Decolonizing Aid: A Comparative Analysis of USAID and Sida's gender equality strategies in Guatemala

Sammanfattning: The development aid field has been subject to increased questioning regarding power relations between donors and recipients; some studies shed light on the fact that development aid is an extension of colonial practices. Currently, there have been efforts to ‘decolonize aid’. This thesis studied Sweden’s and United States’ national development agencies’ policies, Sida and USAID respectively, regarding women’s economic empowerment in Guatemala. Through a critical discourse analysis method, this thesis analyzed the agencies’ policies making use of six colonial markers. The colonial markers were constructed as a methodological tool to identify the presence of development, colonial and feminist discourse that reproduce unequal power relations. In this way, the colonial markers represent an optional tool for future research as a starting point to effectively decolonize aid through discourse. In both Sida and USAID policies, presence of colonial markers were found. Even though efforts to decolonize aid have been implemented, there is still much work to be done. Because discourse materializes in everyday practices, this thesis aims to contribute to understanding that decolonizing aid discursively is fundamental to ensure Global South’s voices are heard.