Oak Foundation (GenderSphere subcontracted by Gender at Work)
India | 2018–2020
From October 2018 to January 2020, we led a 14-month capacity-strengthening initiative with grassroots civil society organisations (CSOs) in Jharkhand, India. The project aimed to deepen the strategic, programmatic, and organisational capacities of local partners — Samvad, Jharkhand Anti-Trafficking Network (JATN), and Ibtida — in order to build a stronger, more resilient civil society ecosystem committed to gender equality and social justice.
Through a series of action-learning based workshops, reflective exercises, and facilitated dialogues, we supported each organisation and network to:
- Revisit their missions and values, and align them with current challenges and aspirations;
- Strengthen second-line leadership, especially among women and young staff;
- Analyze and transform organisational power dynamics, promoting inclusive, equitable, and participatory workplace cultures;
- Develop tools and strategies for communication, fundraising, and human resource management;
- Map network histories and journeys, and co-create shared visions and strategic plans.
Each partner received two customised workshops, supported by joint learning spaces such as a common platform and steering committee. The workshops introduced tools such as the Gender at Work Analytical Framework, 4R Framework, Non-Violent Communication, and Five Dysfunctions of a Team, among others. These tools enabled participants to reflect on their personal and organisational practices, and design actionable strategies for change.
While the project successfully initiated critical shifts at the individual, organisational, and network levels, it also surfaced important learning — including the need for sustained engagement, peer learning, field-level mentoring, and greater ownership from partner organisations.
