3. Addressing Diversity

The involvement of all stakeholders – men, women, young, old, from different social classes and ethnic groups – is crucial. Involvement is key to ownership and sustainability. Unfortunately, in many cases ICD initiatives in rural areas can divide stakeholders if their diverse positions and interests are not addressed. Initiatives that do not plan for the different ways that they may affect different segments of the population can exacerbate existing inequalities by benefiting some groups at the expense of others. Interventions that look at how to offer equal access to all groups, and that give diverse groups a voice in how the interventions are developed and deployed, can actually work to reduce inequality.