SARI/Equity Fellows

Ahmed Abidur Razzaque Khan, Bangladesh
Ahmed Abidur Razzaque Khan, Bangladesh joined SARI/Equity as a Fellow in December 2005 for a period of five months. Ahmed has worked as an independent researcher in association with “Theatre for Research Education and Empowerment (TREE)”, a Bangladeshi NGO working on social issues such as HIV/AIDS, violence, child and female trafficking, using theatre as an effective medium of communication.

During his fellowship with SARI/Equity, Ahmed undertook research on “Theatre media as a means of raising awareness on issues of violence against women and women rights”. The study recommends how theatre media can be a useful tool for raising awareness about the issues negatively affecting women in the communities. The study covers both Bangladeshi and Indian Theatre organizations.

Research Findings

Nava Raj Adhikari, Nepal
Nava Raj Adhikari from Nepal joined SARI/Equity as a Fellow in June 2005 for a period of six months. Nava Raj has worked for the Nepal National Depressed Social Welfare Organization (NNDSWO), an NGO that facilitates better access for Dalits to justice, education, and livelihood opportunities. Nava Raj has seven years of work experience on issues related to caste and gender-based discrimination.

During his fellowship with SARI/Equity, Nava Raj undertook research on 'Violence against Women: The Effects of Caste and Gender based Discrimination on Dalit Women in India and Nepal. He investigated the extent to which Dalit women - compared to women of other communities, experience violence in both India and Nepal and the linkage of such violence to the vulnerability of Dalit women to trafficking and unsafe migration.

Research Findings

Lopa Bhattacharya, India
Lopa Bhattacharya started her eight-month fellowship with SARI/Equity at the beginning of August 2004. Lopa joined us from Sanlaap in Kolkata, a civil society organization which works on issues related to trafficking in children and women, where Lopa had worked in the Prevention Program and Research Unit for the past five years.

During the course of her fellowship tenure with SARI/Equity, Lopa has conducted research focusing on the demand aspects of trafficking in women and children for commercial sexual exploitation. Lopa has analysed issues such as gender, sexuality and psychosocial aspects that possibly create the demand for minor girls for purposes of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Within the scope of the study a comparative analysis of the income of commercial associates related to prostitution, has also been attempted. The study also assesses the programs run by Government of India to prevent trafficking in women and children. In her research, Lopa has come up with qualitative findings.

Research Findings

Kusumbar Choudhury, India
Kusumbar was a fellow at SARI/Equity from January to May 2005. Prior to joining SARI/Equity as a fellow, Kusumbar worked with the Save the Children India's (STCI) Advocacy and Research Cell and carried out a critical study on the processes of Rehabilitation of the Rescued Minor Victims of Trafficking. Kusumbar had extensive experience of networking with grass-roots anti-trafficking networks in various states of India, primarily in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

As part of his four-month fellowship with SARI/Equity Kusumbar undertook research on Indo-Nepal cross-border anti-trafficking networks of NGOs working on rehabilitation of minor victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The objective of his research was to come up with a set of recommendations on: a) effective networking among NGOs and other stakeholders for the rehabilitation of victims, and b) mechanisms for increased participation of grass-root level NGO partners in the networks for formulating and monitoring region specific rehabilitation programs.

Research Findings