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Quick Reference Cards

Pocket-sized summaries for Data Feminism, Safety Nets, and Decent Work

Print Instructions: Print on cardstock if possible. Cut along card borders. Each card is 3.5" x 3.5". Laminate for durability. Use for quick reference during field work, presentations, or study sessions.
DATA FEMINISM
7 Principles
  1. Examine Power - Who has power over data?
  2. Challenge Power - Work toward justice
  3. Elevate Emotion & Embodiment - Value lived experience
  4. Rethink Binaries - Challenge classification systems
  5. Embrace Pluralism - Multiple knowledge systems
  6. Consider Context - Data reflects social relations
  7. Make Labor Visible - Credit all contributors
Remember: Data is never neutral. It reflects power structures and social inequalities.
Catherine D'Ignazio & Lauren Klein, Data Feminism (2020)
SOUTH ASIAN
DATA CHALLENGES

Digital Divide:

  • Women ___% less likely to own smartphones
  • Rural areas: ___% lack reliable internet
  • Language barriers in digital platforms

Invisible Populations:

  • Migrant workers missing from local data
  • Women's agricultural work uncounted
  • Informal economy underrepresented
Facial recognition: ___% higher error rates for darker skin
Ask: Whose voices are missing from this dataset?
Apply intersectional lens to all data analysis
KEY CONCEPTS
Data Feminism
Matrix of Domination: How race, class, gender, caste intersect to create overlapping systems of oppression
Situated Knowledge: All knowledge comes from particular perspectives - no "view from nowhere"
Co-liberation: Oppressive systems harm everyone; liberation must be collective

Data Ethics vs Data Justice:

  • Ethics → Focus on bias
  • Justice → Focus on oppression
  • Ethics → Individual solutions
  • Justice → Structural change
Patricia Hill Collins, Donna Haraway, Combahee River Collective
SAFETY NETS
Core Goals

1. EQUITY

  • Basic minimum consumption for all
  • Equality of opportunity

2. RESILIENCE

  • Prevent falling into poverty
  • Protect against negative coping

3. OPPORTUNITY

  • Build human capital
  • Access to productive opportunities
___% of South Asian informal workers lack ANY social protection
Programs should be rights-based, not charity-based
World Bank Social Protection Framework
INDIAN PROGRAMS
Quick Reference

Employment:

  • MGNREGA: 100 days guaranteed work
  • PM-KISAN: ₹6,000/year farmers

Food Security:

  • PDS: 5kg grain/person/month
  • Mid-Day Meal: School nutrition

Health:

  • PM-JAY: ₹5 lakh health insurance

Pensions:

  • NSAP: Old age, widow, disability
Check: Who is excluded from these programs in practice?
JAM Trinity: Jan Dhan + Aadhaar + Mobile
REGIONAL PROGRAMS
South Asia

Bangladesh:

  • VGD - Vulnerable Group Development
  • Old Age Allowance
  • 100-Day Employment Program

Pakistan:

  • BISP - Benazir Income Support
  • Ehsaas Program (umbrella)
  • Waseela-e-Taleem (education)

Sri Lanka:

  • Samurdhi - Comprehensive welfare
  • Elderly Allowance (universal)
Regional avg: ___% GDP spent on social protection
Compare coverage rates and targeting methods
DECENT WORK
Four Pillars

1. EMPLOYMENT CREATION

  • Quality jobs for all
  • Skills development

2. WORKPLACE RIGHTS

  • Freedom of association
  • No forced/child labor

3. SOCIAL PROTECTION

  • Healthcare, pensions
  • Unemployment benefits

4. SOCIAL DIALOGUE

  • Worker representation
  • Collective bargaining
___% of South Asian workforce in informal economy
ILO Framework - applies to ALL workers
SOUTH ASIAN
WORK REALITIES

Informality Scale:

  • India: ___% informal employment
  • Bangladesh: ___% informal
  • Pakistan: ___% informal

Gender Gaps:

  • Women earn ___% less than men
  • Women's LFPR: India ___%, BD ___%, PK ___%

Key Challenges:

  • Seasonal agricultural work
  • Migration without protection
  • Platform work misclassification
Look for: Invisible women's work, child labor, workplace safety
Focus on most vulnerable: women, youth, migrants
ORGANIZING MODELS
South Asia

SEWA Model (India):

  • Union + Cooperative + Movement
  • 2+ million women members
  • Financial services + organizing

Alternative Approaches:

  • HomeNet South Asia - home workers
  • SHG movement - 12+ million women
  • Digital organizing - WhatsApp groups
  • Sector-specific cooperatives
Innovation needed: Traditional unions don't reach informal workers
Question: How do marginalized workers find voice?
Organizing informal workers requires new strategies
INTERSECTIONAL
ANALYSIS

Multiple Exclusions:

  • Rural women: Invisible in data, excluded from programs, unpaid work
  • Migrant workers: Missing from databases, can't access state programs, no protection
  • Platform workers: Algorithmic discrimination, no social security, misclassified

Intersectional Identities:

  • Caste + Gender + Class
  • Religion + Region + Language
  • Age + Disability + Migration status
Always ask: How do different systems of oppression interact?
No single-issue solutions - think systemically
TECHNOLOGY
DOUBLE-EDGED

Opportunities:

  • Direct benefit transfers
  • Financial inclusion
  • Worker organizing platforms
  • Skills training access

Risks:

  • Digital exclusion
  • Algorithmic bias
  • Surveillance & control
  • Platform exploitation
Technology amplifies existing inequalities unless deliberately designed for inclusion
Check: Who benefits vs. who is harmed by tech solutions?
Digital rights are human rights
POLICY ANALYSIS
CHECKLIST

Power Analysis:

  • Who designed this policy?
  • Whose interests does it serve?
  • Who was consulted?

Implementation:

  • Who implements at grassroots?
  • What are inclusion/exclusion patterns?
  • How do identity markers affect access?

Impact Assessment:

  • Intended vs. actual outcomes
  • Differential impacts by group
  • Unintended consequences
Remember: Policies are implemented by people with biases
Good intentions ≠ good outcomes
CURRENT EVENTS
TRACKING

Key Developments to Watch:

  • Data protection law progress
  • Platform worker organizing
  • Climate migration impacts
  • AI adoption in governance
  • Youth employment crisis

Sources to Follow:

  • Economic & Political Weekly
  • The Wire, Dawn, Daily Star
  • ILO/World Bank reports
  • Civil society campaigns
Update regularly: Fill in recent statistics and developments
Stay current - policies change rapidly
FIELD RESEARCH
QUESTIONS

Data Feminism Lens:

  • Whose knowledge is valued/ignored?
  • What work is invisible here?
  • How do power structures shape data?

Safety Nets Assessment:

  • What programs exist locally?
  • Who gets access? Who's excluded?
  • How do people cope with shocks?

Decent Work Evaluation:

  • What are working conditions like?
  • How do workers organize/resist?
  • What rights violations occur?
Listen to: Community members' own analysis of problems
Community knowledge > external assumptions
ACTION PLANNING
FRAMEWORK

1. Analyze Root Causes:

  • What systems create the problem?
  • Who benefits from status quo?

2. Map Stakeholders:

  • Who has power to change things?
  • Who are potential allies?

3. Identify Entry Points:

  • Policy windows
  • Organizing opportunities
  • Research gaps

4. Build Coalitions:

  • Center affected communities
  • Connect across issues
Start small: Build power through concrete victories
Systemic change requires collective action

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This handout is part of the ImpactMojo 101 Knowledge Series
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