Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) is a movement to empower women working in the informal economy. SEWA Bharat is part of the national SEWA movement. Established in 1984, it is a national federation of SEWA organisations of women working in the informal economy. SEWA Bharat emerged out of the need to address the SEWA movement’s challenges with geographical expansion and coordination. SEWA Bharat comprises a family of SEWA organisations to further informal economy women workers’ rights, livelihoods, financial independence, education, health and social security.

SEWA Bharat is undertaking a 5-month mixed-methods research study for NIUA in two low-income settlements in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The study will examine how sanitation and water access affect health, dignity, time use, safety, and livelihood participation of under-resourced communities, especially women in the informal economy. SEWA Bharat is seeking a Research Consultant, preferably based in Dehradun, to lead the day-to-day execution of the study under the guidance of the Research Lead and Senior Coordinator – WASH and WEE.

• Support desk review, inception planning, and finalisation of study methodology and sites
• Develop research tools for household surveys, KIIs and FGDs
• Coordinate field preparation, including tool piloting and team orientation and training
• Oversee data collection across approximately 200–250 households in two settlements
• Conduct/supervise KIIs with officials, frontline workers, local representatives, and civil society actors and FGDs with women workers, adolescent girls, male residents, and vulnerable groups
• Document settlement-level sanitation, drainage, water access, waste disposal, and safety concerns
• Clean, organise, and analyse quantitative and qualitative data
• Prepare the inception note and final report and presentation of findings while incorporating  feedback from SEWA Bharat and NIUA

• Master’s degree in social sciences, public policy, urban studies, development studies, gender studies, public health, WASH, or related fields
• 4–5 years of experience in field-based research in the development ecosystem
• Experience with surveys, interviews, FGDs, and qualitative documentation
• Understanding of WASH, gender, women’s livelihoods, public health, or urban governance
• Strong writing, analysis, coordination, and communication skills
• Ability to work respectfully with low-income communities, especially women workers
• Fluency in Hindi and English required

 Candidates located out of Dehradun will be preferred. 

INR 60,000-70,000 (including taxes, as applicable) per month for a period of five months, commensurate with the applicant’s experience.

Expenses for travel will be covered directly by the organisation.

5 months

25th May 2026

The consultancy will be for 5 months, covering inception, tool development, fieldwork, analysis, reporting and final presentation. Interested candidates may send their CV and a short writing sample to shalini@sewabharat.org with the subject line ‘Application: Research Consultant – NIUA WASH Study’.