Inclusion of Marginalised Groups in Social Assistance in Crises

Leave no one behind is the central, transformative promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed at reaching the poorest and combating discrimination and (multiple and intersecting) inequalities that undermine people’s human rights. The importance of leaving no one behind is vital in contexts of recurrent shocks, climate and humanitarian crises, protracted conflict, and forced displacement that cause disruption, deprivation, and a lack of access to basic needs. Crises often exacerbate existing inequalities and vulnerabilities for socially excluded and marginalised people, including women and girls, children and youth, older people, people with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities, and sexual and gender minorities. Social assistance, in the form of government provided or humanitarian assistance, seeks to alleviate crisis impacts. The structures, systems, and barriers that exclude some people generally can also exclude them from social assistance in crises. Such exclusion, both before and during a crisis, can increase deprivation, reduce resilience to shocks, and exacerbate protection risks by increasing people’s vulnerability to exploitation and abuse. Crises, consequently, can disproportionately impact marginalised people. A lack of inclusive social assistance programming thus undermines rights, ethics, and effectiveness in crises – as explored in this summary briefing of the three BASIC Research working papers on inclusion.