Realising and Mainstreaming the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People through Bilateral Development Cooperation in Rwanda

This research identifies the key components in upholding human rights commitments and mainstreaming Sexual Orientation Human Rights (SOHR) through Swedish, USA, and UK bilateral development in Rwanda. It argues that mainstreaming SOHR through bilateral development cooperation includes both the implementation of human rights stated in agreements, legislation and policies, and the assembly of new forms of rights, transforming citizenship within organisations and communities. It develops a ‘Mainstreaming Human Rights Framework’ to assess the mainstreaming of SOHR through bilateral development cooperation, which integrates Hunt’s (2017) components to identify authentic human rights initiatives in the UN system and Plummer’s (2006) processes on the assembly of rights. The application of this Mainstreaming Human Rights Framework visualises how bilateral development organisations navigate conflicting cultural and political perspectives on SOHR by donor and participating countries. It shows that successful mainstreaming rests on analysis of geo-political and socio-political contexts and the purposeful application of participatory and Rights-Based Approaches. It also provides a position statement on the progress and gaps in realising SOHR through Sida, USAID, and DFID in Rwanda. The complexity involved in mainstreaming SOHR through bilateral development cooperation leads this research to recommend that the internal mainstreaming of SOHR, to build the knowledge and capacity of staff and organisational cultures and environments, is a focus and a prerequisite to taking actions to mainstream SOHR through development initiatives and programmes in external environments with external stakeholders.