Contractors and implementers receiving funding from the U.S. aid agency cannot discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people when providing services, according to a new U.S. Agency for International Development policy.
The policy, which officially came into effect on Oct. 25, updated the USAID Acquisition Regulations to include a new clause on “nondiscrimination against end users of supplies or services.” On Nov. 7, the agency updated the regulation so it also applies to USAID-funded grants and cooperative agreements.
The new policy will be included in all contracts moving forward, allowing USAID to halt funding for organizations it deems to be excluding LGBTI groups from receiving services. It doesn’t cover employees of USAID contractors or grantees, only beneficiaries.
About the author
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards is a Devex Contributing Reporter covering global education, water and sanitation, and innovative financing, along with other topics. She has previously worked for NGOs, and the World Bank, and spent a number of years as a journalist for a regional newspaper in the U.K. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Development Studies and a bachelor's from Cambridge University.
