The Gender Equity and Demographic Research Project (GENDER Project)

Situation or Background
Women and girls in India experience substantial gender-based inequities, with compromised health, well-being, and opportunities compared to men. These problems are longstanding, and slow to shift. Uncovering the complex dynamics that inform these power imbalances, as well as the mechanisms most able to catalyze change, requires a deeper understanding of the ways agency and norms shape the unique experiences of women and girls in India.

Our Goal or What We’re Doing
The goal of the GENDER Project is to understand the causes, relationships, and consequences of complex gender inequities, particularly how agency and norms influence women’s reproductive health and their economic wellbeing in India.

Approach or Methodology
We accomplish this by leveraging existing data sources and applying novel, contextually-grounded, and interdisciplinary analytic approaches. Building off our first phase of work, this project continues a multi-pronged research, policy, and capacity building approach in partnership with the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai.

Impact and What We’re Learning
By focusing on choice and opportunities as well as the norms that exist around all of us and influence our behaviors, we can translate our research into actionable programming and policy-relevant insights that lead to a more rigorous understanding of what works to improve women’s health and wellbeing in India. Promoting equity through data-driven solutions gives women and girls the opportunity to thrive.

Resources

Free online course: “Gender Empowerment Concepts, Measures, and Data”