Theories of Change in Women’s Group Interventions are the Focus of Anderson’s New Research
Posted: 12/14/2023 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliate Dr. Leigh Anderson (Evans School of Public Policy and Governance) released research with co-authors in the Journal of Global Health, titled “Strengthening theories of change in women’s group interventions to improve learning“. Supporting women’s groups is increasingly seen as an important intervention strategy for advancing women’s empowerment, economic outcomes, and family health in low- and middle-income countries. Authors argue that learning from investments in women’s group platforms is often limited by the lack of a well-articulated, evaluable theory of change (ToC) developed by those designing the programmes. They review a portfolio of 46 women’s groups investments made by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation between 2005 and 2017 to understand the prevalence and clarity of evaluable theories of change, and propose a framework for these theories which they hope will support more learning.