EVIDENCE & INSIGHTS UNIT
Women-Led. Rural-Rooted.
We anchor our work in direct ground-level realities. The Evidence & Insights Unit conducts independent field research within rural communities to understand the actual educational, economic, and digital conditions of households. This primary data serves as the foundation for our entire five-program model.
OUR APPROACH
Direct, transparent, and driven entirely by local women.
Our methodology is built on a single standard: the data we gather must be accurate enough to inform policy, specific enough to shape our programs, and honest enough to state its own limits.
Community-Led Data Collection
All our research is designed and carried out entirely by our internal, all-women team. Because our team members are embedded in these communities, they bring deep contextual understanding and natural trust to every household interaction.
Real-Time Data Verification
Field observations are logged directly on the ground using mobile validation tools. This prevents data entry errors and ensures accuracy right at the source.
Contextual Limits
We value transparency over broad generalizations. We explicitly share our sample sizes and study boundaries in our reports, focusing on clear, verifiable village-level insights.
PROOF OF CONCEPT · 2023–24
The Pilot That Proved the Model
Before scaling our current research ecosystem, we put the model to a real test. In 2023–24, EIF youth leaders independently designed, executed, and analysed a community health survey across 2 villages, 2 schools, and 2 colleges in Kangra — tracking BMI, household substance exposure, and adolescent risk behaviour among 100+ children and young people. The survey was run entirely without external research support. That pilot proved the model works.
ACTIVE RESEARCH PORTFOLIOS
The foundational field assessments currently driving our work on the ground.
Below are the two primary research assets generated by this unit in 2026, both of which are publicly available for download. These findings directly shape EIF’s program design and inform our work with district and state officials.
RURAL EDUCATIONAL sURVEY · 2026
Rural Learning Assessment
A diagnostic learning assessment mapping foundational skills, enrollment shifts, and academic support structures among 200 children across rural Kangra district.
KEY FINDINGS
- 65% of the evaluated students face learning deficits that place them below their enrolled grade levels.
- Mathematical competency shows a sharp drop-off, falling to a 16% baseline by Grade 5.
- Household enrollment choices are heavily gendered, with 77% of boys sent to private schools compared to just 56% of girls.
Rural WOMEN SURVEY · 2026
Rural Women's Agency & Inclusion Assessment
A field assessment tracking female household agency, economic voice, and actual digital literacy among 402 surveyed rural women.
KEY FINDINGS
- A significant gap exists between having a domestic household voice (96%) and independent financial authority (42%).
- Majority (55%) women married before or at age 21.
- While 70% of surveyed women have access to a smartphone, only 14% use digital payment systems.
UPCOMING RESEARCH
What we are currently tracking in the field to feed our next design loop.
UNDERWAY
The Kangra District Assessment: Resource Scarcity, Waste, and Institutional Accountability
What It’s About
A comprehensive, system-wide assessment that synthesizes quantitative household realities with direct community grievances to build an undeniable case for local administrative reform. We place data at the center of this report to eliminate assumptions about rural infrastructure gaps.
Scope & Scale
Geography: 21 villages across Kangra District (387 household surveys).
Youth Input: Accountability insights and local grievances captured from 250+ school students.
Core Grievance Tracks: Road & Transport, Waste Pollution, Environmental Issues (including Forest Fires), Water Scarcity, and Drug-Related Vulnerabilities.
[Coming Soon • Expected August 2026]
FROM FINDINGS TO ACTION
How This Research Powers the Rest
Our research does not sit on a shelf. It actively dictates the next steps across our entire organization:
Feeding the Curriculum: The specific learning gaps uncovered in our student evaluations directly shape the practical modules designed by our Adaptive Skills Framework.
Informing the Lab: Structural barriers—like the severe gap in independent digital literacy—become the concrete projects tackled by young women in our Civic & Governance Lab.
Closing the Advocacy Loop: The data collected by this unit provides the baseline evidence we share with district and state officials. The feedback, policy adjustments, and new questions raised during these official engagements loop right back to our unit, defining our next round of field research and restarting the cycle.
WORK WITH US
Interested in our research?
If you’d like to access our full research portfolio, collaborate on field studies, or support our Evidence & Insights work, we’d love to hear from you.