A growing number of young people around the world identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex (LGBTI+). In Chile, about a quarter of 15-year-olds identify as LGBTI+, a trend reflected in other countries like Uruguay and Spain. Surveys indicate a significant portion of young adults worldwide do not identify as exclusively heterosexual, with figures reaching 47% in the U.K. among 18 to 24-year-olds. In the U.S., 28 percent of Gen Z adults, i.e. those born between 1997 and 2006, also identify as part of the LGBTI+ community.
The World Bank Group recognizes the importance of harnessing the potential of youth, emphasizing job creation and inclusive growth in its new World Bank Group Scorecard. However, ensuring that those outcomes benefit all young people requires not only access to jobs, education, health care, and social protection but also to environments that foster inclusion and celebrate diversity.
Understanding the Challenges: Intersectionality and SOGIESC
Youth experiences vary widely due to factors like race, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation, which intersect affecting their development and access to opportunities. One recent study by, USAID found that 12% of youth organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean cater specifically to LGBTI+ youth. However, unless all young people, including the most marginalized groups, can thrive, they cannot be agents of positive change.
For youth of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI), additional challenges may arise due to their intersecting identities. The Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework, particularly through its social assessment and stakeholder engagement policies, aims to ensure inclusive benefits for marginalized youth. Homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, combined with ageism or racism, create more barriers to accessing economic opportunities and social protections. For example, Indigenous or Afro-descendant youth who identify as LGBTI+ may confront compounded discrimination in their communities and broader societies, causing them to become more insecure and without stable social networks that are crucial in preventing them from dropping out of school. There's no denying the pressing need for SOGI-inclusive youth policy.
Incorporating LGBTI+ youth inclusion within projects is possible through diverse stakeholder engagement in support of project design and implementation. This approach involves mainstreaming considerations of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) within project components while developing targeted strategies and measures to address SOGIESC stakeholder identification, engagement , data privacy , meaningful consultation, and complaint mechanisms.
Promoting SOGI Inclusion in Youth Populations
Projects can foster LGBTI+ youth inclusion through diverse stakeholder engagement and targeted strategies. For example, the Tuvalu Learning Project promotes respect for all genders and sexualities in educational materials, while a project in Uruguay trains teachers to address biases. In Bangladesh, a skills development project includes transgender youth, equipping them for the job market.
Supporting policies and programs that address the specific needs of sexual and gender minority youth ensures equitable opportunities for education, employment, and participation in their communities. We partner with governments and educational institutions to create inclusive learning environments free from discrimination. This includes developing resources like the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Inclusion and Gender Equality thematic note highlighting opportunities to advance SOGI inclusion as part of the World Bank’s wider Gender Strategy.
Collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity helps identify exclusion drivers and informs World Bank interventions. A study on labor market exclusion in North Macedonia and Serbia, for instance, highlighted the economic costs of discrimination.
Forging Inclusive Futures for All Youth
Recognizing the diverse experiences and challenges of youth is essential for fostering inclusive development. Policies concerning youth must explicitly consider sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sexual characteristics, ensuring that all young people are being considered and supported. Engaging directly with SOGI youth and collaborating with organizations that advocate for their rights make it possible to better address their needs.
Equally critical is ensuring that young people are well-informed about the laws and policies that impact their lives. An upcoming WB report on youth inclusion argues that recognizing and supporting youth as agents of change — and not just beneficiaries of projects — is critical. In this vein, we are working with the Human Rights, Inclusion and Empowerment Trust Fund in Ecuador and Colombia to empower youth to participate in public affairs and equip them with the knowledge and tools to advocate for SOGI-inclusive policies, both at home and internationally, so we continue to advance equity, justice, and inclusion for all.
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