Oxfam Research for Change Grant (Bangladesh)

Oxfam stands as a beacon of hope, advocating for a Bangladesh where every individual’s voice matters, and resilient communities thrive. Keeping this in mind, Oxfam is introducing the Oxfam Research for Change—Grant, offering independent researchers and post-graduate students an opportunity to pursue their research/thesis paper under the guidance and support of Oxfam’s extensive resources and network.

Objectives

• The research work undertaken with this grant will aim to meet one or more of the following objective(s):
  • Investigate barriers faced by women and / or gender diverse people in accessing economic opportunities. Understand the impact of gender norms; unequal, unpaid, or underpaid pay; and limited access, use and control over resources.
  • Identify patterns of economic exclusion. Propose strategies to enhance  participation of women and / or gender diverse people in formal and informal sectors. For instance, exploring micro-enterprises run by women or analyzing gender wage gaps or social capital of women’s self-help groups or networks.
  • Engage with women-led or gender-interest groups and collect stories of resilience. Understand their needs, including gender-differentiated needs, priorities, and aspirations. Co-create solutions that empower women and / or gender diverse people economically.
  • Study patterns and perceptions of gender-differentiated unpaid care and domestic work in either rural or urban context from the perspectives of men, women, employers, families, households, communities, policy makers, duty bearers and / or other relevant stakeholders. Propose interventions and policy reforms to recognize and address unpaid care and domestic work to build equitable and transformative care movements and equitable redistribution of care work.
  • Study the prevalence and impact of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) at workplaces, public places, or families or on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Explore factors contributing to SGBV.Use research findings to advocate for policies and practices that protect survivors of SGBV. Analyze or propose interventions such as compensation(s) for survivors of SGBV, community-based interventions to prevent such violence.
  • Investigate livelihoods of resource-poor women and / or gender diverse people, especially from the informal sector, such as street vendors, domestic workers, tea garden workers, female fisherfolk, females in agriculture, informal/ home-based RMG workers and gig economy participants. Map their work conditions, income, and vulnerabilities, including gender-differentiated vulnerabilities.
  • Assess existing policies, plans, legal frameworks and social safety nets for informal workers. Propose reforms to enhance their rights and well-being. Explore interventions and capacity development programs that can enhance informal workers’ skills, employability, agency, and social capital.
  • Analyze policies, plans and frameworks related to education, healthcare, social safety nets and social services from a gender justice and social inclusion lens. Assess their impact on marginalized communities (such as low-income women and girls, gender diverse people, persons with disabilities (PWD)s, indigenous peoples, fisherfolk women, Mantas, Dalits, Rishis, Kaiputras).
  • Use research insights to advocate for gender-responsive and inclusive policies, plans and frameworks and challenge discriminatory practices, gender, and social norms.

Benefits

• Funding: Top 8 Proposals will each receive a grant of 160,000 BDT (inclusive of all the costs of their fieldwork).
• Research Development: The Grant Recipients will be encouraged to identify and define a pressing issue, develop hypothesis, and find solutions to, within the realm of their work that will eventually contribute to at least any of the following fields- Women’s Economic Empowerment, SRHR SGBV (Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence), Informal and Underpaid Workers, Social Inclusion, Unpaid Care and Domestic Work in Bangladesh. The recipients will receive support from Oxfam to improve and finalize their initial research topics proposed during the application stage.
• Supervision and Mentorship: Mentorship is an integral component of the program. Each Grant Recipient will be introduced to their relevant program under Oxfam that aligns with their proposed research, where they will receive guidance, supervision, and necessary resources that they need to conduct their research.
• Networking: Recipients will have the opportunity to connect with individuals, organizations, and networks who have similar interests and goals, including activists, specialists, and other stakeholders at both the national and international levels.
• Capacity Strengthening: During the research process, the fellows will have the opportunity to set their learning objectives through collaborative discussions with their relevant programs, and afterwards, engage in focused efforts towards achieving these objectives over the duration of the research.
• Resources: The recipients will have access to Oxfam’s knowledge resources, network, research, and tools related to gender justice, climate justice, economic justice, humanitarian action, and disaster resilience.
• Note: For Independent Researchers, Oxfam will oversee their research supervision. For Students, Oxfam will be involved as a co-supervisor, along with their academic supervisor to ensure the relevance of the research with the project.

Eligibility Criteria 

• Must be a Bangladeshi national.
• Have a minimum bachelor’s degree (For Independent Researchers and University Graduates) or are currently enrolled in the master’s/planning for their postgraduate research proposal with academic backgrounds in Development Studies, Gender Studies, Public Administration, Public Policy and Governance, Social Welfare, Geography, Media and Mass Communication, Journalism, Business, International Relations, Economics, Environmental Science and Management, Disaster Management, Law, Sociology, Anthropology, Statistics, Public Health, Industrial Relations, Social Science, or any other relevant subjects.
• Sound understanding of Socio-Economic issues related to Bangladesh.
• Well habituated to writing research proposals, reports, and presentations.
• Openness to diverse opinions, and respect for the community.

For more information, visit Oxfam.