This document discusses feminist theories of change and provides an example theory of change for increasing rural women's land rights in India over 20 years. It defines feminism as recognizing and taking action against women's subordinate position in society. Important elements of feminism include addressing women's subordination, all forms of oppression like patriarchy and capitalism, and changing institutions. A theory of change articulates how interventions could lead to specific changes. It outlines the context, desired change, change process, actions and actors, risks, and indicators. A feminist theory of change focuses on identities and marginalized women, takes time and resources, and aims to change power structures at various levels from grassroots to global. The example theory

1. 20 Years On: How do we get the changes we
want to see? Feminist theories of change
Prepared for GAATW, September, 24, 2014
by Ranjani.K.Murthy
Advisory Team Member
Engendering Policy Through Evaluation,
ISST, IDRC, Ford Foundation

2. Objectives
Feminism
Theory of
change (TOC)
Draft TOC
for our
work

3. What is feminism?
5 minutes
Anyone who recognizes that women occupy a
subordinate position in society, and who takes
transformative action against this subordination
is a feminist
(Adapted, Kamla Bhasin, n.d)

4. Important elements of feminism
Women’s
subordination and
emancipation
All forms of
oppression
PatriarchyCapitalism
Changing
Institutions
Age
Race
Ethnicity
Caste
Minority
Religion
Sexual
orientation
Gender
identity
Power
Agency

5. What is theory of change?
(5 minutes)
• Stand on a line game
• Articulation of how a given intervention could
lead to specific change.

6. What is theory of change
(adapted Stein and Valters, 2012, Kapur, 2014)
Context
Desired change
Change process
Actions and Actors
Risks and strategies to overcome
Indicators

8. Feminist theory of change
• From a feminist lens-individual, relationships, institutions-
identities
• By marginalized women and stakeholders who work in their
interest. Ownership.
• Time. Resources
• Both a political process and product
• Change at grassroots, country, regional or global
Adapted: Stein and Valters, 2012, Hay, 2012

9. Placing power and institutions at the center
(adapted from Kabeer, 1994, Murthy and Rao, 1997)
Family
community
markets
State
Inter-state
Individual
Context
Desired
change
Change
process
Actions and
actors
Risks and
strategies
Changes in
gender/
social
relations
Time
Resourc
es
Modify

10. Why feminist theory of change?
LearningDescriptionM and EPlanning

11. Example: TOC Land rights of rural
women in India: 20 years
Context Desired change Change pro. Actions Risks/counter
Women: not aware
of land rights-9%
own-
Fly: Patrilineal/
Patrilocal , want
brother’s support
Community:
skewed distribution
of land
State/mkt:
acquiring
land; not
implementing laws;
Inter-state: no
convention on right
to land and food
sovereignty
Decreased rural
landlessness, and
increased
ownership and
control of
marginalised
women over land;
Girls/women/men
are aware on land
rights
Women begin
claiming right to
land from family,
state and loan from
markets
Family/Community/
relgiious leaders
accept inheritance
rights of women
State/UN passes
Act/Convention of
right to land ,
min. land for land
rights and
prevention of land
grab
Lobbying to include
land rights in
curriculum of
Schools, SHGs,
unions, mass orgn
Legal support, loan
and group support
available for rural
women (individual
and collective)
Men, community
and religious
leaders sensitised
to land rights
Lobbying by
women’s rights
groups and
sustainable agri
groups with
Risks
Backlash from
capitalists/MNCs/p
oliticians
Backlash from
husbands and
community leaders
Counter
Mass orgn. of
marginalised
women as a
political force
Work with women
elected to local
government
Mass orgn. to form
alliance with fair
trade and human

12. Large-group game: Safe Migration
2. Desired
change
3. Change
process
1. Context
4. Actions and
Actors
Risks and countering strategies
Exper.
Assum
ptions
Theory

13. Analysis of TOC underpinning UN
Women’s anti trafficking programme
• What you may like to add from a feminist
lens?
• What you may like to leave from a feminist
lens?
• What is different in how they have drafted the
TOC ?

14. UN Women’s Anti- Human Trafficking
Programme
Strengths
Goal
Outcomes
Convergence/
Scaling up
Additions
Socialist
feminist
perspective
Institutional
analysis
Demand side
Risks and
countering
strategies

15. We will continue in the parallel session 6 on
“Feminist Monitoring and Evaluation”