In Pursuit of Epistemic Justice: Knowledge Politics in Development Partnerships

Lise Woensdregt

Journal of Development Studies, 2025, vol. 61, issue 12, 1909-1926

Abstract: This paper explores knowledge politics within the official development aid (ODA) system, focusing on community-based organisations (CBOs) in development partnerships. While academia has primarily focused on the inclusion of CBOs, few studies have examined knowledge politics in development partnerships and specifically assumptions about who is considered a legitimate knower and when. Taking a critical look at the concept of partnerships, and drawing from ethnographic research with a CBO led by male sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya, this paper argues that CBOs representing marginalised communities hold essential knowledge crucial for shaping sustainable and effective development policies and programs. However, knowledge politics significantly affect how CBOs can construct, develop, and use this knowledge. This paper illustrates how hegemonic knowledge paradigms contribute to epistemic injustice against sex workers, showing the credibility deficit they suffer compared to the credibility excess enjoyed by international NGOs. It emphasises the need for a more epistemically inclusive and just approach to development initiatives that genuinely respect and incorporate the knowledges of the communities they aim to serve. The paper calls for governance bodies in the ODA system to establish pathways for improved knowledge inclusion and integration of community knowledges into development partnerships, thereby contributing to epistemic justice.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2025.2498935

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