Activating inclusion with research

This month, Sydney plays host to the WorldPride festival, celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture and communities with a full program of events and discussion. To mark the occasion, we highlight two ISF bodies of research that promote and enable inclusion of LGBTQIA+ communities here in Australia and overseas. 

Launching today is ‘Inclusive Place-Based Planning for LGBTQIA+ communities’, a project led by ISF for the Greater Cities Commission. The project aims to fill a knowledge gap concerning LGBTQIA+ communities within the ‘six cities’ of Lower Hunter and Greater Newcastle City, Central Coast City, Illawarra-Shoalhaven City, Western Parkland City, Central River City and Eastern Harbour City. At present, not enough is known about what these communities need and want to ensure they are provided for, safe and included in their city. Through extensive engagement, our researchers hope to build a body of evidence that can inform more inclusive city planning for the coming years.   

LGBTQIA+ individuals, families and communities are diverse across the six cities – we need to know more about them, their lives, what they need from each city and what would make them feel included. – Jason Prior, ISF

For this project, ISF will collaborate with colleagues from Western Sydney University and the University of NSW as well as the Sydney Partnership for Health Research, Education and Enterprise (SPHERE) and Arup. 

Project lead Professor Jason Prior says, “LGBTQIA+ individuals, families and communities are diverse across the six cities – we need to know more about them, their lives, what they need from each city and what would make them feel included.  Through inclusive planning, the government can help create places within our cities for LGBTQIA+ communities that provide for their diverse needs.”

ISF’s International Development team has recently led several projects in the Asia-Pacific region, addressing inclusion within the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.  

We aim to challenge stigma and discrimination against LGBTIQA+ individuals and ensure their voices are informing WASH programs...” – Tamara Megaw, ISF

Supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Water for Women fund, these projects take an intersectional approach to consider how some people experience disadvantages and discrimination because of multiple aspects of their identity, such as gender, sexual orientation and class. The projects recognise the vital roles these people have in WASH interventions and their outputs include resources and training to encourage and aid their participation. 

Senior Research Consultant Tamara Megaw says, “We work in partnership with organisations in the Asia-Pacific to co-design research approaches that consider inclusion and diversity. We aim to challenge stigma and discrimination against LGBTIQA+ individuals and ensure their voices are informing WASH programs.”

These examples demonstrate ISF’s respect for diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and our commitment to promoting equitable recognition of people’s needs and capacities.