Gender-transformative approaches in international development: A brief history and five uniting principles

The emergence of gender-transformative approaches in the international development sector has ushered in a new paradigm for gender and development, refocusing on core feminist principles. This rise has paralleled the growth of transformative research and a strengthened emphasis on social transformations in the field of international development practice. Gender-transformative approaches aim to reshape gender dynamics by redistributing resources, expectations and responsibilities between women, men, and non-binary gender identities, often focusing on norms, power, and collective action. In this paper, we trace the history of gender-transformative approaches (1990 to March 2022); explore the breadth of applications in development described in both grey and academic literature; and identify five principles to guide future gender-transformative approaches with a focus on interventions. We hope that these clarifying principles will make the rich conceptual contribution of gender-transformative thinking relevant to a broad audience of researchers and practitioners and provide a basis for further academic debate and refinement.