Monthly Corner
Claudy Vouhé shared GRB in local authorities (French)
Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) shows that the development of a budget and budgetary choices are powerful levers in terms of gender equality. We share our lessons learned in the field: a 5-step method, concrete examples (culture, sport, subsidies, public procurement, etc.) and keys to success. An operational work to objectify the impact of public policies and budgets and make RHL accessible.
Anuradha Kapoor Shared Swayam Recent Published Study
This exploratory study foregrounds the largely invisible issue of natal family violence (NFV) in India, exploring its forms, prevalence, and deep, long-term impacts on women's lives. It challenges the myth of the natal home as a safe space and centres survivor voices and lived experiences. The findings expose systemic silences and institutional barriers to justice. It offers vital insights for policy reform, feminist praxis, and deeper societal reflection.
Research Workshop on School Violence Prevention and Response - BLOG POST
Blog post summarizing key findings from each presentation and highlighting the outstanding research of all participants
Tara Prasad Gnyawali - Narrative
My flashback to working with wildlife-affected communities living in a biological transboundary corridor in Bardiya, Nepal, where I spent my golden 15 years. This story reflects changes that demonstrate how a community's tolerance extends to coexistence, and that is only due to the well-integrated planning of Ecotourism opportunities for the community.
Mehreen Farooq - BLOG
Events
Vacancies
- We’re Hiring: National Evaluation Consultant – Bangladesh
UN Women is recruiting a National Evaluation Consultant (Bangladesh) to support the interim evaluation of the Joint Regional EmPower Programme (Phase II).
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.
- Seeking Senior Analyst - IPE Global
About the job
IPE Global Ltd. is a multi-disciplinary development sector consulting firm offering a range of integrated, innovative and high-quality services across several sectors and practices. We offer end-to-end consulting and project implementation services in the areas of Social and Economic Empowerment, Education and Skill Development, Public Health, Nutrition, WASH, Urban and Infrastructure Development, Private Sector Development, among others.
Over the last 26 years, IPE Global has successfully implemented over 1,200 projects in more than 100 countries. The group is headquartered in New Delhi, India with five international offices in United Kingdom, Kenya, Ethiopia, Philippines and Bangladesh. We partner with multilateral, bilateral, governments, corporates and not-for-profit entities in anchoring development agenda for sustained and equitable growth. We strive to create an enabling environment for path-breaking social and policy reforms that contribute to sustainable development.
Role Overview
IPE Global is seeking a motivated Senior Analyst – Low Carbon Pathways to strengthen and grow its Climate Change and Sustainability practice. The role will contribute to business development, program management, research, and technical delivery across climate mitigation, carbon markets, and energy transition. This position provides exceptional exposure to global climate policy, finance, and technology, working with a team of high-performing professionals and in collaboration with donors, foundations, research institutions, and public agencies.
Powerful and powerless: Use of discussions on power in impact evaluations!
Recently I was facilitating a workshop on team building with an activist NGO in South India.
As part of this workshop I raised the workshop I asked the staff (from field to team level) when did they feel powerful and powerless in the organisation.
Interestingly the field and middle level staff spoke mainly on the impact of their work (and constraints) on changing gender and social relations, while the team level staff focused on issues related to internal organisation.
Giving examples of when they felt powerful, the field level staff shared many achievements which may or may not have emerged through other questions. Several field staff explained "We stopped the practice of 'Sammandi Seeru' in 41 coastal villages". Sammandi Seeru is what is given by bride's family to the groom's family when either of his parents pass away. In the beginning only small things were given, but soon the gifts included fridge, television, bike etc. It became like the practice of dowry. Child sex ratio had started declining in the villages, when earlier it was not the case. The Gender Lead Person in the team, community coordinators and organizers had extensive discussions with women's federations, women's groups and traditional fishing village councils. After lot of negotiations this practice was banned by the traditional fishing village councils in 41 villages. Indeed a remarkable achievement. Another staff pointed to how they had worked with the women's groups and adolescent girls groups to stop the ceremony when girls attained puberty in few villages, as well when women became pregnant. Again girl's/women's side had to spend money, and the ceremony was an embareisment for the girl Several child marriages were prevented. All these were occasions when the field staff- majority from the fishing community- felt that they, the women's groups and federation were powerful. In three villages other stakeholders tried to take over buildings constructed for women's groups. The women's groups with the federations and staff lobbied with the government and fishing village councils that it belonged to them. That is, challenging unequal social norms and exercising control over their collective resource is a source of power for grassroots functionaries (and perhaps as well as women's groups from their account).
At the same time, when a child marriage could not be prevented by them and child help line as the n the male leaders of the village where part of it they felt powerless. Another source of feeling powerless-cited by a women organiser- is when some women get beaten up regularly by husbands, ask the police to put their husbands behind bars (with support from groups) and the very next day get their husbands released and the violence continues. The police then refuse to act when some other women in a similar situation genuinely wants her husband to be booked for wife battering. Yet other cases cited was of feeling when adolescent boys being taken out of school and put into fishing, or adolescent girls for housework. Feelings of powerful and powerlessness shift with time like tides of ocean. It is not static, neither is impact static.
To sum up questions on when you felt powerful and powerless in your work can give staff's perspective on impact. I intend asking the same questions with marginalised women, girls and boys to get their perspective and see if this question works with rights holders.
Add a Comment
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Comment by Ranjani K.Murthy on October 8, 2015 at 19:08
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Madhumita thanks so much for sharing this insight. Very interesting, at the same time sad that "contacts' have to be the source of poor- and not transformation in their lives or social norms.
At the same time nobody is fully powerless. People fluctuate between the two in different situations and institutions.
Best
Ranjani
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Comment by madhumita sarkar on October 8, 2015 at 11:05
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Dear Ranjani,
discussion on power relations is always extremely useful. i recently facilitated an assessment with Palestine refugees from Lebanon and Syria. the refugees from Lebanon have experienced this refugee status for 67 years, they have no statehood. the refugees from Syria are past refugees in Syria but with a better status than those from Lebanon.they became refugees twice because of teh current crisis. during the FGD we wanted to know if they had any sources of power, interestingly the powers idnetified were position, connection and information by those from lebanon and information and connection for those from syria.
the women from Syria said they never required any connection power while in Syria but have acquired them in Lebanon to survive. their connections are primarily with agencies that distribute resources or provide skill opportunities to start small business...
i have not done the feeling powerful or powerless aspect...
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