Researchers needed at Jeeva Project in four remote sites
Last Date: End April 2011

Wanted: Women researchers with masters' degree or above and experience in health / social sciences research

The Jeeva Project is a three-year field research study of Dais (indigenous traditional midwives) in four remote sites in Jharkhand (Bokaro dt), Karnataka (Bellary dt), Maharashtra (Nandurbar dt) and Himachal Pradesh (Kangra/ Mandi dt). Only women candidates are sought for the posts of
* Junior Research Associate (JRA), for the Maharashtra site, and
* Senior Research Associates (SRA), one each for the Karnataka, Maharashtra & Himachal sites.

Only those need apply who can commit to full time fieldwork for two years, starting in May 2011.

Candidates for both SRA and JRA should have academic background and research experience in any of the fields of Health Sciences, Women’s Studies, Sociology, Anthropology etc. and be familiar with research tools and methodology. They should know English as well as the respective regional language (Hindi, Kannada or Marathi), be good at communication and comfortable working in a team.

In addition, specific requirements for each post are:
for JRA Candidates: MA / MSW degree, or BA with more experience; experience: 1 year or more of field research under supervision with exposure to research methods; language skill: to speak, read, take good notes, write up field reports, etc. in the regional language, and to communicate in and comprehend basic written and spoken English; computer skills: basic (MS Word, Excel, internet & email).

for SRA Candidates: MPhil / PhD degree, or MA / MSW with more experience; experience: 2 years or more of independent research, with strong grasp of tools and experience in guiding and coordinating a team; language skill: ability to speak, read and write in the regional language and in English, with strong reading grasp, and to translate back and forth, retaining the sense of the original text; computer skills: beyond basics (data analysis: SPSS, Atlas-ti etc.). Other attributes which will be appreciated in both JRA and SRA candidates are: fluency in the local language of the particular area (e.g. Bhili/Pavri, Pahaadi) and familiarity with the culture and people, and ability to type without mistakes in Kannada, Marathi or Hindi as well as English.

Terms & Conditions; The SRA will coordinate the local team. She and the JRA will work together with 2 local field research assistants and link persons, with support of the local partner organisation. The researchers will stay together in accommodation suitable for women. They will receive a consolidated monthly honorarium fixed in the following ranges: JRA - Rs.15-20,000; SRA - Rs.20-25,000. Accommodation is covered under the project.

Opportunity: The project will give an opportunity to experience rural social dynamics, develop research skills and work with a team of multidisciplinary investigators.

Expectations: Those selected will give full attendance in the training when the project starts and will be prepared to put in the full two years of field-work.

CVs are being accepted by email. Please apply within April 2011 to:
Jeeva Team jeevaproject(at)gmail(dot)com or contact: 09418453524 / 09953919860

A Note on the "JEEVA PROJECT"

The Jeeva Project is a research initiative of the "Jeeva Collective" – a wide-spread network of persons concerned with strengthening dais and the indigenous midwifery system in India and to enable dais’ linkage with the formal health services. Six persons known as the "Jeeva Shepherds" guide the Project: Imrana Qadeer, Janet Chawla, Mira Sadgopal, Lindsay Barnes, Leila Caleb Varkey and Anuradha Singh – among them combining expertise in public health, medicine, midwifery, Ayurveda, teaching of ‘natural childbirth’ and health care provision to women and children. The project is officially administered by the Centre for Women's Develop­ment Studies (CWDS), New Delhi, headed by its Director, Mary John. The Principal Investigator is Mira Sadgopal and the Project Coordinator is Sandhya Gautam.

The Pilot Study (January-June 2009) involved in-depth interviews of 13 experienced village dais in the field area of the local partner Jan Chetna Manch in Bokaro district, Jharkhand. Contributions from Insieme (women film-makers in Italy) and Shree Mulay (Newfoundland, CA) covered the costs. The Pilot Study Report ‘Entering Dais’ World’ was released in 2010. The Bridge Period (July 2009 - September 2010) was devoted to preparing for the main study. Three new partners and sites were located in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh and a planning workshop was held at New Delhi Between November 2009 and May 2010 four 'Exploratory Exercises' were carried out with the partners. The costs were covered mainly by the ICICI Centre for Child Health and Nutrition (ICCHN), Pune, other contributors being Centre for Health & Social Justice (CHSJ), Sama Women & Health Resource Centre and Population Foundation of India (PFI), all in New Delhi.

The multi-centric Main Study (2011-2014) is in four varied and remote locations in the states of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, covering a total study population of approximately 40,000. It encompasses qualitative investigation of the dais’ traditional childbirth ‘knowledge and skill set’ in normal situations, of their roles in difficult births, of their utilisation especially by the poorest, and of their relations with other health service providers. Within the enumerated study population, through surveys of households and providers and with birth-tracking and observations, the study also attempts quantitative assessment of dais’ key practices (prevalence, outcomes) and comparison of women’s experience of support in child-birth with dais and in ‘institutional’ settings. The study seeks to propose how dais could support the formal health services to enhance the survival and wellbeing of mothers and newborns.

The regional research teams work in co-ordination with 4 project partners: Jan Chetna Manch - Bokaro in Bokaro District of Jharkhand, Janarth Adivasi Vikas Sanstha in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, Society for Rural Development and Action in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, and the Mahila Samakhya Karnataka team in Bellary district of that State. This phase of the Jeeva Project covering 36 months is supported by a grant under the Scheme for Revitali­sa­tion of Local Health Traditions including Midwifery for Enhancing Rural Health Security of the AYUSH Department (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India) and co-funded by the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, Mumbai.

The findings of this research are meant to help towards integration of dais into the Indian Government’s National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). With the dais’ guidance and participation, the project strives to make childbirth safer through strengthened community-based birth attendance and planned back-up by the formal health care system. Thus we hope to see the dais’ potential optimised towards serving the wellbeing of mothers and newborns.

For further inquiries, contact:
Ms. Sandhya Gautam,
Project Coordinator, The Jeeva Project
597 DS (3rd Flr), New Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi 110060
jeevaproject(at)gmail(dot)com