Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed
ISSUE 130 • MARCH 2017 Globally, paid care work, such as care for children or the elderly is a fa... more ISSUE 130 • MARCH 2017 Globally, paid care work, such as care for children or the elderly is a fast-growing sector of the market economy. Yet, it remains undervalued by governments and citizens in both monetary and societal terms which has damaging implications for women's economic empowerment and gender relations more broadly. In order to shape new political responses to the Sustainable Development Goal 5's targets on unpaid care and domestic work, it is critical to make the connections between paid and unpaid care work and its impact on gender equality and women's rights. Without reinforcing care work as 'women's work', such responses should promote decent work for women and men in the care sector, invest in care workers, and acknowledge the global dimension of care work.
This article looks at how the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has participated in, contrib... more This article looks at how the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has participated in, contributed to, and been shaped by debates around gender and sexuality. Through interviews with key participants in the gender and sexuality research story of IDS, we explore certain periods and themes over the last four decades. These are the introduction of gender research at IDS in the 1970s, the development of the MA Gender and Development (GAD) in partnership with the University of Sussex in the late 1980s; the co-construction of knowledge with the development of BRIDGE in the 1990s; and the Pathways of Women's Empowerment programme, gender myths and sexuality, and the emergence of work on men and masculinity from 2000. These selected stories highlight the particular strength of IDS' convening role in creating the spaces for academics, activists and others to come together to politicise the dialogues by revealing normative assumptions often taken for granted in gender and sexuality.
Critical African studies, Sep 2, 2017
It is impossible to deny that across the continent – from Saraba Magazine1 in Nigeria to Kenya-ba... more It is impossible to deny that across the continent – from Saraba Magazine1 in Nigeria to Kenya-based collective Jalada,2 there is a rise in online platforms for publishing and consuming literature from Africa. Within this digital landscape there are digital initiatives such as 3Bute3 and Okadabooks4 – and let’s not forget blogs, such as US-based Brittle Paper5 – who curate African literary content for readers. Even publishers, such as Nigeria-based Cassava Republic, are focusing more on digital literature with the launch of Ankara Press6 and its digital distribution of romance novels. These different platforms connect readers to new writing on the continent – writing that more accurately reflects their own lived realities – and in innovative ways. They also all play a key role in shaping the way that African fiction is produced and consumed within Africa, as well as in the Diaspora. Bearing in mind these changes, this article explores the landscape of online literary platforms in Africa and the role they play in shaping the contemporary African literary scene. It does this by drawing on secondary sources, as well as primary interviews with key players in the field to get further insight into this rise. Having established this, the paper hones in on African languages, and how digital technologies have enabled the production of multiple languages simultaneously for readers in various African countries. Through this, the article suggests that digital platforms give importance and value to Africans when it comes to the production and consumption of African literature.
ISSUE 105 • DECEMBER 2015 "In work with men and boys, it is often perceived by the women's rights... more ISSUE 105 • DECEMBER 2015 "In work with men and boys, it is often perceived by the women's rights movements, and feminist scholars, that there is the risk that feminist concerns about women's rights will be quietly moved to the periphery of the policy agenda." Key tensions between women's movements and work with men
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS ... more IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing processes. This material has been developed under the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme. The material has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government, however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies. AG Level 2 Output ID: 78 Contents Abbreviations 1 Introduction 2 Political economy context of Uganda 3 Unpaid care work and the policy environment in Uganda 3.1 Time diaries 3.2 Reflect sessions 3.3 Policy mapping 4 Building an advocacy strategy in Uganda 4.1 Designing a framework for unpaid care work in Uganda: naming, framing, claiming, programming 4.2 Stakeholder mapping 4.3 Follow-up activities 5 International learning workshop 6 Uganda's draft advocacy strategy 7 Successes, challenges and key lessons learnt 7.1 Successes 7.2 Challenges 7.3 Key lessons learnt 8 Future directions Bibliography Boxes Box 4.1 Participants naming care in different local languages Box 4.2 Framing unpaid care work Abbreviations
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS ... more IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing processes. This material has been developed under the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme. Input was provided by Men's Association for Gender Equality-Sierra Leone (MAGE-SL). The material has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government, however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies. AG Level 2 Output ID: 109 Contents Acknowlegements Abbreviations 4 Critical themes 4.1 The civil war: catalyst for critical awareness 4.2 The economic basis of inequality in households 4.3 Law and policy reform 4.4 Inadequate government and donor support 4.5 Knowledge sharing 5 Key actors, opportunities and challenges: stakeholder mapping 5.1 Collective action 5.2 Men's groups 5.3 The police 6 Why is it important for men to be involved? 6.1 What works? 7 Concluding summary Annex 1 List of participants (Freetown) 21 Annex 2 List of participants (Moyamba) 22 Annex 3 Workshop agenda 23 References 24 Particular thanks go to our partner, the Men's Association for Gender Equality-Sierra Leone (MAGE-SL) for all its support in organising and co-hosting the workshops in Freetown and Moyamba from which this report draws information. Thanks also go to the participants of the two workshops. Thank you to Deepta Chopra, as well as other staff at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) for their helpful support and guidance. Finally, thanks also go to the UK Department for International Development (DFID), for supporting this process through the IDS Accountable Grant.
This current study explores the everyday lives of male and female domestic workers in Lagos, Nige... more This current study explores the everyday lives of male and female domestic workers in Lagos, Nigeria. Drawing on narrative interviews with 63 domestic workers, in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 employers and fiction-based research, it aims to understand the terrains of struggle and negotiation in the places people work, live and move through on a daily basis. This thesis is also concerned with the ways in which intersecting identities of gender, age, social class and ethnicity shape the experiences of workers. To do this, a framework of everyday life is used, drawing on the work of Susie Scott (2009) that consists of rituals and routines (specific practices), social order (rules that organise these practices) and challenging the taken-for-granted (norm-breaking acts). The three empirical chapters are explored in terms of these three themes. The first one explores how female live-in domestic workers’ everyday experiences of control and resistance are shaped by discourses around perceptions of their sexual availability - which is heavily impacted by the fact that they work and reside within the private space of the home. This is followed by discussions on how female live-outs who are mothers challenge the notion that paid domestic workers should only have obligations to the employing household and not to their own households, but what living out then means for these women – long daily commutes and balancing their paid domestic work with their unpaid domestic responsibilities. The final Chapter analyses how male domestic workers challenge the construction of their masculinity by employers as simultaneously safe and dangerous. Combined, they enable me to make sense of everyday life in paid domestic work and why it is important to do so.
Campbell Systematic Reviews
Revista Internacional del Trabajo
International Labour Review, 2022
Responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles rests solely with their authors, and pub... more Responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the ILO.
Human Rights Documents Online
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS ... more IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing processes. This material has been developed under the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme. The development of this material has been led by the Institute of Development Studies and the Men's Association for Gender Equality-Sierra Leone who jointly hold the copyright. The material has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government, however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies. AG Level 2 Output ID: 110 Contents Abbreviations Acknowledgements Executive summary 1 Introduction 2 Research background 2.1 The gendered legacy of conflict 2.2 International and national policy responses to promote gender equality 2.3 Gender in conflict and post-conflict contexts 3 Methodology 3.1 A three-stage data collection process 3.2 Ethical considerations 3.3 Data analysis 3.4 Study limitations 4 Key findings 4.1 Tracing the roots of violence 4.1.1 During the war: the creation of a movement of men for gender equality 4.1.2 After the war: 'People will say, "Act like a man!"' 4.1.3 Conflict(ing) masculinities 4.1.4 Spatiality and limits to the law 4.
Human Rights Documents Online
ISSUE 105 • DECEMBER 2015 "In work with men and boys, it is often perceived by the women's rights... more ISSUE 105 • DECEMBER 2015 "In work with men and boys, it is often perceived by the women's rights movements, and feminist scholars, that there is the risk that feminist concerns about women's rights will be quietly moved to the periphery of the policy agenda." Key tensions between women's movements and work with men
IDS Bulletin, 2016
This article looks at how the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has participated in, contrib... more This article looks at how the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has participated in, contributed to, and been shaped by debates around gender and sexuality. Through interviews with key participants in the gender and sexuality research story of IDS, we explore certain periods and themes over the last four decades. These are the introduction of gender research at IDS in the 1970s, the development of the MA Gender and Development (GAD) in partnership with the University of Sussex in the late 1980s; the co-construction of knowledge with the development of BRIDGE in the 1990s; and the Pathways of Women's Empowerment programme, gender myths and sexuality, and the emergence of work on men and masculinity from 2000. These selected stories highlight the particular strength of IDS' convening role in creating the spaces for academics, activists and others to come together to politicise the dialogues by revealing normative assumptions often taken for granted in gender and sexuality.
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS ... more IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing processes. This material has been developed under the Inclusive Urbanisation and Cities theme.
Conclusions and recommendations 5.1 Summative conclusions 5.2 Specific recommendations emerging f... more Conclusions and recommendations 5.1 Summative conclusions 5.2 Specific recommendations emerging from the study Annex 1 Research questions Annex 2 Consent form Annex 3 Collective actors involved in the study References Boxes Box 4.1 FEMNET's regional strategy to instigate men's engagement in gender issues This report was written by Jerker Edström, Chimaraoke Izugbara, Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed and Phil E. Otieno, with Mia Granvik and Sarah Matindi. The study builds on earlier joint learning with local actors during 2013 and we would particularly like to thank the many participants in this joint analysis:
Gender, Development and Care, 2018
ISSUE 130 • MARCH 2017 Globally, paid care work, such as care for children or the elderly is a fa... more ISSUE 130 • MARCH 2017 Globally, paid care work, such as care for children or the elderly is a fast-growing sector of the market economy. Yet, it remains undervalued by governments and citizens in both monetary and societal terms which has damaging implications for women's economic empowerment and gender relations more broadly. In order to shape new political responses to the Sustainable Development Goal 5's targets on unpaid care and domestic work, it is critical to make the connections between paid and unpaid care work and its impact on gender equality and women's rights. Without reinforcing care work as 'women's work', such responses should promote decent work for women and men in the care sector, invest in care workers, and acknowledge the global dimension of care work.
This article looks at how the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has participated in, contrib... more This article looks at how the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has participated in, contributed to, and been shaped by debates around gender and sexuality. Through interviews with key participants in the gender and sexuality research story of IDS, we explore certain periods and themes over the last four decades. These are the introduction of gender research at IDS in the 1970s, the development of the MA Gender and Development (GAD) in partnership with the University of Sussex in the late 1980s; the co-construction of knowledge with the development of BRIDGE in the 1990s; and the Pathways of Women's Empowerment programme, gender myths and sexuality, and the emergence of work on men and masculinity from 2000. These selected stories highlight the particular strength of IDS' convening role in creating the spaces for academics, activists and others to come together to politicise the dialogues by revealing normative assumptions often taken for granted in gender and sexuality.
Critical African studies, Sep 2, 2017
It is impossible to deny that across the continent – from Saraba Magazine1 in Nigeria to Kenya-ba... more It is impossible to deny that across the continent – from Saraba Magazine1 in Nigeria to Kenya-based collective Jalada,2 there is a rise in online platforms for publishing and consuming literature from Africa. Within this digital landscape there are digital initiatives such as 3Bute3 and Okadabooks4 – and let’s not forget blogs, such as US-based Brittle Paper5 – who curate African literary content for readers. Even publishers, such as Nigeria-based Cassava Republic, are focusing more on digital literature with the launch of Ankara Press6 and its digital distribution of romance novels. These different platforms connect readers to new writing on the continent – writing that more accurately reflects their own lived realities – and in innovative ways. They also all play a key role in shaping the way that African fiction is produced and consumed within Africa, as well as in the Diaspora. Bearing in mind these changes, this article explores the landscape of online literary platforms in Africa and the role they play in shaping the contemporary African literary scene. It does this by drawing on secondary sources, as well as primary interviews with key players in the field to get further insight into this rise. Having established this, the paper hones in on African languages, and how digital technologies have enabled the production of multiple languages simultaneously for readers in various African countries. Through this, the article suggests that digital platforms give importance and value to Africans when it comes to the production and consumption of African literature.
ISSUE 105 • DECEMBER 2015 "In work with men and boys, it is often perceived by the women's rights... more ISSUE 105 • DECEMBER 2015 "In work with men and boys, it is often perceived by the women's rights movements, and feminist scholars, that there is the risk that feminist concerns about women's rights will be quietly moved to the periphery of the policy agenda." Key tensions between women's movements and work with men
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS ... more IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing processes. This material has been developed under the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme. The material has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government, however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies. AG Level 2 Output ID: 78 Contents Abbreviations 1 Introduction 2 Political economy context of Uganda 3 Unpaid care work and the policy environment in Uganda 3.1 Time diaries 3.2 Reflect sessions 3.3 Policy mapping 4 Building an advocacy strategy in Uganda 4.1 Designing a framework for unpaid care work in Uganda: naming, framing, claiming, programming 4.2 Stakeholder mapping 4.3 Follow-up activities 5 International learning workshop 6 Uganda's draft advocacy strategy 7 Successes, challenges and key lessons learnt 7.1 Successes 7.2 Challenges 7.3 Key lessons learnt 8 Future directions Bibliography Boxes Box 4.1 Participants naming care in different local languages Box 4.2 Framing unpaid care work Abbreviations
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS ... more IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing processes. This material has been developed under the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme. Input was provided by Men's Association for Gender Equality-Sierra Leone (MAGE-SL). The material has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government, however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies. AG Level 2 Output ID: 109 Contents Acknowlegements Abbreviations 4 Critical themes 4.1 The civil war: catalyst for critical awareness 4.2 The economic basis of inequality in households 4.3 Law and policy reform 4.4 Inadequate government and donor support 4.5 Knowledge sharing 5 Key actors, opportunities and challenges: stakeholder mapping 5.1 Collective action 5.2 Men's groups 5.3 The police 6 Why is it important for men to be involved? 6.1 What works? 7 Concluding summary Annex 1 List of participants (Freetown) 21 Annex 2 List of participants (Moyamba) 22 Annex 3 Workshop agenda 23 References 24 Particular thanks go to our partner, the Men's Association for Gender Equality-Sierra Leone (MAGE-SL) for all its support in organising and co-hosting the workshops in Freetown and Moyamba from which this report draws information. Thanks also go to the participants of the two workshops. Thank you to Deepta Chopra, as well as other staff at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) for their helpful support and guidance. Finally, thanks also go to the UK Department for International Development (DFID), for supporting this process through the IDS Accountable Grant.
This current study explores the everyday lives of male and female domestic workers in Lagos, Nige... more This current study explores the everyday lives of male and female domestic workers in Lagos, Nigeria. Drawing on narrative interviews with 63 domestic workers, in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 employers and fiction-based research, it aims to understand the terrains of struggle and negotiation in the places people work, live and move through on a daily basis. This thesis is also concerned with the ways in which intersecting identities of gender, age, social class and ethnicity shape the experiences of workers. To do this, a framework of everyday life is used, drawing on the work of Susie Scott (2009) that consists of rituals and routines (specific practices), social order (rules that organise these practices) and challenging the taken-for-granted (norm-breaking acts). The three empirical chapters are explored in terms of these three themes. The first one explores how female live-in domestic workers’ everyday experiences of control and resistance are shaped by discourses around perceptions of their sexual availability - which is heavily impacted by the fact that they work and reside within the private space of the home. This is followed by discussions on how female live-outs who are mothers challenge the notion that paid domestic workers should only have obligations to the employing household and not to their own households, but what living out then means for these women – long daily commutes and balancing their paid domestic work with their unpaid domestic responsibilities. The final Chapter analyses how male domestic workers challenge the construction of their masculinity by employers as simultaneously safe and dangerous. Combined, they enable me to make sense of everyday life in paid domestic work and why it is important to do so.
Campbell Systematic Reviews
Revista Internacional del Trabajo
International Labour Review, 2022
Responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles rests solely with their authors, and pub... more Responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the ILO.
Human Rights Documents Online
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS ... more IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing processes. This material has been developed under the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme. The development of this material has been led by the Institute of Development Studies and the Men's Association for Gender Equality-Sierra Leone who jointly hold the copyright. The material has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government, however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies. AG Level 2 Output ID: 110 Contents Abbreviations Acknowledgements Executive summary 1 Introduction 2 Research background 2.1 The gendered legacy of conflict 2.2 International and national policy responses to promote gender equality 2.3 Gender in conflict and post-conflict contexts 3 Methodology 3.1 A three-stage data collection process 3.2 Ethical considerations 3.3 Data analysis 3.4 Study limitations 4 Key findings 4.1 Tracing the roots of violence 4.1.1 During the war: the creation of a movement of men for gender equality 4.1.2 After the war: 'People will say, "Act like a man!"' 4.1.3 Conflict(ing) masculinities 4.1.4 Spatiality and limits to the law 4.
Human Rights Documents Online
ISSUE 105 • DECEMBER 2015 "In work with men and boys, it is often perceived by the women's rights... more ISSUE 105 • DECEMBER 2015 "In work with men and boys, it is often perceived by the women's rights movements, and feminist scholars, that there is the risk that feminist concerns about women's rights will be quietly moved to the periphery of the policy agenda." Key tensions between women's movements and work with men
IDS Bulletin, 2016
This article looks at how the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has participated in, contrib... more This article looks at how the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has participated in, contributed to, and been shaped by debates around gender and sexuality. Through interviews with key participants in the gender and sexuality research story of IDS, we explore certain periods and themes over the last four decades. These are the introduction of gender research at IDS in the 1970s, the development of the MA Gender and Development (GAD) in partnership with the University of Sussex in the late 1980s; the co-construction of knowledge with the development of BRIDGE in the 1990s; and the Pathways of Women's Empowerment programme, gender myths and sexuality, and the emergence of work on men and masculinity from 2000. These selected stories highlight the particular strength of IDS' convening role in creating the spaces for academics, activists and others to come together to politicise the dialogues by revealing normative assumptions often taken for granted in gender and sexuality.
IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS ... more IDS is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 877338). The IDS programme on Strengthening Evidence-based Policy works across seven key themes. Each theme works with partner institutions to co-construct policy-relevant knowledge and engage in policy-influencing processes. This material has been developed under the Inclusive Urbanisation and Cities theme.
Conclusions and recommendations 5.1 Summative conclusions 5.2 Specific recommendations emerging f... more Conclusions and recommendations 5.1 Summative conclusions 5.2 Specific recommendations emerging from the study Annex 1 Research questions Annex 2 Consent form Annex 3 Collective actors involved in the study References Boxes Box 4.1 FEMNET's regional strategy to instigate men's engagement in gender issues This report was written by Jerker Edström, Chimaraoke Izugbara, Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed and Phil E. Otieno, with Mia Granvik and Sarah Matindi. The study builds on earlier joint learning with local actors during 2013 and we would particularly like to thank the many participants in this joint analysis:
Gender, Development and Care, 2018