Gender, Race, and Class in International Development: Exploring the Counternarratives of Women of Colour

This paper examines the power dynamics and hierarchies in international development that systematically exclude and minoritise women of colour (WOC) in the workplace, particularly as these dynamics relate to gender, race, and class. Narrative interviews were conducted with 24 women of colour who work in the energy and health sub-sectors in US donor and implementing agencies to generate ‘counternarratives’ or stories of minoritised individuals that challenge master narratives. Master narratives are dominant cultural, political, or historical stories used by the majority to legitimate their power and position and normalise oppression. The interviews were analysed using intersectionality and critical race theory as theoretical lenses. The counternarratives were classified according to the four domains of power – structural, disciplinary, homogeneous, and interpersonal – to show how oppression and privilege manifest and interact in different settings. Prior work in this space has highlighted the experiences of WOC in the workplace in sectors like education, but there is limited scholarly work in international development. The present research contributes to knowledge by examining an industry with colonial roots. By articulating the counternarratives of women of colour who work in international development, this study lessens their invisibility as a minority and aids others who experience similar obstacles. The study provides evidence-based support for the critical role of intersectional leadership and a comparative lens between two sub-sectors in development – energy and health – which contrast in many ways. More broadly, by exploring the lived experiences and social contexts of individuals, it also contributes to qualitative gender research.