Diversity in Development is a UK charity aiming to make information about, and opportunities in, international development more widely available.
We’re prioritising opportunities for young people from groups who are currently underrepresented in the sector, especially those from from lower socio-economic groups/regions
Our Board of Trustees comprises:
Ellie Evelyn
Lizzie Humphreys
John Kirkland, OBE (Chair)
Natasha Lokhun
Sheila Mburu
Jennifer Minard
Denise Nishimwe
Mike O'Driscoll
Kirsty Smith
International development is important. It’s the mechanism through which we can impact some of the biggest issues in the world. The UK invests in development through government, charities and the private sector, and it’s vital that such investments are well spent. Government funded surveys show that under a third of people engage with these discussions at present. Those engaging are unequally spread throughout society, with much higher levels in higher socioeconomic groups. That’s not fair, and it’s not good for the development community.
Following our Westminster brainstorming event - Towards an Inclusive Development Sector - in December 2025, our Trustees have defined seven key work areas for the sector to improve its socioeconomic balance. These are:
Data and Evidence
Education Pipeline
Recruitment Practice
Organisational Change
Communicating Development
Alternative Pathways
Sector Collaboration
These will be discussed further in a new report Pathways for the Profession, prepared by Ellie Evelyn, Lizzie Humphreys and Denise Nishimwe, which will be available in late May,
Our launch report – A profession for the privileged? – brings together existing evidence on diversity within the international development sector, including NGOs, policymakers, education and volunteering.
The first two in our series of Evidence Briefings have now been published. The first looks at Diversity Monitoring in International Development Organisations. This work has been carried out in partnership with BOND,
The second Briefing looks at the at the socioeconomic composition of those studying international development, at university using previously unanalysed official data.
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Diversity in Development has successfully bid to convene a roundtable discussion on the barriers to socioeconomic inclusion in the sector at the 2026 DSA conference, to be held in Dublin on the afternoon of Thursday July 9.
Discussants at the 90 minute roundtable will include:
Paul Abernethy (Government Relations and Public Affairs Manager, BOND UK)
Madhuri Kamtam (PhD Researcher, UEA)
Angelina Singh
(Undergraduate Student, Brunel University)
John Kirkland (Chair, Diversity in Development)
If you're attending the DSA conference, please do come and join us!
Postgraduate qualifications are often seen as a route into international development. But how accessible are these? Do they make the profession more or less inclusive?
If you're a current, recent or prospective postgrad in international development, we'd like to invite you to a roundtable discussion on Wednesday June 3rd, 6-8.00, at International Student House in London.
For more details, contact john.kirkland@diversityindevelopment.org,uk.