Gender-Transformative evaluation and intersectionality- A 360 degree approach
Panel Discussion | Online
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Organized by:
Gender and Equity Network South Asia (GENSA)
About the Event
Intersectionality as explained by Kimberele Crenshaw is not easy to embed in every evaluation despite skill training and good intentions of evaluators. The reasons could be multiple from time crunch, resource crunch to lack of understanding on how to embed it in evaluations.
This panel will embed the central role that intersectionality plays in any gender transformative evaluation approaches. Taking examples from intersectional research experiences across India, Nepal and drawing inference from courses designed to teach gender-transformative evaluation approaches, the discussion will look at a continuum of ideal approaches to include intersectionality and how ongoing evaluations are able to incorporate these idealistic positions in reality. The panel will have presenters from India and Nepal. The Nepal project will present how multiple approaches were used to evaluate Forest Action Nepal’s research findings from a women managed low carbon project.The project adopted an intersectional approach by using in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, key informants’ interviews, and ethnographic observation. Participatory tools, e.g., storytelling, participatory mapping and games to understand the in-depth forms of oppressions, injustice, and complexities of dealing with multi-facets of dominance against women across different identities i.e, women belonging to Dalit caste, indigenous-ethnic communities, land less and land poor, women with disability, single women. Initiative in India will draw on work with adolescent girls and young women and what methodologies were used to bring forth the multiple intersectional challenges that reduce their access to education, livelihood and health.
To address the lack of understanding,there are trainings and programs on gender-transformative evaluations which help develop understanding on how to embed intersectionality in its design, methodologies and therefore develop the important and critical understanding of intersectionality to adopt a 360-gender transformative lens in evaluation. The panel will have three presentations and a discussant who summarise the continnum of ideal approaches that are taught in gender-transformative trainings to the actual field realities of doing evaluation that is gender-transformative.
This panel will embed the central role that intersectionality plays in any gender transformative evaluation approaches. Taking examples from intersectional research experiences across India, Nepal and drawing inference from courses designed to teach gender-transformative evaluation approaches, the discussion will look at a continuum of ideal approaches to include intersectionality and how ongoing evaluations are able to incorporate these idealistic positions in reality. The panel will have presenters from India and Nepal. The Nepal project will present how multiple approaches were used to evaluate Forest Action Nepal’s research findings from a women managed low carbon project.The project adopted an intersectional approach by using in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, key informants’ interviews, and ethnographic observation. Participatory tools, e.g., storytelling, participatory mapping and games to understand the in-depth forms of oppressions, injustice, and complexities of dealing with multi-facets of dominance against women across different identities i.e, women belonging to Dalit caste, indigenous-ethnic communities, land less and land poor, women with disability, single women. Initiative in India will draw on work with adolescent girls and young women and what methodologies were used to bring forth the multiple intersectional challenges that reduce their access to education, livelihood and health.
To address the lack of understanding,there are trainings and programs on gender-transformative evaluations which help develop understanding on how to embed intersectionality in its design, methodologies and therefore develop the important and critical understanding of intersectionality to adopt a 360-gender transformative lens in evaluation. The panel will have three presentations and a discussant who summarise the continnum of ideal approaches that are taught in gender-transformative trainings to the actual field realities of doing evaluation that is gender-transformative.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Kanchan Lama | Principal Researcher, Women's Economic Empowerment, ForestAction Nepal | Kanchan Lama, a Master in Political Science, BA hons (Pol Sc), along with special courses in Gender and Development, program development, impact evaluation, participatory research and training, possesses strong theoretical and practical experience in gender analysis, research, mainstreaming, training, review and evaluation. She has worked for more than twenty-nine years with the major INGOs, bi lateral and multilateral agencies, both in national and international fields. She represents Women Major Group at global policy debates, mainly on women’s rights in benefit sharing systems in natural resource management, in several UN global forums, e.g., UNFF, CSD, UNFCCC, SDG, and so on. Currently she provides advisory services to strengthening gender and inclusion in public policy and strategy development for effective results of the SDGs. Besides associated to Forest Action as a research fellow, she holds position of BoD executive member in Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) based in USA and Chairperson for Women Leading for Change in NRM–Nepal |
| Amrita Gupta | Research & Evaluation Consultant | Amrita Gupta brings 15+ years of experience in mixed method research, monitoring and evaluation and policy review with a passion for advancing gender equality, women’s health, and economic opportunities. She has a Master’s in Public Health, Health Policy Economics and Finance from TISS, Mumbai, and a Masters in Sociology from Delhi University. Currently working as an research and evaluation consultant she is leading the national evaluation of a UNWomen’s program on education and livelihoods, working on a research brief on early marriage and SDG’s, an analysis of social movements in South Asia and an Asia Pacific review of generation equality forum commitments. She has previously worked the Data Lead- Global Accountability at the Global Fund For Women, where she coordinated the data and accountability strategy for the Generation Equality Forum, a global multi-stakeholder initiative to accelerate gender justice. She also led research, monitoring and evaluation and strategic communication for Azad Foundation India. |
| Alpaxee Kashyap | Independent Consultant - Gender Research & Evaluation | Alpaxee is an independent consultant with more than 10 years of experience of working in gender related projects. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Gender Studies from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, New Delhi. She has earlier worked with Oxfam India, International Centre for Research on Women, Gender@Work. She works for both gender research and evaluation. As a part of Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST), she recently coordinated the course on Facilitating Gender Transformative Evaluation(FGTE) for Senior Professionals. Her research interests include violence against women, women’s livelihood and women’s solidarity groups like Self Help Groups, feminist movement and the Indian State. As a consultant, she has developed gender training modules for organizations like Asia Floor Wage Alliance (South Asia), she works closely for the SWAYAM project of Institute for What Works to advance Girls in the Economy (IWWAGE) which works to engender the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) of the Government of India. |
| Mahesh Krishnan | Independent Consultant - Social & Behavior Change | Mahesh (xe/xem) is a young and emerging policy professional and evaluator, holding a Master's in Public Policy and a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science. Xe is deeply committed to advancing gender equality and social justice through transformative evaluation practices. Xe has demonstrated xyr dedication to this cause during xyr tenure as an Evaluation and Research Intern at UN Women. Xe brings a unique blend of expertise in social behavior change and communication strategy to xyr work, as demonstrated through xyr role in applying semiotic analysis for script development for writers from Paramount Pictures on gender-based violence during xyr internship with CARE International. Mahesh advocates for inclusive methodologies that center the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. |