Gender, sex, and sexuality in development cooperation

Gender and sexuality regarding development cooperation were signified in the first, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh interviews. Perception of gender as diversity does not limit gender to heteronormative scale and binary man-woman setting (Kuusipalo, 2002, p.214). Thereof, interviewees who discuss sexual minorities consider gender as a diverse category and take into attention varying identities of gender, sex and sexuality.

Western countries sometimes use the support for sexual minorities to build up an image of an equal nation and therefore highlight their progressivity comparing to other countries with a lower level of support. Interviews describe that it was complicated to discuss LGBTIQ rights with Namibian public servants; according to them, Finland was eager to show more support than Namibians. While emphasizing Finland's interest, the informants constructed an image of Finland as a country of progression of equality. (Jauhola and Kantola, 2016,

p.190.) The fourth interview tells about the situation when Finland took as stand on the realization of gay rights in Namibia:

So that Finland takes a stand that how gay rights realize in Namibia. Or same-sex rights. Even so, I remember that it was a rather embarrassing situation because you knew beforehand that the way of thinking is pretty… quite the opposite, almost than anything in Finland. This message was supposed to be taken to the ministry.

Niin et Suomi ottaa kantaa et millä lailla Namibiassa toteutuu homojen oikeudet.

Tai samaa sukupuolta olevien oikeudet. Niin siinäkin muistan, et se oli aika kiusallinen tilanne, koska sen tiesi jo etukäteen, että se ajatusmaailma on ihan…aika vastakkainen melkein, kun mitä taas sitten Suomessa. Tää viesti piti viedä sinne ministeriöön.

(Interview 4)

Expert in the fourth interview speaks from a Finnish point of view as a representative of an organization that was supposed to carry a message to Namibians. The interviewee has a strong supposition about the Namibian viewpoint and draws the difference between the countries while comparing them. The informant of the seventh interview describes Finland’s support of associations that worked for sexual rights: according to this person it was especial because work for sexual rights was not a well-liked field in Namibia

The fifth informant compares Namibia to other African countries and presents that freedom of speech and self-expression is on a higher level. Within Namibia, this person stresses that there is a difference in attitudes in urban and rural areas: urban centers would be more liberal.

Unlike other experts s/he leaves Finnish perspective out. In addition to a discussion that constructs an image of the nation, interviewees acknowledge the different ways to understand and speak about gender in Finland and Namibia. The definition of gender and sex and problems regarding it vary internationally (Raevaara, 2005, pp.44-45). The approach of building an image of the nation while presenting Finnish support of LGBTIQ rights and recognizing varying definitions of gender and sex are partly overlapping since both views hold the idea Namibian understanding of equality as different from the Finnish one. Expert in the third interview speaks about Finland’s manner to support the rights of LGBTIQ minorities and describes it as a “red rag to a bull” to Namibians.

Yes, in that sense, Finland supports and promotes the rights of sexual minorities.

And this was the kind of theme that we also raised many times in Namibia. There it is so much more difficult and troublesome, and it's more like a red rag to a bull, so to speak. But also, that has to be done like in a way that is not kind of provoking.

Niin tota, siinä mielessä niinkun seksuaalivähemmistöjen oikeuksiahan Suomi tukee ja ajaa. Ja tää oli sellanen teema, joka me myöskin nostettiin esiin monta kertaa Namibiassa. Siellä se on semmonen niinkun vaikeampi asia ja se on hankala, ja se on enemmän tämmönen punanen vaate niinsanotusti. Mutta niinkun sekin täyty tehdä sillä tavalla, että ei tavallaan provosoiden.

(Interview 3)

S/he presents that it was important to consider sexual minorities at work and try to find a discrete way to speak about their matters with Namibians. The fourth expert’s citation in which s/he describes of taking the message of Finland regarding gay rights in Namibia to Namibian ministry show how different countries’ views on gender effects on political dialogue. The fourth informant emphasizes that they should approach Namibians with a certain sensitivity, without provoking with the message that is seen as a complicated topic (Raevaara, 2005, pp.44-45). The first interviewee signifies that it did not even come to question to speak about other genders and sexes than men and women. According to this person, even adding sexuality into projects was difficult, so the “gender spectrum” was not discussed, as the first expert presents.

And, that would have been talked about other genders or transgenders, or the whole gender spectrum at all, it was not there in any way.

Ja se, että oltais puhuttu muista sukupuolista tai muunsukupuolisista, tai ylipäänsä koko sukupuolten kirjosta, niin ei se ollu siellä millään tavalla esillä.

(Interview 1)

The first interviewee’s comment draws attention to how questions on LGBTIQ communities’ issues are left out from development, and heteronormativity takes over.

Already in Beijing conference 1995, where member states of the United Nations were able to stand on women’s position and gender equality, some states supposed that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action should include only an approach of biological division of sex to women and men, and heterosexual identity (Jauhola and Kantola, 2016, p.195).

Comment of the expert in the seventh interview presents that in international political arenas

it is not easy to speak about gender and sexual minorities since some participants might favor the same idea as critics of the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action.

8.3. Women's strong position in politics and Finland’s support for sexual minorities as