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Vital capabilities: a development framework for sexual and gender minorities

ABSTRACT Recent empirical research has revealed that sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) in all parts of the world face discrimination and disparities in important dimensions of development such as employment, income, education, violence and health. Yet, global human development policy largely overlooks SGMs. This paper seeks to advance the inclusion of SGMs in development discussions by formulating a capabilities approach applicable to SGMs. The paper first proposes a definitional scheme to identify precisely the population at stake, it then reviews psychological frameworks used to understand how sexuality and gender develop in ways that are positive and healthy, as well frameworks used to understand how law and culture restrict the choices and opportunities available to SGMs. Three themes emerge from each of these discussions, each of which underpin a capability vital to freedoms and positive development for SGMs: the capability to form one’s own identity, to engage in expression and expressive activity and to form and participate in relationships.