Description
International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is looking for an enthusiastic gender research assistant with feminist political ecology/economy training to join the CGIAR Gender Platform funded project, Doing Science with Society (DSWS): Transforming Transdisciplinary Research Methods for Inclusive Climate Interventions. The selected consultant will be provided training in the use of a transdisciplinary, ethnographic, digital tool, SenseMaker and will be expected to join a young dynamic team of researchers and practitioners to understand how agrarian challenges in Bihar are exacerbated by the overlap of social, economic, political inequalities and climate challenges.
Using a transdisciplinary, ethnographic, digital tool called SenseMaker, the projectaimsto analyze how marginalized groups, particularly women in six districts in Bihar deal with climate-food-water systems challenges. The project will adapt the SenseMaker tool, by building in an intersectional gender lens and validate the applicability of an adapted SenseMaker tool to:
- collect and collate individual, gendered experiences of diverse smallholders (end-users) capturing the diversity of agriculture challenges in the face of multidimensional inequalities,
- enable key institutional actors (stakeholders) to reflect on how subjective biases shaped by gender norms (might) impact how climate interventions are designed, implemented and evaluated,
- bring together (i) end-users and (ii) stakeholders to collaboratively “make-sense” of the mismatch between institutional interventions and experiences of climate vulnerability and resilience, and
- bring together experiential and expert knowledge to inform more inclusive climate interventions and solutions.
Applying a Gender Transformative Approach
Gender equity and social inclusion are a core component in IWMI’s strategic programs by ensuring that research projects, water investments, innovations, and interventions recognize the multiple complexities of inequality and exclusion within the food-water-climate-social system. IWMI’s Gender and Inclusion Strategy 2020-2023 informs this project, and we expect the potential candidate to familiarize with the Strategy’s three foundational principles:
- recognizing the intersectional nature of gender inequality: Disparities in age, disability, ethnicity, religion, caste, and class intersect with unequal rights, responsibilities, resources, and opportunities across genders. This results in disparities in power, privilege, asset ownership, risk burden, and unequal opportunities for diverse groups of women, men, and other gender identities.
- explore solutions for fixing systems instead of just focusing on fixing women: Access to, use and rights to water, land, and other natural resources are cross-cut by gender-power disparities at scale. Transformative change requires “fixing the system” rather than just “fixing women and men”. Unpacking these issues requires deeply engaging with diverse stakeholders to identify key institutional and policy bottlenecks, and biases that shape persisting inequalities.
- Transdisciplinary Research Approaches and Methods: A gender transformative approach requires mapping plural experiences and lived knowledges (including of climate experiences), identifying systemic bottle necks and reversing barriers that perpetuate systemic inequalities in societies.
Scope of Work
- Conduct detailed literature review
- Collect and analyze primary data: conduct interviews with a variety of end-users and stakeholders
- Summarize and keep records of interviews, dialogues, focus group discussions, and other project documentation
- Assist the Project team in producing and disseminating project outputs and deliverables
- Initiate, establish and sustain positive relationships with end-users and institutional stakeholders, be the first point of contact to answer all enquiries from end-users and stakeholders
- Assist the implementation partner, SumArth with logistical organizing of meetings, workshops, dialogues and focus group discussions, including community-based meetings to discuss research findings with the end-users
- Monitor all field-related concerns and share these with the project team, and Project Lead, as necessary and relevant
- Represent IWMI locally in various platforms and networks, as and when necessary
During the scope of implementation of DSWS, additional tasks may emerge. The Project Leader may assign these additional tasks, if relevant to the expertise of the Consultant, and if workload permits.
Duration: Five (05) months from February to June 2022
Your application must include a summary curriculum vitae (no more than 2 pages) and a cover letter (no more than 1 page) which tells us why you are the best candidate for this position, and contact information of three professional referees who may be contacted if you are short-listed for the position. Do include one example of your past research or writing.
This is a nationally hired consultant position and only citizens of India are eligible to apply.
Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Requirements
The successful candidate will possess the following:
Essential
- A completed master’s degree in gender studies, sociology, political science, development, anthropology or equivalent
- A minimum of 5 years practical experience in gender and development research in India
- Solid experience in working with local partners, with local communities and grassroots actors
- Excellent communication in English and Hindi and excellent report writing skills in English
- Excellent proficiency in MS Office
- Strong analytical and organizational skills
- Must be a team player with the ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines
Desirable
- Excellent writing, communication, and analytical skills
- Proven organizational skills and the ability to work on multiple tasks simultaneously
- Skilled in internet applications including online database applications
- Experience in planning and implementing monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for projects and portfolios of projects required.
Benefits
IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.
