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IWWAGE at Global Evaluation Initiatives gLOCAL Evaluation Week 2024

IWWAGE at Global Evaluation Initiative’s gLOCAL Evaluation Week 2024

 

On 3rd June 2024, a panel discussion titled “Evaluating Gaps in Women Empowerment Indices and Strategies to Bridge Them” explored the complexities of measuring women’s empowerment. Moderated by Dr. Arpita Paul, the session featured panellists Mridusmita Bordoloi (IWWAGE) and Dr. Vikash Vaibhav (O.P. Jindal Global University). Key discussions included:

  • Examining global and Indian methodologies for assessing women’s empowerment.
  • Identifying dimensions of empowerment that remain unmeasured, particularly in the Indian context.
  • Highlighting data availability and quality limitations while proposing innovative approaches for more accurate measurement.
  • Developing strategies to address gaps in empowerment indices, such as state-level comparable indices and inclusive, intersectional frameworks.

The session emphasised the importance of holistic indicators and reliable data to inform effective policy making. Watch the session recording here

 

On 5th June 2024, IWWAGE hosted a panel discussion titled “Childcare and Women’s Work: Are These Connected?” to address the significant barrier that unpaid childcare responsibilities pose to women’s participation in the labour force. Moderated by Prakriti Sharma, the panel featured insights from Bidisha Mondal, Divya Singh Kohli, and Sruthi Kutty. The discussion focused on:

  • Exploring how access to reliable and affordable childcare can empower women economically.
  • Highlighting the potential of childcare solutions to boost women’s workforce participation.
  • Stressing the need for comprehensive policy interventions to address childcare responsibilities effectively.

Both events underscored the importance of targeted solutions and robust policies to advance women’s empowerment and economic inclusion in India. Watch the session recording here

Roundtable Consultation on Emerging Elderly Care Models

Roundtable Consultation on ‘Emerging Elderly Care Models – Opportunities for Improving Women’s Engagement in Caregiving’

The roundtable consultation on ‘Emerging Elderly Care Models – Opportunities for Improving Women’s Engagement in Caregiving’ was held on November,  12, 2024 at the Ambassador Hotel, New Delhi. Moderated by Dr. Sona Mitra, Director of Research and Policy at IWWAGE, and co-hosted by IWWAGE and The Quantum Hub as part of the Future of Work series, the event aimed to explore the complexities of elderly care and the challenges of integrating women into the formal caregiving workforce.

The event featured an esteemed panel of experts from academia, industry, and policy. Discussions sought to unpack the opportunities and challenges within the elder care sector, highlighting its crucial role in empowering women economically.

Radha Chellappa, Executive Director, IWWAGE, began the session by emphasising IWWAGE’s strategic focus on the care economy. She noted, “The lack of elder care support significantly reduces women’s participation in the workforce. Geriatric care must adopt a multidimensional approach, extending beyond physical needs to holistic well-being.”

Sonakshi Chaudhry, Manager, Strategic Partnerships & Communications, The Quantum Hub, provided a demographic analysis, drawing attention to India’s ageing population and the feminisation of ageing, which sees elderly women facing heightened vulnerabilities due to limited financial independence. She stated, “The elder care market holds immense potential. A 2% investment of GDP could create 11 million jobs, addressing gendered occupational segregation and boosting women’s employment through technology-driven health services.”

Participants examined innovative models, including Japan’s community care hubs and Denmark’s universal elder care systems. Indian initiatives, such as Bengaluru’s Nightingale Centres and the Ministry of Social Justice’s Integrated Centres for Senior Citizens, were commended. Kerala’s palliative care policy was highlighted as a replicable example of community-led, nurse-centric care.

The discussions underscored the need for robust policies to address the feminisation of ageing and ensure affordable elder care. Dipa Sinha, Independent Researcher advocated for stronger social security measures, such as pensions for informal workers. Mini Sukumar, Member, Kerala State Planning Board, showcased Kerala’s community-based programs that bridge funding and resource gaps.

Workforce transformation was a key focus, with recommendations for upskilling caregivers, improving job stability through flexible arrangements, and fostering international opportunities. Mitali Nikore, Founder, Nikore Associates, proposed leveraging public-private partnerships (PPPs) to reimagine skill development and create aspirational career pathways in elder care.

Sonal Shah, Founder – The Urban Catalysts emphasised the role of spatial planning in developing elder-inclusive urban environments, such as multigenerational care facilities that promote intergenerational engagement and reduce caregiving burdens. Debasis Barik, Senior Fellow – NCAER stressed the importance of early healthcare interventions for middle-aged individuals to ensure healthier ageing populations and reduce future care needs.

Speakers, including Karina Bhasin, Program Manager, UNDP and Priya Anant, Founder, LifeCircle Home Care, discussed the transformative potential of technology in elder care, such as virtual care ecosystems and monitoring platforms. However, they cautioned that the human touch in caregiving remains irreplaceable, calling for balanced integration of technology.

In her closing remarks, Professor Rama Baru, former Professor at JNU,  called for greater state involvement to ensure equitable elder care solutions. She stated, “The government must balance regulation with affordability, leveraging partnerships without abdicating responsibility.”

The roundtable concluded with actionable recommendations, including developing elder-inclusive infrastructure, fostering care entrepreneurship, and creating pathways for intergenerational knowledge transfer.

IWWAGE at the second edition of the Asia Pacific Care Forum in Bangkok

IWWAGE at the second edition of the Asia Pacific Care Forum in Bangkok

The second edition of the Asia Pacific Care Forum took place in Bangkok from October 22-24, 2024. Organised by UN Women and the Global Alliance for Care (Alianza Global por los Cuidados), alongside various partners, the forum brought together a diverse array of stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific region. Over three days, participants collaborated to develop a shared vision for reshaping economies with “care” at their core.

Sruthi Kutty, Senior Policy Manager at the Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality (IWWAGE), co-facilitated a dynamic breakout session with Civil Society Organisations to craft a “Vision for Transforming Care Systems in Asia Pacific.”

The session’s insights were shared during a plenary panel discussion, which explored opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for strengthening the care economy and advancing women’s economic empowerment.

The session was moderated by Nansiri Iamsuk, Migration Programme Specialist at UN Women Asia and the Pacific. Other panellists included YB Puan Anfaal Binti Saari, Chair of the Standing Committee on Women & Family Empowerment, Social Welfare & Care Economy, Selangor State Government, Malaysia; Dr Seema Bhatia-Panthaki, Director of the Gender Equality Platform at AVPN; and Ricar Pascoela, Director of the Working Women’s Center, Timor-Leste.

IWWAGE at the 2nd Gender Dialogues

IWWAGE at the 2nd Gender Dialogues, organised by UN Women and the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi

Sona Mitra participated in the second Gender Dialogues, organised by UN Women and the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi, to discuss the crucial issue of shaping policy actions for building a comprehensive care ecosystem. The second Gender Dialogue was organised on September 14, 2024

IWWAGE – an initiative of LEAD at Krea University – is dedicated to advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE). By collaborating with diverse stakeholders, IWWAGE strives to contribute to the development of an enabling care ecosystem that not only empowers women but also drives inclusive economic growth and development.

IWWAGE at National Seminar on Women and Employment in India

IWWAGE at National Seminar on Women and Employment in India, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh

 

At the National Seminar on Women and Employment in India, held from September, 3 to 5 2023, in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, Bidisha Mondal, Senior Research Fellow at IWWAGE – an initiative of LEAD at Krea University, shared valuable insights. Organised by the Centre for Development Studies (Rajiv Gandhi University) and the Institute for Human Development, the seminar explored the challenges faced by women in the Indian workforce.

Bidisha presented a co-authored paper with Sona Mitra titled “Women’s ‘Willingness’ to Work: Evidence from Five States in India,” which emphasised the importance of adopting a more comprehensive perspective on labour underutilisation, beyond conventional unemployment statistics.

The seminar addressed critical topics such as the limitations of official surveys, low female labour force participation, and workplace gender discrimination.

Workshop on Financing Quality Childcare Facilities in India

Workshop on Financing Quality Childcare Facilities in India held at Ambassador Hotel, New Delhi on August 22, 2024

On 22 August 2024, IWWAGE, in collaboration with Mobile Creches, hosted a workshop on “Financing Quality Childcare Facilities in India.” The event aimed to bring together experts, policymakers, and practitioners to deliberate on creating sustainable childcare solutions across various settings, including urban slums, construction sites, and government premises.

The workshop commenced with opening remarks from Sona Mitra, Director of Policy and Research at IWWAGE, who set the context for the day. This was followed by a keynote address from Amneet P. Kumar, Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Haryana, WCD, chaired by Chavi Vohra, Executive Director of Strategy & Impact at Mobile Creches.

Subsequent special addresses from Sunil Kumar Yadav, Director at NULM, MoHUA, and Ritu Dewan, President of the 64th National Conference of ISLE, provided a deeper perspective on the critical need for investment in Early Childhood Development (ECD).

Key discussions focused on vital aspects such as financial provisions for different creche operational models, catering to settings like urban slums, construction sites, and government premises. The study underpinning the event analysed Early Childhood Development (ECD) budgets across four states and included primary data to identify essential expenditure areas for running creches.

Divya Singh, Senior Research Manager at IWWAGE, presented the findings of an extensive study, highlighting ECD budgets from four states and essential expenditure areas for operationalising creches. Chirashree Ghosh, Executive Director of Operations & Partnerships at Mobile Creches, shared key recommendations and actionable steps towards advancing ECD funding and infrastructure.

The workshop concluded with a lively roundtable discussion where participants from diverse organisations shared insights, challenges, and innovative ideas for enhancing childcare systems. The event ended with a vote of thanks by Sruthi Kutty, Senior Policy Manager at IWWAGE, followed by a networking lunch.

Key Takeaways:

  • Strengthening financial provisions for diverse childcare models.
  • Insights from ECD budget analysis and primary data.
  • Collaborative pathways for scaling up sustainable childcare facilities.

The discussions and recommendations from this workshop will serve as a foundation for shaping policies that prioritise quality child care in India. Stay tuned for the full report and further updates on this initiative!

Building Resilient Communities: Women and Sustainable Ecosystems

IWWAGE at the convening organised by the National Commission for Women – India, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)INDIA, and UN Women. “Building Resilient Communities: Women and Sustainable Ecosystems” on July 30, 2024

 

On July 30, 2024, at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi, Moumita Sarkar, Co-Lead of SWAYAM, IWWAGE, participated in a thought-provoking panel discussion at a multi-stakeholder convening organised by the National Commission for Women – India, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) INDIA, and UN Women.

The session, titled “Social Protection through NRLM – Creating an Enabling Environment through Strengthened Community Institutions: Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM),” featured an exceptional panel, including Dr. Sarita Anand from ROSHNI – Centre of Women Collectives Led Social Action, Sarbani Bose from PRADAN, and Seema Bhaskaran from Transform Rural India. 

 

Moumita Sarkar explored the intricacies of gender-intentional design within DAY-NRLM, shedding light on SWAYAM’s technical and learning partnership. She shared valuable insights on gender-transformative pilots across various Indian states, emphasising the opportunities they create for grassroots women’s leadership and the pressing need for convergence.

The panel also addressed ongoing initiatives to standardise training resources, provide gender integration advisories, and develop gender operational strategies within DAY-NRLM.

Empowering Women at Work: Advancing the Care Economy

In an interview with People Matters, Sona Mitra underscores the importance of creating a care economy that empowers women. Despite being indispensable, the care economy—which includes childcare, elder care, and domestic work—often remains undervalued and overlooked.

Mitra emphasises the need to recognise and fairly compensate unpaid care work, which is predominantly undertaken by women.

Roundtable on ‘Climate Change and the Future of Women’s Work: A Crucial Dialogue’ on June 6, 2024

Roundtable on ‘Climate Change and the Future of Women’s Work: A Crucial Dialogue’ on June 6, 2024

 

On June 6, 2024, IWWAGE – an initiative of LEAD at Krea University – organised and hosted a roundtable on ‘Climate Change and the Future of Women’s Work’ in collaboration with The Quantum Hub (TQH). This event marked the fourth discussion in the ‘Women and the Future of Work Series’, jointly conceptualised by IWWAGE and TQH.

The discussion delved deeply into the unique and often disproportionate impacts of climate change on women, highlighting the ways in which environmental challenges exacerbate existing gender inequalities. Women, particularly in marginalised communities, are frequently at the forefront of the climate crisis, bearing the brunt of its consequences due to their roles in caregiving, household management, and reliance on natural resources for livelihoods.

A critical point of focus was the pressing need for supportive ecosystems and gender-specific programmes within climate policies. Such initiatives would ensure that women are not only protected from the adverse effects of climate change but also equipped to contribute meaningfully to solutions. Panellists underscored the importance of integrating women’s perspectives into climate planning and action, paving the way for more equitable and sustainable outcomes.

The discussion also addressed the unequal impact of climate change on the poorest countries, where limited resources and existing socio-economic vulnerabilities compound the challenges faced by women. The panellists advocated for targeted investments in gender-transformative infrastructure, including access to clean energy, water, and transportation, as well as the equitable distribution of resources and the implementation of flexible labour laws that accommodate the needs of women workers.

Intersectionality was a recurring theme, emphasising the importance of recognising and addressing the compounded disadvantages faced by women from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. By adopting intersectional approaches, climate strategies can better respond to the varied experiences of women, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Finally, the discussion highlighted the significance of equipping women with green skills and digital literacy to enable their active participation in the evolving workforce. As economies transition towards more sustainable practices, ensuring that women have the tools and knowledge to thrive in green industries is vital for achieving both gender equality and inclusive economic growth.

This dialogue underscored the urgent need to integrate gender perspectives into climate action strategies.

Related Resources

 

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE FUTURE OF WOMEN’S WORK

Implementation research study to understand DAY-NRLM’s institutional mechanisms and interventions to address Gender Based Violence

The Strengthening Women’s Institutions for Agency and Empowerment (SWAYAM) programme is being piloted in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha, in partnership with IWWAGE and DAY-NRLM. While DAY-NRLM is the largest government initiative working with rural women in India, the need remains to shift from solely engaging with women to adopting a gender equality and rights-based approach. This shift, through gender mainstreaming, aims to embed gender sensitivity across frameworks, institutions, and processes to achieve sustainable social, economic, and political goals.

Under SWAYAM, gender-responsive training has been provided to cadres and institutions, focusing on gender issues, legal rights, and entitlements. A key feature of the programme is the establishment of Gender Justice Centres (GRCs) at the block level, aimed at improving women’s access to rights and services, and addressing grievances related to violence.

IWWAGE, an initiative of LEAD at Krea University, conducted a qualitative study on the SWAYAM programme in these pilot states, focusing on its role in addressing Violence Against Women (VAW). The study aimed to understand women’s experiences with accessing services at GRCs and to explore how social norms and gender training impacted the community’s response to violence.

The research included interviews with 102 participants across four states, involving SHG women trained and untrained in gender, women who sought support from GRCs, Gender Champions, and men related to SHG members. The study provides insights into the effectiveness of the SWAYAM programme in transforming attitudes towards violence and fostering community intervention in VAW cases.

Understanding the gender norms leading to normalization and perpetuation of the spousal violence

The widespread normalization of spousal violence, particularly among women, as revealed by the latest NFHS (National Family Health Survey) data, is a major concern. In addition to numerous other factors leading to under reporting of spousal violence like lack of financial support, fear of social stigma and children’s well-being getting compromised, the normalization also prevent victims from resisting violence or seeking justice, leaving it unaddressed. Psychology suggests that victims often normalize spousal violence to maintain consistency between their attitudes and their tolerant behaviour[1]. This coping mechanism is influenced by some deeply rooted gender norms, in addition to the social stigma associated with divorce. Traditional beliefs regarding the social superiority of men over women, men’s right to discipline their female partners, and the acceptance of physical violence as means of resolving conflicts, contribute together to the occurrence of intimate partner violence. Moreover, the adherence to traditional gender roles within the household, the expectation that women would be submissive to the husband and her in-laws and women should prioritise their family’s health and well-being, the perception of physical intimacy as a male prerogative in marriage, coupled with the belief that a woman’s deviation from these social norms can justify violence inflicted on her as punishment, reinforce the prevalence of spousal violence.  These gender norms not only shape the attitudes and behaviours of the perpetrators but also influence the way in which the victims often perceive and address such acts of violence.

The NFHS collects data on the prevalence of spousal violence among married women and the attitudes of both spouses toward spousal violence. It assesses tolerance for spousal violence by examining spousal responses to questions about the justification of physical/domestic violence against the female spouse. These justifications often revolve around various grounds such as disrespecting in-laws, neglecting children, refusing sex, going out without permission, burning food, or arguing. The latest round of NFHS, conducted between 2019-21, reveals that around 35% of rural women and 30% of urban women reported to justify domestic violence on grounds of wife being disrespectful to their husband/in-laws. Women from the middle-income households are observed to normalise domestic violence relatively more as compared to upper-most and lower income classes, pointing towards the higher prevalence of regressive patriarchal norms among the middle-income households as compared to others. Although education can challenge these cultural beliefs, still 25% of women with higher level of education are found to justify domestic violence in cases of wives disrespecting their husbands. Patriarchal cultural beliefs have been found to be negatively correlated with women’s agency. For example, approximately 41% of women with no decision-making power justify domestic violence when the wife is disrespectful to her husband. This percentage decreases to 31% among women with some say in intra-household decision-making. Working women reportedly normalise domestic violence more as compared to non-working women as 38% of working women think that domestic violence is justified if the wife disrespects husband as compared to 32% of non-working women thinking so. This might be attributed to the ‘female guilt’ among the working women arising due to their thinking that care-giving and other domestic responsibilities are getting compromised for their work.  Also, younger women reportedly justified domestic violence relatively less as compared to the older age-cohort. As NFHS captured whether respondents justifies wife-beating on several grounds, it is found that wife-beating is justified by 31% women in rural areas and 27% women in urban areas if the wife neglects the children, 26% women in rural areas and 19% women in urban areas if the wife argues with her husband; 21% women in rural areas and 17% women in urban areas if the wife goes out without justifying; 13% women in rural areas and 10% women in urban areas if the wife refuses sex with husband; and 16% women in rural areas and 11% women in urban areas if the wife burns the food. As mentioned before, highly educated women are relatively liberated from the clutches of these regressive patriarchal norms. Thus, less women with higher level of education justified wife-beating as compared to women with no education or lower level of education, but still among these highly educated women, wife-beating is justified by 22% of them if the wives neglect children;  14% of them if the wife argues with the husband; 13% of them if the wife goes outside without justifying; 7% of them if the wife refuses sex with the husband; and 8% of them if the wife burns the food.

Whereas legitimising spousal violence reflect individual’s norms which again get influenced by the community norms, and as the community norms differ across societies and regions, an inter-state comparison of these statistics is worth looking into. The findings reveal that higher share of women legitimised spousal violence in southern states as compared to northern states on average. As neglecting children is observed to be the most common reason for justifying spousal violence at the national level, a single indicator based on the share of women legitimising spousal violence on this ground, is considered for the inter-state comparison. The highest share of women is found to justify spousal violence on the ground of neglecting children in Andhra Pradesh (70%), followed by Telangana (68%), Tamil Nadu (66%), Karnataka (53%), whereas the corresponding shares are relatively lower in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh (21%), Haryana (16%), Rajasthan (16%), Himachal Pradesh (10%), Jharkhand (11%), Punjab (14%). This contradicts the common perception of less entrenched patriarchal practices in southern region as compared to northern region. However, the issue of higher normalisation of spousal violence in southern region where more gender-equitable beliefs are expected due to higher levels of female education and other human development indicators, needs further investigation.

The normalization of spousal violence reinforces its perpetuation by preventing victims from seeking help. Recognizing spousal violence as a serious issue is the first step in the help-seeking process, and its normalization at the individual level delays or denies this recognition. Moreover, these regressive social norms often reflect broader societal issues, and their existence at the familial or societal level can negatively impact family and community support for women facing spousal violence. While these social norms can be resistant to change, well-designed interventions like mass media campaigns to bring positive socio-behavioural changes can effectively alter them. By conveying clear messages about healthy relationships, correcting misconceptions about masculinity and attaching a social stigma to harmful behaviours, these interventions can promote positive behavioural changes among couples.

This blog is written by Bidisha Mondal[1] works as a Senior Research Fellow with IWWAGE, Aneek Choudhury[2] works as a Research Associate with IWWAGE.