Hello! We are Ghada Jiha and Bessa Whitmore, Program Co-Chairs of the Feminist Issues in Evaluation Topical Interest Group (Feminist TIG).
The TIG was established to highlight and promote feminist approaches in the field of evaluation. Feminist approaches acknowledge multiple perspectives and realities by examining the intersections of gender, race, class and sexuality in the context of power. They offer evaluators distinct ways of thinking, ways that are participatory, inclusive, empowering, that give voice to otherwise “unheard” and “invisible” groups, and that seek to further social justice agendas.
Rad Resources: In a year celebrating the Year of Evaluation and Exemplary Evaluations in a Multicultural World, the Feminist TIG takes this opportunity to highlight select panels and presentations at AEA 2015.
- The “L” in Feminist Approaches to MEL: A Cross-organizational Reflection on Learning from the International Development Arena. Evaluators from CARE, Oxfam and UN Women will share how each organization has pursued “learning” with a feminist lens in the context of MEL as well as discuss innovations and challenges. (Nov. 12, 1:00 – 1:45 pm)
- Framing Evaluations for At-Risk Groups in South Asia. Presenters will share the results of a study on maternal and child health issues among 172 sex workers in Kolkata, India and the findings of a paper exploring the lived realities of 39 highly vulnerable and trafficked girls. Using child-friendly, innovative participatory methods in their work, evaluators developed a framework to address this invisible population. (Nov. 12, 1:00 -1:45 pm)
- Enhancing investigations of women’s empowerment: The papers in this session will showcase rigorous evaluation methods used to measure impacts on gender equality and women’s empowerment in international development programs. (Nov. 12, 7:00 – 7:45 am)
- Dealing with power issues in evaluation: a multicultural approach from Latin America. In recent years, public policies in Latin America have been developed to respond to indigenous exclusion and discrimination. These policies, however, have not addressed underlying power structures such as gender relations. Drawing on experiences from Bolivia, Chile and Guatemala, this panel will offer reflections, strategies and lessons learned on dealing with and managing power issues in evaluation. (Nov. 14, 10:45-11:30 am)
- Skills-building workshop: Poetry as a Mode of Inquiry and Presentation. Led by Sharon Brisolara, a poet and prominent feminist evaluator, participants will explore poetry as a mode of inquiry in evaluation. The session will demonstrate multiple ways of integrating poetry into various stages of the evaluation process and provide guidance on poem selection and use. (Nov. 13, 3:30-4:15 pm)
Please join us at our TIG business meeting on Thursday, November 12, 6:20 – 7:10 pm to learn more and connect with us.
The American Evaluation Association is celebrating Feminist Issues in Evaluation (FIE) TIG Week with our colleagues in the FIE Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our FIE TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.
Hello,
A feminist perspective in evaluation is empowering and as you mentioned, can further social justice. Latin America is a nation that continues to diminish and discriminate evaluation for woman, and woman rights over all. My parents were first generation immigrants from Mexico, and I grew up very culturally and deprived of anything except a kitchen. It is vital to continue to make efforts to equalize the rights and participation of women in program evaluation.
Sincerely,
Kelly
The base of all the problematic to my opinion would be ,not that men are treated better or woman are treated better than man (depending on the social structure and believes on where that may be taking place), is about understanding that we all are physiologically different but elsewhere equal. Is society who has placed rules and roles which we all follow and allow to be.
Good afternoon! My name is Kaitlyn Osborne and I am a last semester student at Texas A&M University-Central Texas. My degree will be in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. Although, I’ll be the first one to cry injustice when it comes to women’s rights, my eyes were recently opened to how unfair this world is to men. Bear with me. Yes, men have many rights that women don’t. For instance, a man having higher pay for the same job or even something as simple as a woman being ignored and skipped over for a man when walking into gun store. Yes, that recently happened to me when I went to purchase a gun. However, men endure social injustice just like us women. Example, you ask? When a woman is raped, she has so many resources to turn to whereas a man is shamed into keeping quiet. Another one? Men have to sign up for selective service when he turns 18 while a woman does not. One more off the top of my head, when in a woman is in an abusive relationship, she has several shelters to turn to. A man, however, only has a shelter to turn to if he has children with him. I’m all for equality, however, it has to be equality for both sides. Not just one. I think your program sounds great if it truly is speaking for all unheard voices!