Resource library: Promoting legal and policy changes
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 22 - 42 of 43 resources
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- Evidence digest, Mapping
This resource from the Knowledge, evidence and learning for development (K4D) helpdesk is a rapid review focused on identifying donor support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT+) rights. It looks at how bilateral and multilateral…
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- Evidence/literature review
This resource is part of a series of ‘poverty profiles’ by the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk (DI HD) focused on eight of the most marginalised group-based identities. It responds to the fact that global progress has not benefitted everyone equally,…
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- Guidance document, Tools and templates
This resource from the Work and Opportunities for Women helpdesk (WOW helpdesk) is aimed at sustainability, climate and procurement professionals working in multinational companies. It explains how companies can make their work more environmentally…
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- Evidence/literature review
This resource from the Knowledge, evidence and learning for development (K4D) programme 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…
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- Evidence/literature review
This resource is part of a series of ‘poverty profiles’ by the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk (DI HD) focused on eight of the most marginalised group-based identities. It responds to the fact that global progress has not benefitted everyone equally,…
Published:
- Evidence/literature review
This resource is part of a series of ‘poverty profiles’ by the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk (DI HD) focused on eight of the most marginalised group-based identities. It responds to the fact that global progress has not benefitted everyone equally,…
Published:
- Evidence/literature review
This resource from the Knowledge, evidence and learning for development (K4D) helpdesk examines available evidence on policy and administrative barriers faced by internally displaced persons. It looks at how they are impacted while accessing basic…
Discriminatory law reform: how legal barriers affecting women’s economic empowerment can be overcome
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- Evidence/literature review
This resource from the Work and Opportunities for Women helpdesk (WOW helpdesk) is an evidence review which outlines how discriminatory laws affect women's economic empowerment, both directly and indirectly. It presents lessons learned on how…
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- Guidance document, Policy paper
This report sets out key benefits of involving marginalised groups in the development of national policy. It shares findings from the Impact Initiative's ‘Engaging marginalised communities in national policy formation’ virtual event held in 2020.…
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- Guidance document, Tools and templates
This resource from the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk (DI HD) provides guidance on how to incorporate disability inclusion within climate change programming in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), Syria, Turkey and Yemen.…
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- Fact sheet
This resource from the Work and Opportunities for Women helpdesk (WOW helpdesk) focuses on women’s economic empowerment and disability inclusion in financial services. It highlights barriers to accessing financial services experienced by women and…
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- Evidence/literature review
This resource from the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk (DI HD) explains what works to ensure that people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities can enjoy their human rights and participate at all levels of decision-making. It…
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- Report
This resource from the Work and Opportunities for Women helpdesk (WOW helpdesk) provides key facts relating to the case for promoting women’s economic empowerment in development programming and business planning. It explains what companies can do to…
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- Report
This resource from the Work and Opportunities for Women helpdesk (WOW helpdesk) explores how women’s economic empowerment can reduce the risk of modern slavery while also creating a positive impact for women. It examines the drivers of modern…
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- Graphic resource, Multimedia, Policy paper, Report
This policy note sets out the barriers faced by adolescents with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries. It summarises the findings and recommendations from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) report ‘Adolescents with…
The SHE CAN tool is a web-based resource aimed at policymakers and transport providers. It shares evidence, examples of activities and guidance on addressing sexual harassment and improving personal security on public transport. The tool is…
This guidance document and tool describes practices that Nigerian States can adopt to develop and implement gender equitable and socially inclusive (GESI) budgets. It provides step-by-step directions and tools to make the task easier, alongside…
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- Policy paper
This resource is a policy paper which sets out national commitments made by over 40 countries at the International Ministerial Conference on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict 2022. These commitments outline the steps each country will take to…
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- Strategy
This resource is the UK Government’s international strategy on women and girls. It explains how the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) plans to advance rights, freedoms and potential of all women and girls in its…
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- Strategy
This resource is the UK Government’s strategy on preventing sexual violence in conflict (PSVI). It has 4 objectives: strengthening the global response to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV)preventing sexual violence in conflicthelping…
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- Policy paper
This resource is the political declaration made by over 50 countries and the UN at the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI) Conference held in London in 2022. It sets out the joint action they will take to end sexual violence in conflict,…