TOOLKIT FOR GENDER SENSITIVE PARTICIPATORY EVALUATIONS - PART III (BODY MAPPING)

[Tanisha Jugran]

This is a great opportunity to work closely with the Evaluation Team Leader and contribute to generating credible, gender-responsive evidence that informs decision-making and strengthens programme impact.

📍 Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh (home-based with travel to project locations)
📅 Apply by: 24 February 2026, 5:00 PM
🔗 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gar4ciRr

If you are passionate about feminist evaluation, gender equality, and rigorous evidence that drives change (or know someone who is) please apply or share within your networks.

[Ranjani K.Murthy]

Dear Bhabtosh

This tool is firstly not developed me, I have adapted it for evaluations.

There has to be some rapport and trust before facilitating body mapping.  Privacy and consent has to be ensured, and it is best done individually. The sex of the facilitator should be the same as the sex of the participant.  Literacy is not a barrier.  Yes it can be used with men, though I have to admit that I have never tried it. I have facilitated body mapping in parts of rural Bangladesh (Barisal), in addition to rural/urban India.  Though I would think a bit if I were in Sylhet.  So while agreeing with you that context matters, I would not generalise that it cannot be facilitated with one community. 

I like your observations on interpreting body language in FGDs used for evaluations from a gender lens. You should perhaps write a piece on that. However, it may not throw up some intimate aspects which emerge in body mapping when done individually.

Role plays ofcourse lead to many qualitative gender/diversity issues emerging, and before and after situations could be analysed. I still like body mapping because it goes one step further - and issues in the realm of intimacy emerge.  However, it cannot be done in a group like role play. THUS ALL GENDER-SENSITIVE PARTICIPATORY METHODS HAVE PROS AND CONS.

Bhabtosh- please write on how role plays can be used in evaluation. I really like the distinction Dheka Mair and Chipa Mair.

Thanks so much 

Ranjani

 

   

Comment by Rituu B Nanda yesterday

• Devashish Daryl Dutta Well I would be happy and privileged to do so..... I would definitely forward a small report on it with some evaluation and findings. Based on such finding Our Department "Applied Psychology" at University of Calcutta developed a module for Adolescent with UNICEF and at present the same module is used for the training of Adolescent Clinic Counsellors. I drafted the initial proposal to Ministry of Health under Prof. Anjali Ray. I can send you the entire finding. Please share ur email ID. 

   

Dear Bhabtosh

This tool is firstly not developed me, I have adapted it for evaluations.

There has to be some rapport and trust before facilitating body mapping.  Privacy and consent has to be ensured, and it is best done individually. The sex of the facilitator should be the same as the sex of the participant.  Literacy is not a barrier.  Yes it can be used with men, though I have to admit that I have never tried it. I have facilitated body mapping in parts of rural Bangladesh (Barisal), in addition to rural/urban India.  Though I would think a bit if I were in Sylhet.  So while agreeing with you that context matters, I would not generalise that it cannot be facilitated with one community. 

I like your observations on interpreting body language in FGDs used for evaluations from a gender lens. You should perhaps write a piece on that. However, it may not throw up some intimate aspects which emerge in body mapping when done individually.

Role plays ofcourse lead to many qualitative gender/diversity issues emerging, and before and after situations could be analysed. I still like body mapping because it goes one step further - and issues in the realm of intimacy emerge.  However, it cannot be done in a group like role play. THUS ALL GENDER-SENSITIVE PARTICIPATORY METHODS HAVE PROS AND CONS.

Bhabtosh- please write on how role plays can be used in evaluation. I really like the distinction Dheka Mair and Chipa Mair.

Thanks so much 

Ranjani

 

   

[Rituu B Nanda]

• Devashish Daryl Dutta Well I would be happy and privileged to do so..... I would definitely forward a small report on it with some evaluation and findings. Based on such finding Our Department "Applied Psychology" at University of Calcutta developed a module for Adolescent with UNICEF and at present the same module is used for the training of Adolescent Clinic Counsellors. I drafted the initial proposal to Ministry of Health under Prof. Anjali Ray. I can send you the entire finding. Please share ur email ID. 

   

[Ranjani K.Murthy]

Dear Bhabatosh

Thanks for your message- a detailed reply follows tom

Ranjani

[Ranjani K.Murthy]

Devashish- thanks so much. my email [e-mail]. Please cc to Rituu. thanks 

Ranjani

[Bhabatosh Nath]

Thanks are due to  Ranjani Murthy for delivering her presentation on "Body Mapping". It is surely an effective tool. But it is not equally applicable to the people of all types and not applicable in all areas in terms of geographical area, special religious and cultural area and the venue of the session to be facilitated. One query is- regarding type of 'participants' mentioned in the tool, are all of them female? male? or mixed group? This is also a concerning issues for using the tool in a session. I think the 'Body Mapping' tool is more feasible for the educated and 'free-minded' people. This tool could easily be used for the students at university and college level. But it would be very tough (and tricky) to use this tool at grassroots level. For example, like our country in Bangladesh, in most cases it is impossible to request a female participant in rural areas to 'lie down' on the ground /or on the table....and to know about their 'feelings' on different 'parts' of their body! 

However, to some extent, related to 'Body Mapping', in some of the evaluation study, in the field (grassroots level~ rural areas) we use some techniques through deliberating 'body language'. For an example, when we facilitate the focus group discussion (FGD) session, we ask the  female participants (of 12 females in a session) whether they are happy in their family life with their husbands and in-laws, whether there exists family harmony. If the answer is 'yes' then we request the respondents to show how much they are happy with this. Females show it with their two hands expanding to their left and right. Some expand the hands in a bigger way, some in medium and some in a small way. And then we as facilitators ask about the reasons behind these different types of 'happiness'. In the same way, those say about 'unhappiness', they also show their status by hands and disclose the reasons against different types of 'unhappiness'. We find it very appropriate and effective to measure the situation of the women in their family. 

In one session we asked a group of women about women's violation at family level. One woman expressed that there are two types of violation. In Bangla language, she said about (a) Dekha mair (means physical torture i.e. that can be seen/ known/explored by others), (b) Chipa mair (means mental torture, which the others easily don't know, but the woman has to carry unbearable pain inside her). When asked, women in group showed their situation through 'role play'. That's also an effective way to make others understand about the situation and helps to develop awareness of the participants in a session, and it could be applied both for female and male in separate sessions and also in together as in mixed group!

I have just shared my field experience. It might be coincided with the tool 'Body Mapping' or one could compare and linked with different tools to use appropriately at participants level. This also relates to the 'Facilitation skills' of the evaluator /facilitator. And I personally emphasize to apply the appropriate tools at grassroots level as a major percentage of participants are living in that level.  

   

[Rituu B Nanda]

• Devashish Daryl Dutta Well I would be happy and privileged to do so..... I would definitely forward a small report on it with some evaluation and findings. Based on such finding Our Department "Applied Psychology" at University of Calcutta developed a module for Adolescent with UNICEF and at present the same module is used for the training of Adolescent Clinic Counsellors. I drafted the initial proposal to Ministry of Health under Prof. Anjali Ray. I can send you the entire finding. Please share ur email ID. 

   
• 

  Devashish Daryl Dutta I was introduced to Body Mapping through one of the NACO-Pilot Refresher Module in 2011. You can refer to that also. Thanks.

[Ranjani K.Murthy]

Dear Pramada

Thanks. Yes, normally it is used in training on gender and sexuality. But I have modified and used also for evaluations. 

Best 

Ranjani

[Rituu B Nanda]

From Facebook of CREA. Thanks Pramada for sharing!

Pramada Menon interesting to see this being used for evaluations. have used this exercise more for trainings on gender and sexuality to get participants to open up to issues around disability, body image, pleasure and so on. never used as a one on one exercise but more as a large group exercise to reduce the shame that one feels around the body

[Ranjani K.Murthy]

Dear Devashish

Do your facilitate body mapping after ice-breaking or some other sessions or do you begin with body-mapping? Is the process separate for boys and girls or together? Do the responses differ between girls and boys, rural and urban of different castes? Do share it would be useful 

Ranjani

[Rituu B Nanda]

From Facebook of CREA. Thanks Devashish for sharing!

Devashish Daryl Dutta We at Calcutta University using Body Mapping with Adolescent Children. It works really miracle and actually the facilitators even are shocked with the data and the queries from the boys and girls comes after the session.