Clients and case studies
Urgent and important work for CARE International
editors4change was proud to help CARE International prepare this detailed and meticulously researched report, Building caring economies as a pathway to economic gender justice. As CARE states, 'Care work is the backbone of our society, yet caring systems around the world are broken and leaving women and girls disproportionately impacted.' The work includes original case studies and key recommendations for governments, donors, multilateral agencies and the private sector.
Welcome to new client, CDAC Network
editors4change is excited to welcome CDAC Network – 'a global alliance of organisations working to ensure people can access safe, trustworthy information and communicate during crises' – as a new client. As a first project, we helped to edit and improve the readability of a short paper, Pathways for strengthening community feedback and complaints approaches in Papua New Guinea. We look forward to further collaborations soon.
Gender equality in the ocean sectors
The Commonwealth continues its vital work helping to advance gender equity in the policies and practices of its member countries. Here, editors4change provided copyediting work on Turning the Tides of Inclusion: A Toolkit for Gender Equality in Ocean Sectors. The toolkit provides a practical and user-friendly resource for implementing gender-responsive practices in marine conservation, fisheries, maritime transportation and tourism.
Does China's Belt and Road deliver for those countries that have joined it?
editors4change has worked with ODI on several publications looking at the risks and opportunities of Chinese investment around the world. This important text, Ten years of the Belt and Road Initiative: What has the BRI delivered for connectivity in developing countries?, presents an analysis of 10 years of the BRI. Using four case studies – industrial development in Ethiopia, road infrastructure in Cambodia, energy projects in Pakistan, and connectivity in Kyrgyzstan – it aims to provide a broader understanding of the varied impacts of the BRI across different sectors and regions.
Preparing resources for the WPS Helpdesk
It was a pleasure for editors4change to partner on several projects with Saferworld again in 2023. In particular, we helped copyedit resources for the Women, Peace and Security Helpdesk – which Saferworld manages along with partners ‘to provide flexible, responsive and easy-to-use technical advice and support on WPS and gender in conflict and crisis contexts’. Resources worked on included Conflict-related sexual violence in Myanmar; Intersections between climate change, serious and organised crime and gender; a Gender equality and social inclusion assessment for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; and What works: Strengthening delivery capabilities of women civil society organisations in Jordan.
'Blueing' the NDCs
editors4change is proud of its long and ongoing partnership with The Commonwealth – with recent projects including helping to update and edit a report of member countries' ocean-based actions in support of the Paris Agreement. Recent analysis of country NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) commitments shows that progress is not happening ‘at a pace or scale consistent with achieving’ the targets they set themselves in 2015. Urgent transformational change is needed.
Practical and inspiring – papers and case studies for ODI
ODI produced much innovative and useful research in 2023, some of which editors4change helped prepare for publication – from proofreading in layout to tackling more comprehensive technical copyedits. Topics have included scaling front-line justice services (such as 'Small is beautiful, but scale is necessary'), how cities and local governments in Africa can access much-needed debt finance for infrastructure, and putting climate-resilient development at the heart of Article 2.1c of the Paris Agreement as a means to refocus climate action and climate finance.
Commonwealth Trade Hot Topics
editors4change has continued to provide editorial services on the Commonwealth's Trade Hot Topics series. Recent articles that required a light-touch edit focus on the urgent issue of plastics pollution and the role trade can play as a solution and the economic, social and environmental impact of fossil fuels subsidy reforms – particularly on least developed countires and small states in sub-Saharan Africa.
Copyedit and proofread of ODI report looking at Chinese investment in Kyrgyzstan
Chinese investment initiatives such as the Belt and Road potentially promote new development pathways. Yet there are concerns as China's role in the region, including in Kyrgyzstan, has increased. editors4change helped in both copyediting and proofreading this new report from ODI, Risks along the Belt and Road: Chinese investment and infrastructure development priorities in Kyrgyzstan. Exploring issues of economic growth, debt sustainability and security, this comprehensive report clearly maps out the risks and opportunities through two case studies.
Making the LEGS Handbook more accessible
editors4change was proud to help the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards with a 'Plain English' edit of their updated Handbook. The LEGS Handbook provides standards and guidelines for appropriate and timely livestock-based livelihoods responses in emergencies. The Handbook was produced through a broad consultation process, drawing on good practice worldwide. editors4change assisted with the later stages of the September 2022 update, applying Plain English rules to make the book as user-friendly as possible to the widest possible audience.
editors4change expertise in international trade
The Commonwealth continues to turn to editors4change for help with urgent jobs that require knowledge of style, an eye for detail and a degree of expertise in specific fields of economics – such as international trade. Here it frequently calls on Director, Jane Lanigan, to help with copyediting publication series such as Trade Hot Topics or International Trade Working Papers. Recent examples include Beyond the Pandemic: Commonwealth Trade and Investment and Reigniting Old Flames: The Liberalisation of Trade in Environmental Goods and Services.
Proofread of forward-looking report on green work opportunities for women
An inclusive green transition has great potential to unlock economic opportunities for women. Published in October 2022, editors4change proofread this exciting report for CARE International, which seeks to make gender equality a key part of the response to the climate crisis. The report recommends integrating a gender lens in green work policies, proactively addressing the barriers to women’s economic justice and generating new and decent green work opportunities for women.
Providing editing and copywriting services to U4
editors4change is continuing to work as part of a team for CommsConsult, providing various media products and services for the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre (located at the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway) . Tasks include writing blogs from longer articles and copyediting of briefs, papers and technical resources. A recent example is Greening energy: An anti-corruption primer, published in 2022.
Work for ODI's Humanitarian Policy Group
This working paper helps humanitarian actors and donors assess the conflicting opportunities, and actual and potential risks, involved in sharing data. editors4change carried out a thorough technical copyedit of this useful study, which provides lessons and recommendations for actors who share data in crisis responses.
Gender integration for climate action
First published in 2021, editors4change carried out the original copyedit and helped with the 2022 update of this important resource published by The Commonwealth. It presents an overview of how far gender has been integrated into Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and new or revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by Commonwealth member countries. This work was one of many contributions to COP27 that E4C assisted partners with in the run up to the conference in November 2022.
editors4change welcomes ODI as a regular client
Late 2021/ early 2022 saw editors4change welcome the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) as a new regular client. We commenced with some small jobs for the Humanitarian Policy Group, such as providing help copyediting this working paper helping humanitarian actors better use and understand social media.
COVID-19: an opportunity to change to world for the better?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an ongoing and appalling tragedy – for individuals, communities and countries. But does it provide an opportunity too, an opportunity for a more holistic approach to economics, climate change and humanitarian aid? An opportunity to put women and girls at the centre of recovery and reform? editors4change was excited to be asked to edit this fascinating new 'Insight' from CARE International, Building Forward: Creating a more equitable, gender-just, inclusive and sustainable world, where this possibility is explored.
Technology increasingly important in elections
editors4change is proud to have the Commonwealth as a regular client, with work on election management a crucial area. Here, Cybersecurity for Elections: a Commonwealth Guide on Best Practice helps election management bodies explore the risks associated with using technology across all stages of an election. In particular, this helpful and user-friendly guide looks at managing cybersecurity risks and implementing recommendations to ensure the integrity of elections.
Work for the International Legal Assistance Consortium, Sweden
It is always great to welcome new clients on board. In 2020, editors4change received an enquiry from Sweden’s International Legal Assistance Consortium. This resulted in some work helping out with this fantastic organisation’s Annual Report as well as a Policy Brief: Judicial Independence Hanging by a Thread in Guatemala. We look forward to further collaborations with ILAC in the next few months.
Assessing the economic cost of VAWG
If governments are able to assess the true economic cost of violence against women and girls – on health, employment and the justice system, as well on families and the community more generally – they can better understand the benefits of prevention and management. Here, the Commonwealth presents a framework to assess those costs, as applied for the first time at the country level – in Seychelles. This book proved a challenging technical copyedit for editors4change – we were certainly glad of a bit of economic expertise – but it was a great opportunity to be contributing to such an important project.
Supporting and reporting elections
Throughout 2019, the team at editors4change was engaged to provide editorial support on a number of reports and toolkits related to the Commonwealth’s role in elections observation. Early in the year, we helped prepare documents to assist in a training of trainers workshop, building the skills of women candidates in Malawi’s elections.
This was followed by assistance with reports on building the capacity of the media in reporting elections – again in Malawi. editors4change also carried out light editing/ proofing assistance on the final reports on elections in Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
We were thrilled at editors4change to have the opportunity to work with CARE International, copyediting a comprehensive review of collaboration between humanitarian actors and women responders. Based on interviews with women-led organisations and gender and protection specialists worldwide, along with a literature review and field research in Vanuatu and Malawi, this global report addresses how the humanitarian protection sector is ensuring the participation and leadership of women responders. Check out further details and the full report: Women Responders: Placing local action at the centre of humanitarian protection programming (available in English and French).
Violence, Gender and WASH: A practitioner's toolkit
editors4change was excited to be involved in the editing of this comprehensive, user-friendly and timely toolkit. Developed in response to an acknowledgement that lack of access to appropriate sanitation, hygiene and water services can lead to increased vulnerabilities to violence of varying forms, the toolkit aims highlight key issues and encourage practitioners to recognise their capacity to make WASH safer and more effective. To access the materials, please visit: http://violence-wash.lboro.ac.uk
With women’s representation still only 23 per cent on average, A Handbook for Gender-Inclusive Elections in Commonwealth Africa: Achieving 50:50 by 2030 reviews the systems, legislation and best practice needed to get more women into politics. Editors4change was privileged to be requested to copyedit this vital resource on behalf of long-term client, The Commonwealth.
Security, justice and governance in south east Myanmar
In 2017 and 2018, SaferWorld, partnering with the Karen Peace Support Network, spoke to more than 2,000 people across 72 villages in south east Myanmar about their experiences during the 69-year armed conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces and the Karen National Union. The team at editors4change was excited to work with SaferWorld again, editing and helping to present the findings in this unique survey report. The survey, comments and more about SaferWorld’s work in Myanmar can be accessed here.
Looking for an opportunity to pursue flexible learning and professional development? Then check out the Water, Engineering and Development Centre's options for distance learning. In 2017, editors4change was delighted to be asked help proofread and improve some of the modules for style and consistency. The materials are clear, easy to follow and provide well-illustrated, up-to-date content on topics such as low-cost sanitation, water supply in emergencies and environmental assessment. More information can be found here.
Two reports had to be merged to an agreed structure and contents in order to produce this valuable resource, with substantial rewriting and editing to remove repetition and to make the text accessible for the intended audience. The resulting report, Export Diversification of Jamaica: New Products and New Markets, is aimed at Jamaican and other Caribbean businesses looking to grow and improve their exports. Of particular note are the marketing plans covering exports such as processed foods, beverages and industrial products.
editors4change welcomed work copyediting some small projects for another new client in 2017, Saferworld, an international peacebuilding organisation that 'puts people at the centre of peace and security responses'. Bangladesh and the 2030 Agenda and The 2030 Agenda: Supporting a more supportive, just and peaceful society in Kenya, form part of a large body of resources on peace and the 2030 Agenda. These and much more can be found on the Saferworld website.