Stories move hearts, but evidence moves policy. For more than three decades, ZARD has produced research that takes the lived experiences of Zambian women and translates them into data, analysis, and recommendations that policymakers can act on.
From our early studies on women and HIV/AIDS, to work on women in trade, to the recent publication on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in Zambia, our research has consistently aimed to fill gaps in national evidence.
What we have learned is that research and advocacy are not separate activities. The most useful research is that which is co-designed with the communities it studies, and the most effective advocacy is that which is grounded in evidence those communities recognize as their own.
Looking ahead, we are investing in participatory action research methods that put more of the analytical power in the hands of the women whose lives the research is about.