What if feature phones, not smartphones, are enough to drive women's digital inclusion? New policy brief on how a 15-week IVR-based distance learning program in rural 🇧🇩 led to lasting gains in mothers' agency, empowerment & connectivity, 4 years on. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publication…

📊 Does the gender of the interviewer alter the data we collect on sensitive issues? A new BIGD study in The World Bank Economic Review finds respondents under-report intimate partner violence to male enumerators, masking a program's true impact. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publication…

A COVID-era mobile distance learning program in rural 🇧🇩 kept shaping mothers' digital connectivity, agency & economic empowerment 4 years on. New working paper explores how low-tech interventions create lasting effects for mothers & children. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publication…

📢Our latest quarterly newsletter is out! The Jan–Apr 2026 issue of BIGD Works unveils our first-ever impact framework, plus highlights from a busy start to the year: conferences, the RIDGE initiative, a new Tong Alaap podcast & fresh publications. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/publication…

🆕 Beyond access: When does digital finance actually empower women? Today on VoxDev, @SinhaTasnuba (@Bigd_BracU) discusses how digital financial services can meaningfully support women's economic empowerment across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa: voxdev.org/topic/finance/bey…

BIGD & @OPMglobal brought together government, academia & civil society to make the case for integrating ECD & social protection into Bangladesh's national poverty strategy. Sessions also spotlighted @Thriveevidence & @povertyevidence programmes. 🔗 bigd.bracu.ac.bd/event/polic…

BIGD & BGMEA held factory-level energy consultations in Dhaka, supported by the Danish Embassy. ~30 RMG factories received tailored energy profiles & renewable energy recommendations to drive Bangladesh's green transition. 🔗 Want to learn more? bigd.bracu.ac.bd/study/capac…

Welcome to the April edition of ✨Members Spotlight✨, our curated glimpse into how Southern Voice members are contributing to global development. This month, we highlight: 📕 @INESADBolivia published a working paper exploring the risks and constraints of sustainable agricultural technologies, with evidence from quinoa production: wp.me/p9wqBX-4Zy 📕 @csea_afric released its Data Governance Snapshot looking at South Africa’s digital trajectory and regulatory landscape: cseaafrica.org/articles/695 📕 @cips_id published new policy analyses on the future of gig work in Indonesia, and on the country’s accession to the OECD: tinyurl.com/muheuz4r tinyurl.com/2p9nepsu 💡 @CSTEP_India developed a Carbon Meter to estimate the carbon footprint of everyday clothing: carbonmeter.cstep.in 💡 Lobna Jeribi (ED of @Solidartn) was appointed to the board of the African Climate Foundation, advancing climate leadership across the continent 💡 Southern Voice kicked off the Southern Voice on Global Development (SVGD) initiative, bringing members together to strengthen collective engagement on global policy debates 💡 @onthinktanks launched a Membership Programme, creating a global community for think tank professionals: lnkd.in/d6QGhsmb 💡 Matías Bianchi (ED of @AsuntosDelSur) wrote for El Pais on reimagining multilateralism, highlighting the Global South’s opportunity to shape global governance: bit.ly/4ctIzSA 💡 @ncaer co-hosted a discussion with the @WorldBankGroup on the South Asia Economic Update and its regional implications 💡 @EthioEconAssoc participated in the BRICS Think Tanks Council Conference, contributing to South-South dialogue 💡 @ESRFTZ convened a Circular Food Systems Policy Dialogue in Tanzania, working to advance sustainable food systems 💡 @GRADEPeru hosted a regional peer learning workshop on care, fostering exchange across Latin America and the Caribbean 💡 @Bigd_BracU convened a dissemination event on women’s economic participation in SMEs, sharing evidence-based strategies from Bangladesh 💡 @cips_id held an event on land use in collaboration with @UNDP, Sustainable Landscape Program Indonesia (SLPI), Indonesian Ministries, and the Swiss Embassy 💡 @cips_id advanced participatory research, empowering farmers to use storytelling and cameras to shape global climate policy discourse 🗓️ On May 11-12, SV and members will join the @OECD Conference on The Future of Development Co-operation (May 11–12) 🗓️ On May 19-21, Southern Voice will attend the @onthinktanks @PolicyCenterNS Conference in Morocco

🆕🌍 Today we officially launched Southern Voice on Global Development (SVGD), our flagship initiative for a moment that demands it. The future of development must be shaped by more inclusive, grounded, and collaborative approaches. At a time when global cooperation is under strain and progress on the SDGs is slowing, that is exactly what SVGD sets out to do. Across the Global South, researchers and policymakers are generating bold, evidence-based solutions, which too rarely make it into the rooms where global development agendas are shaped. We are changing that. Building on more than a decade of work amplifying Southern research, this initiative brings together 15 think tanks across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean to produce: 📄 Cross-regional comparative case studies: grounded in real policy experiences, examining what works and why across contexts 💬 SV Dialogues: structured spaces for exchange between researchers and policy actors 📘 Global Report: connecting local evidence to global debates, designed to influence how the post-2030 development agenda is shaped We selected 5 collaborative teams to work on case studies spanning digitalization and digital public infrastructure, decent work and social protection, climate finance governance, youth engagement in agriculture, and health systems reform. They are: ⚪ @SDPIPakistan, @GRADEPeru, @csea_afric ⚪ @EthosInnovacion, @GLOCEPS1, @Bigd_BracU ⚪ @PolicyCenterNS, @INESADBolivia, @ISETNepal ⚪ @fusades, @cips_id, @KIPPRAKENYA ⚪ @NISEROfficial, @CapriCaribbean, @pacindia This is collaborative, cross-regional research designed to move Global South leadership from the margins to the very center of post-2030 conversations. We are just getting started. Follow along as we share evidence, insights, and perspectives that the global development debate can't afford to ignore. More information about the SVGD initiative: 🔗 lnkd.in/dUwrhAuN

Meet the newest cohort of the Young Researchers' Fellowship (YRF) program! 570 applications. 19 selected TRAs. 4 months of intensive research training & mentorship, with top performers joining us as Research Associates. bigd.bracu.ac.bd/young-resea…

We hosted a dissemination event on women's economic participation in SMEs, bringing together policymakers, researchers, employers & development partners. The goal? More gender-inclusive workplaces through evidence for actionable policy. 🔗 Learn more: bigd.bracu.ac.bd/event/disse…

The global fuel crisis disrupted irrigation for farmers ahead of boro harvest season. A BIGD pilot project, funded by @HMFoundation, tested agrivoltaics — solar panels installed above crops — as an alternative. Read more in Reflections 2025 on #EarthDay tinyurl.com/y272xumx

Knowing your rights isn't enough. A new study in Bangladesh found that youth who practised accountability — engaging local providers on education & healthcare — showed stronger self-belief & political engagement than info-only peers. 📖 emerald.com/qjps/article-abs…

How is digital tech reshaping entertainment in rural Bangladesh? A new study in @Inderscience by Tanvir Shatil, Golam Ahmed Rabbi & Shahaduz Zaman explores mobile use, local content creation & informal sharing networks in Jamalpur District. 🔗 inderscienceonline.com/doi/a…

COVID-19 hit Bangladesh's RMG sector hard. Stimulus packages rolled out fast — but who really benefited, workers or employers? BIGD's Maheen Sultan, Iffat Jahan Antara & Touhidul Islam explore this question via volume published by @HelsinkiUPress : hup.fi/books/e/10.33134/HUP-…

🔦 From different corners of the Global South, ideas are turning into action, with research responding to pressing global challenges. Welcome to the March edition of ✨Member Spotlight✨, a curated glimpse into how our members are driving impact. This month, we highlight: 📕 @NkafuPolicyInst released the post-event report of the inaugural Africa @ World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings, capturing key insights on jobs, development finance, human capital, and Africa’s role in a multipolar world. The next edition is set for April 15 in Washington, D.C. Read more: bit.ly/4c117JW 📕 @csea_afric launched a documentary on Nigeria’s cost of living crisis, following three households navigating rising prices and shrinking incomes. Watch it here: bit.ly/4sMdIrB 📕 @M_Philani (ED of @IGD_SA) co-authored a book chapter on multilateralism and its implications for Africa: lnkd.in/dJ64CS-8 📕 Rose Ngugi (Chair of Southern Voice’s Steering Committee) published an article at @ProSyn discussing Gen Z-led protests, and linking them to deeper governance challenges: bit.ly/3OeLh6t 📕 @Bigd_BracU shared research on women’s experiences in public and political life, highlighting barriers such as violence, intimidation, and gaps in institutional support: bit.ly/4tbF5Ls 📕 @PlataformaCIPO expanded its climate finance and global reform brief, outlining pathways to scale up international finance: bit.ly/4bRTF3G 📕 @ScienceBoard_UN released new briefs on AI deception and mirror biology, exploring implications of emerging science: bit.ly/4s3v6XC 💡 Luciano Laspina has been appointed Executive Director of @CIPPEC, succeeding @GCDL after nearly two decades 💡 @ipeaonline inaugurated the regional office of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty in Brasília, strengthening coordination across Latin America and the Caribbean 💡 @policycenterNS launched a Youth Mentorship Program in Rabat, pairing young researchers with senior fellows and experts 💡 @Bigd_BracU trained young professionals in Bangladesh, combining fieldwork and critical reflection to bridge research and action 💡 Several Southern Voice members joined @foraus' GenSouth 2026 cohort, contributing to Global South perspectives on multilateralism. They include Nycolas Candido, Jimmy Daniel Berlianto and Néstor Genis León. 📢 Southern Voice launched a survey on “Rethinking United Nations Leadership” as part of the 1 for 8 Billion 8 Billion campaign. We invite you to participate here: bit.ly/SV-SURV

What helps households escape extreme poverty? Our new interactive evidence map brings together 100 studies on graduation programmes worldwide 🌍 Explore what works, where, and why 👇 🔗theigc.org/blogs/evidence-gr… @Bigd_BracU #PovertyAlleviation #DevEcon

On March 12, we hosted a webinar with researchers from our Governance and Politics Cluster to discuss structured pathways into this field, including the Governance and Politics Research Fellowship (GPRF). 🔗 Missed it? You can now watch it on YouTube: youtu.be/1qahsmYFSkk

Why does child marriage persist? @imran_matin joins @rglenner & Kehinde Ajayi for this @CGDev podcast to discuss what the evidence shows can reduce it, from empowerment programs for girls to cash transfers designed to delay marriage. 🎙️ Listen: cgdev.org/blog/cgd-podcast-t…

🎙 Envisioneers #CareerTalks Ep. 03 Curious about a career in governance research? Hear BIGD researchers share their journeys, key skills & entry routes—including the upcoming GPRF program. 🗓 12 March 2026 📋 Register by 11 March 🔗 Register: forms.gle/H2xm31LQA6PjKSbQ6