16 Jul Gender and Intersectionality: Takeaways from a Methods Workshop

Written by Aysha Jennath and Sofia Juliet Rajan

Some of us from the CLAPs project, spanning various locations, came together to participate in a four-day workshop on Gender, Equity, and Social Inclusion (GESI), in Sylhet, Bangladesh from March 1–4.

The workshop was led by Nitya Rao from the University of East Anglia and had sessions by Chandni Singh from IIHS,  Jelle Wouters from Royal Thimphu College, Bhutan, and Tasneem Siddique from the University of Dhaka.The sessions discussed methodologies like photovoice, ethnography, life history approaches, and participatory rural appraisal, focussing on how theories and methodologies from gender studies can be brought into climate adaptation and migration research.

The workshop was not just about learning, but also connecting with peers from various institutions across South Asia. 

Highlights from the Workshop

Day 1 set the stage with Chandni’s introductory session on adaptation in the context of compounding risks and cascading impacts. She ended the session with the question, “What does adaptation mean in a mobile and dynamic environment?”, which prompted us to reflect on the importance and need for robust assessment methods. Following this, Nitya Rao talked about the crucial role of gender in research, and challenged conventional perceptions of some research participants, for instance, that farmers and producers are neutral actors devoid of gender, age, or class distinctions, highlighting the shifting gender roles within the context of migration. These discussions framed our subsequent reflection on gender-based research questions, where we received constructive feedback from Nitya and other experts.

Day 2 delved deeper into the theme of agency as people/households diversify livelihoods and manage risk. Session facilitator Nitya Rao emphasised that while women often possess agency, it might not align with traditional portrayals. Her insights into financial agency through economic, social and cultural remittances, reshaped our understanding of migration dynamics. Following this discussion, we shared insights from the field where we have witnessed the impact of these remittances. For example, we talked about how migrant destinations influence the use of construction materials and styles in source locations, as seen in Odisha and high-altitude regions of Nepal and Bhutan. Later, Chandni led a session on adaptation, focusing on maladaptive responses and the role of interventions. The presentation of Sabarnee Tuladhar from ICIMOD, on human well-being indicators, underscored the multidimensional outcomes of climate-induced migration.

“I am very new to research. After completing my Master’s, I have been almost entirely focused on grassroots programme implementation. The methods and methodologies training in Sylhet was my first deep dive into qualitative research. The discussion on gender studies particularly struck a chord with me as it offered a new perspective on field issues I had observed but never analysed through a gender lens. I had heard of participatory approaches like life histories and photovoice, but this workshop gave me the opportunity to try them out myself. It has inspired me to learn more about these methods and use them in further research.”
-Kabir Rana, Gram Vikas

Day 3 began with Chandni’s session on life history interviewing as a research method, where she outlined the steps involved and demonstrated how this approach effectively captures changes over time. She shared a handy guide on life history methods, developed in the ASSAR project. Following this, Jelle introduced us to the fundamentals of ethnography, highlighting its role in understanding beyond-human relationships and relational cultural contexts. To understand this better, we read Lakes in Life: Mermaids and Anthropocenic Waters in the Bhutan Highlands. The day concluded with collaborative group work, where we identified sub-themes to explore within our broader research. Each group presented their ideas, locating common themes that transcended regional and disciplinary boundaries.

Day 4 commenced with Tasneem’s engaging session on photovoice, who explained how this method was applied in their research in Bangladesh, documenting lived experiences and perspectives. Nitya’s insightful presentation on the diary method and participatory approaches helped us understand how to integrate community voices into our research. The final session focused on synthesising themes from our previous group activities and preparing us to apply these methods in our ongoing research.

Key Takeaways and Reflections 

The workshop was a treasure trove of insights, showing us how to apply innovative methods like photovoice and life history in different contexts. Tasneem’s photovoice session brought community voices to life, and Chandni’s life history approach made us think about long-term changes in our research areas. Jelle’s ethnography insights emphasised the need to look beyond the cultural contexts.

Group sessions were the highlight, buzzing with ideas from varied backgrounds. We discovered common threads in migration stories across India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, and made us realise our interconnected challenges and opportunities. The influence of migration on local economies, like in Nepal and Bhutan, provided new perspectives on remittances.

“Having studied a little bit of gender studies back in my graduation days, the gender sessions with Nitya were really an eye opener for me and it was also sort of a revision, especially to see it in the context of migration, which Nitya did very well. Another session which I really enjoyed, and was looking forward to was, Tasneem’s, to see how photovoices could be used for our context in India.”
– Nabina Susanta Chakraborty, IIHS

The four-day workshop wasn’t just about learning, it was about connecting and seeing our work through a broader, inclusive lens. As we all go out into the field, these learning tools and insights  will be invaluable, helping us gather more nuanced data, and better understand the complex interplay of gender, social equity, and climate change. We hope this understanding will help us develop more impactful and context-sensitive approaches and interventions that address the real needs and challenges of the migrant communities we study.