GDLab, the Gender and Diversity Knowledge Initiative promoted by the Research Department and the Social Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), seeks to advance knowledge development regarding the existing inequalities between men and women, as well as inequalities faced by Indigenous Peoples, people of African descent, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people through promoting competitive research calls.
The central theme of this call for proposals is: “Gender-based violence (GBV) against women, children, and adolescents”.
Proposals that analyze one or more of the 26 IDB borrowing member countries will be considered. The proposals must apply rigorous quantitative methods. Research proposals that include qualitative analysis will be considered only to the extent that they serve as input for the implementation of quantitative studies. Proposals for rigorous quantitative studies that generate actionable public policy recommendations are especially welcome.
Objectives
Document the scope, risk factors, and costs of gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents.
Document the State’s capacity and the challenges facing institutions engaged in preventing, responding to, providing support in the event of, and eradicating gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents.
Evaluate innovative interventions to prevent and respond to gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents.
Priorities
This call for submissions seeks rigorous research proposals in the following areas:
Measuring the prevalence of gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents. Making progress on measurement is one of the great pending issues on the agenda for eradicating and preventing gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents. Proposals in this area should contribute to a better understanding of this phenomenon and may address the following topics (but are not limited to them): rate and dynamics of the prevalence of violence from an intersectional approach; definition and measurement of femicide; challenges (biases and underreporting) and proposals to improve the measurement of gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents; emerging trends in violence against these populations (such as digital violence or cyberbullying); prevalence and nature of violence in contexts of economic crisis, natural disasters, conflict, or migratory displacements; the prevalence of violence against women,
Economic costs of gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents. Proposals in this area should focus on studying the personal, family, community, or social consequences of violence against women, children, and adolescents. The topics that could be addressed include (but are not limited to): economic costs of violence against these populations; intergenerational transmission of violence; the impact of violence on children as bystanders; impacts on school performance of exposure to violence during childhood and adolescence; impact of exposure to violence during childhood and adolescence and risk behaviors and involvement in criminal activities; impact at the judicial, police and penitentiary levels; specific risks and challenges of violence against women, children, and adolescents from diverse or more vulnerable populations.
State capacity and institutional challenges on preventing, responding to, and providing care in the event of gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents. Proposals in this area should focus on studying State capacity and the challenges facing public institutions (with emphasis on social prevention institutions, as well as the citizen security and justice sector) in the work involved in preventing, responding to, and providing support in the event of gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents. Topics that can be addressed include (but are not limited to): mapping and diagnosis of State capacity (public administration, transparency and integrity, digitization, and information) for effective prevention, detection, response, support, investigation, and prosecution as regards violence against women, children, and adolescents; protocols for prevention, detection, support, and response as regards violence; mechanisms for inter-agency coordination and referral to victim services; integrated service centers for women, children, and adolescent victims of violence; units specialized in violence committed against women, children, and adolescents within citizen security and justice sector institutions; inclusive services for providing support to victims belonging to diverse groups.
Prevention and support solutions for survivors of gender-based violence against women, children, and adolescents. Proposals in this area should focus on the rigorous evaluation of interventions, programs or policies for prevention, response and/or attention to violence against women or children. Solutions that may be explored in this area include (but are not limited to): evaluation of programs for men that are aimed at changing social norms; interventions to improve the skills of mothers, fathers, and caregivers in order to break the cycle of intergenerational violence; positive parenting programs to reduce coercive parenting practices; evaluation of interventions implemented during adolescence; prevention of sexual violence or human trafficking; interventions to ensure citizen security and justice institutions respond in a timely and effective manner to cases of violence; interventions to meet the needs of women, children, and adolescents belonging to diverse groups who are victims of violence; interventions to prevent gender-based violence against displaced women, children, and adolescents and provide support in the event of it; the inclusion of digital or behavioral economics tools to enhance violence prevention programs and provide care to victims; interventions to reduce victim trauma.
Funding Information
Subject to the decision of the Scientific Committee and the signing of a consulting contract with the IDB, up to 100,000 United States dollars (USD) or its equivalent in local currency will be allocated to the total budget for each study selected. Participants may apply for one of the following funding categories based on the scope of the proposed work:
Category I – Diagnostics. Studies in this category require resources to complement existing funds, to cover research activities or access to data sources, or to document the capacities of and challenges facing State institutions engaged in preventing, responding to, and providing support in the event of gender-based violence against women or children. Proposals in this category can access a maximum of 20,000 US dollars (USD) and have a maximum of 12 months to complete the study from the signing of the contract
Category II – Pilot interventions. Studies in this category require resources to implement or evaluate the impact of an intervention or pilot program. Proposals in this category can access a maximum of 100,000 US dollars (USD) and have a maximum of 24 months to complete the study from the signing of the contract.
Eligibility Criteria
Independent researchers or research teams comprised of entities from the public sector, private sector, universities, or research centers may apply. Applicants must meet the following requirements: be a citizen of one of the 48 IDB member countries and not have family members who currently work at the Inter-American Development Bank or IDB Invest (jointly, “IDB Group”) (to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including husband or wife).
IDB Group specialists may be part of the investigation team but may not receive compensation for their participation. The funds awarded will be distributed exclusively among the members of the winning team.
