BRIDGE is a research and information programme located within IDS Knowledge Services. We are part of a global movement whose vision is a world where gender equality, dignity and social justice prevail, where poverty is eliminated and where human rights – including women’s rights - are realised. We believe that we play an important role in realising this vision by generating and sharing diverse, accessible gender information, and by stimulating collaborative, groundbreaking thinking on key issues related to gender and development. We also support the exchange of experience and ideas of how to put this thinking into practice in ways that will make a difference.
Our approach BRIDGE acts as a catalyst by facilitating the generation and exchange of relevant, accessible and diverse gender information in print, online and through other innovative forms of communication. This supports the needs of policymakers, practitioners, advocates and researchers in bridging the gaps between gender theory, policy and practice to make gender equality happen. BRIDGE targets both gender and non-gender specialists in an effort to ensure gender is central to all development thinking and practice, and to inspire transformation in attitudes, policies and legislation.
We do this by: Producing BRIDGE resources such as Cutting Edge Packs and In Briefs on relevant, timely gender and development issues through collaborative processes Taking a nuanced approach that focuses on transforming gender relations, and challenging gender stereotypes rather than only being about women and development Facilitating information sharing, partnerships and networking, and reflecting perspectives from non English-speaking contributors Setting and influencing gender and development agendas by creating platforms for discussion, debate and new ideas Supporting the specific information needs of development practitioners and policy-makers with a gender mainstreaming remit.
BRIDGE is committed to making gender knowledge accessible outside the research community and to building bridges and dialogue between researchers, policy-makers and practitioners.
In order to make gender knowledge more relevant within the social, cultural and institutional context of its users, BRIDGE services are co-constructed with a range of intermediaries who are essential to contextualise and communicate research knowledge.
The intermediaries BRIDGE works in partnership with play a wide range of functions, both extending and sustaining the impact of its work and providing technical support and production capacity to deliver on its processes and outputs.
BRIDGE works with partners to achieve several aims, including:
In particular, BRIDGE works in close partnership with BRIDGE International Advisory Committee, a network of nearly 20 representatives from non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, networks and donor organisations, all committed to gender equality and social justice. They are based in all regions of the world.
BRIDGE is part of several gender and development networks. We are represented on the Steering Group of the UK Gender and Development Network, have observer status for the OECD DAC Gendernet and are members of AWID. In addition BRIDGE is committed to working with other southern and northern networks, including those that are non English-speaking.
BRIDGE is also committed to working across other thematic areas within Knowledge Services and IDS in order to promote effective gender mainstreaming and understanding.
BRIDGE is one of a family of knowledge services from IDS
