Ten years evaluating gendered interventions for vulnerable women and girls: what works?

We are 3 feminist researchers, with a track record of evaluating gender-specific interventions located in the voluntary and community sector. Over the last 10 years we have evaluated 8 gender-specific health promotion interventions using feminist methods. Our evaluation data illustrates key themes underpinning successful service delivery in the sector, which works effectively to support women in a transferrable model of practice. Our most recent evaluation of Women’s Lives Leeds (project and partnership) offers unique insight into a partnership underpinned by feminist values, yet challenged by internal power differences, and external competition for funding to ensure organisational survival.
We use creative, and participatory methodological approaches in our work to try and diminish the power gaps between us as researchers and the women we work with, valuing their lived experiences. However, challenges remain in terms of models of co-production, participation and the acceptability of such qualitative data as evaluation evidence.