic…
Published: - Report
This resource examines the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex (LGBTQI+) people as important but underrepresented within atrocities research and atrocity prevention policy and practice. The resource…
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource is a rapid literature review on lessons and promising practices from national-level experience with the development and implementation of legal and policy frameworks that seek to protect and assist internally displaced people.…
Published: - Tools and templates
This resource presents research and collation of  good practice and tips in designing perception surveys in order to understand gender equality issues, including recommendations on safeguarding, meaningful participation and inclusion. The paper…
Published: - Report
This resource sets out the ‘next steps’ for governments that establish anti- lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) hate crime laws to support them in ensuring that those laws are applied fairly and robustly. It provides a framework that…
Published: - Policy paper , Strategy
This resource highlights the Global Innovation Fund’s climate strategy, covering context, resilience and adaptation, and how the Fund will support climate adaptation in alignment with the Paris Agreement. According to this resource, the Global…
Published: - Evidence digest, Mapping
This resource from the Knowledge for Development Helpdesk is a rapid review focused on identifying donor support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT+) rights. It looks at how bilateral and multilateral donors are promoting and…
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource is part of a series of ‘poverty profiles’ by the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk focused on eight of the most marginalised group-based identities. It responds to the fact that global progress has not benefitted everyone equally, with…
Published: - Guidance document, Tools and templates
This resource is aimed at sustainability, climate and procurement professionals working in multinational companies. It explains how companies can make their work more environmentally friendly while economically empowering more women.The resource…
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource is a review that looks at the extent to which lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights are provided for under law in a range of small island developing states, and the record on implementation/enforcement, as well as…
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource is part of a series of ‘poverty profiles’ by the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk focused on eight of the most marginalised group-based identities. It responds to the fact that global progress has not benefitted everyone equally, with…
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource is part of a series of ‘poverty profiles’ by the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk focused on eight of the most marginalised group-based identities. It responds to the fact that global progress has not benefitted everyone equally, with…
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource is an evidence review which outlines how discriminatory laws affect women's economic empowerment, both directly and indirectly. It presents  lessons learned on how to eliminate legal barriers to women’s full and equal…
Published: - Guidance document, Tools and templates
This resource is a tool which provides guidance on how to incorporate disability inclusion within climate change programming in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), Syria, Turkey and Yemen. In producing this, a rapid desk-…
Published: - Fact sheet 
This resource focuses on women’s economic empowerment and disability inclusion in financial services. It highlights barriers to accessing financial services experienced by women and girls and people with disabilities. It explains how access to…
Published: - Guidance document
This resource provides an analysis of the existing barriers to funding women peacebuilders, as experienced by donors and local women peacebuilding organisations dedicated to building peace, promoting rights, and preventing or countering violent…
Published: - Report
This resource provides an analysis of the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families in Official Development Assistance and an analysis on funder compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons…