Share-Net Bangladesh Young Researcher Fellowship

Share-Net Bangladesh is calling students who are enrolled in Masters or PhD Programme at a reputed university (public or private) to apply for a grant of BDT 250,000 for their research on any one of the following topics:

• A Study on Violence Against Transwomen Community in Dhaka
• Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) for girls with disabilities in Dhaka

Read the Terms of Reference (ToR) before applying.

Terms of Reference

• About Share-Net Bangladesh

Share-Net Bangladesh is a knowledge platform on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) that brings together the Community of Practice (CoP) and experts in the field of SRHR. The community consists of SRHR practitioners, activists, policy makers, social and medical researchers, development practitioners, government officials, legal experts, students, and members of vulnerable and underserved groups. 

Share-Net Bangladesh works with the vision of universal access to and utilisation of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. It’s mission is to create evidence-informed policies and practices to enable everyone to have a satisfying and safe sex life, the freedom to decide how many children they want, when and with whom, and access to good-quality care to ensure their sexual and reproductive wellbeing. Share-Net Bangladesh generates knowledge from experts and practitioners to disseminate it through effective communication tools that could create space for finding solutions and supporting advocacy. 

Share-Net Bangladesh involves young people in the platform to ensure their contribution in SRHR and gender. In this light, Share-Net Bangladesh is offering the Share-Net Bangladesh Young Researcher Fellowship.

This unique opportunity is provided to the young researchers so that they can contribute in knowledge generation and share the findings with the international and national Community of Practice. 

2. Backgrounds

• A Study on Violence Against Trans-women Community in Dhaka

Transgender is a broad term which is implied for describing people with gender identities, that are different from the sex assigned at birth. According to WHO, “People whose gender identity and expression does not conform to the norms and expectations traditionally associated with their sex at birth. It includes individuals who have received gender reassignment surgery, individuals who have received gender-related medical interventions other than surgery (e.g. hormone therapy) and individuals who identify as having no gender, multiple genders or alternative genders.” However, trans-woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, Germany, Nepal and Pakistan recognise transgender as third gender both in their laws as well as cultural traditions. 

Trans-women people are mostly subject to various social injustice in case of employment, housing etc.  Trans-women from all over the world remain discriminated and neglected of their civil rights. Moreover, they often become victims of violence at various degrees. Being abused is an everyday incident for a transwoman in Bangladesh. Trans-women face violence from their own family, society, as well as the authorities such as the police. Due to violence and abuse, transwomen people form their own community and they live closely together. 

There are numerous studies that have concluded that trans women are more likely to be victims of sexual and physical violence than other people. Although there are a lot of research and findings on violence against women, only a few are found to be on tranwomen. Much of this violence comes from poor knowledge and lack of awareness among the mainstream population. Before making awareness campaigns, it is important to understand the nature and places of violence faced by transgenders in our society as well as to identify the people who are responsible for such behaviour. Nonetheless, without proper support mechanism properly specified towards transgender community, it is difficult to attain an inclusive Bangladesh. 

Goal: The goal of the research study is to explore the nature and variant of violence and abuse faced by the transgender community from different types of people and various places in Dhaka. 

• A Study on Menstrual Hygiene Management for Girls and Women with Disabilities in Dhaka

Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is one of the least discussed health related subjects in Bangladesh. Girls and women of this country have limited choice with regard to MHM due to social norms and economic concerns. The problem is more acute when it comes to girls and women with disabilities. People are considered to be disabled who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. According to the World Report on Disability by WHO it is estimated that about 1 billion disabled people are there in the world where 80% of those are living in the low and middle income countries. It is evident from numerous studies that disability has a strong correlation with poverty. Health care services are least accessible to the poor, moreover, MHM is never considered as personal health care to those. The most discomforting fact is that girls and women with disabilities have remained out of the knowledge of MHM due to various socio- economic contexts. 

In Bangladesh, public places are not inclusive for people with disabilities, and these girls and women often need support from their caregivers (mostly mothers) during their menstruation. There are intervention gaps addressing the MH for girls with disabilities. There is no policy nor a circular from the Bangladesh government that talks about MH for these girls.

In order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3, 4 and 10) and to fulfil the motto ‘leave no one behind’, it is essential that MHM knowledge is delivered to girls and women with disabilities. In Bangladesh, there is no such research or findings related to the status or condition of MHM among persons with disabilities. In this connection, Share-Net Bangladesh aims to fund research on the status and condition of MHM among girls and women in Bangladesh. 

 Goal: The goal of the research study is to identify the current MHM practices and knowledge among the girls and women with physical disabilities and their caretakers in Dhaka.

3. Eligibility Criteria 

Share-Net Bangladesh invites the young researchers currently pursuing Masters or PhD on areas such as social science/public health/development studies/gender studies/anthropology in a reputed university in Bangladesh to apply for this call together with her/his supervisor. More than one young researcher can apply as a team for the proposal. Supervisor has to be from the same university that the young researchers is pursuing the masters programme. 

Proposal without supervisor will be disqualified.

Students from both public and private universities are encouraged to apply.

4. Contents of the research proposal

• Name of the primary researcher
• Name of the supervisor and designation
• Name of the Masters Programme
• Name of the University
• Title of the research
• Background
• The objectives of the study
• Research questions
• Hypothesis
• Conceptual framework
• Research methods and procedures
  • Methodology
  • Population 
  • Data collection method
• Significance of the study 
• Dissemination plan 
• Workplan
• Budget breakdown
• Bibliography 
• Annexes:
  • Recommendation letter from supervisor
  • CVs of the primary researcher and supervisor

5. Research Grant & Mode of Payment

Share-Net Bangladesh will fund one proposal for the period of August 2019 – November 2019. Grant is limited to 250,000 BDT. 

30% payment will be made upon signing the contract.

20% payment will be made upon receiving the first progress report.

50% payment will be made upon receiving the final research paper and the report. 

6. Deliverables

Following are the deliverables:

1. The young researchers to submit the first progress report after collecting data
2. The young researchers to present the draft paper to the supervisor and Share-Net Bangladesh secretariat
3. The young researchers to deliver the final paper after incorporating feedback from the supervisor and Share-Net Bangladesh secretariat
4. The young researchers to submit the final report 
5. The young researchers to present the paper during the Knowledge Fair 2019 

7. Timeline 

The last date to send queries to Share-Net Bangladesh secretariat is on 15th of July, 2019.

The last date to submit the proposal is on the 18th of July, 2019.

Share-Net Bangladesh will announce and contact the winner on 25th of July, 2019.

The contract will be signed by 31st of July, 2019. 

The research project will start from 1st of August, 2019.

The final report and research must be delivered by 30th October, 2019.

8. Submission: 

Research proposal must be submitted

• via email in pdf form
• the size should not be more than 10 MB 
• to Share-Net Bangladesh Coordinator

9. Contact details:

For your queries, please contact-

Email: anika@redorangecom.com

Anika Binte Habib, Share-Net Bangladesh Coordinator

** Share-Net Bangladesh will have the copyright to publish and circulate the research through the platform. Without written permission from Share-Net Bangladesh secretariat, the young researchers and the supervisors will refrain from publishing and presenting the paper to any national and international platform and conference. 

Download

• ToR_MHM for girls with disabilities
• ToR_violence_transwomen