Feminist Activism in Development Bureaucracies: Shifting Strategies and Unpredictable Results

Within the constraints of bureaucratic straitjackets and institutional turf battles, this chapter examines the workings of cross-agency gender theme groups (GTGs) to strengthen the gender equality programming of three UN country teams (UNCTs) through an action-learning approach facilitated by Gender at Work.

Looking through the lens of each country context, it examines the importance of safe collective spaces to critically reflect on decision-making and action, the relevance of inter-organizational cooperation between gender equality staff in UN agencies, and why this has been difficult to achieve.