15 March 2019: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank have proposed 51 indicators, aligned with the SDGs’ global indicators, as part of efforts to develop an “inclusion index” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. Next steps will include piloting the indicators in select countries.

The publication titled, ‘A Set of Proposed Indicators for the LGBTI Inclusion Index,’ argues that inclusion of LGBTI people is “imperative if we are to deliver on the pledge…to leave no one behind,” even though LGBTI people are not specifically mentioned in the SDGs. The publication states that additional data and research are critical in increasing the visibility of challenges faced by LGBTI people and in improving the policies and programmes for LGBTI people.

Authors M. V. Lee Badgett and Randall Sell present 51 indicators across five dimensions: health, education, economic empowerment, civil and political participation, and security and violence. Indicators were selected for their relevance to inclusion, potential to be disaggregated, relevance across countries, usefulness and communicability, and feasibility of measurement (following the practice of the SDG indicator tier system).

On education, for instance, proposed indicators aim to measure the rate of bullying among LGBTI students, anti-bullying policies, implementation of an anti-violence policy, presence of a non-discrimination policy, implementation of the non-discrimination policy, educational attainment, and diversity inclusion in curricula.

UNDP began developing the LGBTI Inclusion Index in 2015 when UNDP and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) convened meetings to discuss such an index’s development. These consultations resulted in agreement on a working definition of inclusion for the Index: “inclusion means that every person has access to opportunities (including the capabilities to do and be as one chooses) and is able to make choices that lead to outcomes consistent with human dignity.” The consultations also agreed on the five dimensions of human freedom that should be measured by such an index. In 2017, UNDP began working with partners to develop the set of indicators, including through civil society consultations, multi-sectoral expert consultations and in-person consultations.

A number of other civil society organizations and groups have begun developing tools to support the inclusion of LGBTI people in development policies and programmes. On 27 February 2019, RFSL – the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights – launched guiding principles to support the design, implementation and monitoring of development activities related to LGBTI people, in line with efforts to achieve the SDGs. The ‘Guiding Principles on the Inclusion of LGBTI People in Development Policy and Programs’ recognize the role of a wide variety of actors in implementing the SDGs and other development priorities, and provide ways for governments and other stakeholders to address poverty, health, education and other areas of importance for LGBTI people.

The private sector is also exploring ways to adapt their policies and practices to be more inclusive of LGBTI people. Bristol-Myers Squibb is supporting an innovation challenge for making workplaces inclusive for the LGBTI community, through the Lead 2030 Challenge. Lead 2030 is a coalition of global businesses working to support youth-led innovation for the SDGs. Each year, a private sector “challenge partner” for each SDG funds and accelerates solutions for the Goal. The Lead 2030 Challenge for SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), supported by Bristol-Meyers Squibb, focused on creating “an inclusive workplace environment for the LGBTI community worldwide.”

The challenge invites solutions that educate employers on the importance of a LGBTI-inclusive workplace, create an inclusive culture and environment for LGBTI employees, build the business case for LGBTI workplace inclusion, and attract and retain LGBTI talent and increase career development. The winning solution will receive a USD50,000 grant and a 12-month mentorship from a team of Bristol-Myers employees and partners that will work to accelerate the solution.

SDG 10 is one of the Goals that will be reviewed during the July 2019 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The others are: SDGs 4 (quality education), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 13 (climate action), 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and 17 (partnerships for the Goals). [Publication: A Set of Proposed Indicators for the LGBTI Inclusion Index] [RFSL Press Release] [Guiding Principles] [Lead 2030 Challenge for SDG 10]