Ophelia Chatterjee
I am an independent SRHR and gender researcher, evaluator and advisor specialising in feminist, intersectional and participatory approaches to research, evaluation and learning. My work sits at the intersection of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, social and gender norms, and civic space. My primary expertise is in designing and leading complex multi-country evaluations, particularly based around theories of change, and combining qualitative and quantitative methods to understand not only what changed, but how and why. Alongside, and complementary to, my professional work I am a volunteer and activist with Abortion Support Network, which provides financial and practical support to people who need to travel to access abortion care.
I have worked extensively with international NGOs, donors, research organisations and feminist networks across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Recent work includes leading the endline evaluations of two Dutch MoFA-funded multi-country feminist programmes, YW4A and Power Up!, and co-authoring an economic and epidemiological modelling study assessing the return on investment for pleasure-based sexual healthcare (commissioned by the Pleasure Project).
More broadly, my recent work comprises designing and leading evaluations and learning processes for programmes addressing adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, gender-based violence, comprehensive sexuality education and women’s and girls’ rights.
My methodological experience includes participatory research, outcome harvesting, Most Significant Change, realist evaluation, contribution analysis, theory-based evaluation, mixed-methods research and survey design and analysis. I also facilitate research, evaluation and gender-related training and collaborative learning processes, with experience working with NGOs, health workers and diverse programme stakeholders.
I previously worked at KIT Institute in the Netherlands, and have an academic background in Philosophy and Sociology. My approach is grounded in feminist and power lenses, with a strong emphasis on producing rigorous evidence of use to practitioners, communities and decision-makers.