Why this course? 

In the last two or three decades, Government and Non- Governmental programmes have been targeting women and women’s groups as a strategy to meet their development goals. However, many of these programmes use a service delivery approach or an inclusion lens that address the practical needs rather than the strategic needs of women. Such programmes often leave existing power structures underlying the world of work unaltered and unchallenged. This results in incremental benefits to women without any substantial change in their overall status in family, community and market. Development programmes sometimes also take an instrumentalist view of women’s role in economic development without investing sufficiently in women’s own agency, voice and visibility. As a result, the programmes often fall short of creating substantial transformative change on the ground.

Keeping these critical concerns in view, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru is offering a short course for development practitioners to address these issues and gaps, to enable practitioners to introspect on their own work and integrate a gender transformative approach in their programmes. The course will be offered in-person at the Bengaluru campus of the University.

What does this course offer? 

The course will explore how gender inequalities shape and influence labour and livelihoods, and the measures required for livelihood interventions to become gender transformative. 

The learning outcomes of the course are: 

• To discern how gender and power across family, community, state and market institutions impact livelihoods opportunities, choices, and outcomes
• To use an intersectional approach to examine the relationship between gender and labour
• To comprehend how to integrate gender lens in livelihoods interventions

Eligibility and Selection 

This course will be offered to organisations/​practitioners who work or intend to work in the domain of livelihoods. This includes individuals working in the livelihood programmes of Government and NGOs, consultants working in the livelihoods space, research scholars and journalists who write on these issues. The participants should have a minimum of 2 years of work experience in the development sector. The criteria are set keeping in mind the intent that the participant would be able to integrate the learnings from the course in their practice within their field and organisational contexts. All applicants must possess a working knowledge of English. Azim Premji University is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we encourage participants with different genders, disabilities and social backgrounds to apply.

Applicants will be shortlisted based on their eligibility. The last date for submitting applications is 10 May 2025. The selected candidates will be informed by 01 June 2025.

Certificate of Participation 

Participants should expect an engaging and interactive five-day programme focused on perspective building, reflection and participatory learning through group activities. Participants will receive a ​‘Certificate of Participation’ from Azim Premji University upon attending all the sessions.

Course Content

The course will explore the following thematic topics 

• Patriarchy, institutions, organising of women’s work
• Intersectionality and gendered work: Class, caste, disability and sexualities 
• Globalisation, informalisation and feminisation of work 
• Gender and technology 
• Measuring women’s work ‑Time use studies
• Gender budgeting
• Gender mainstreaming in livelihoods

For any questions, please write to gender.​livelihoods@​apu.​edu.​in