Selection of Projects

Common Approach for Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH)
Client: The Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility (PRIF)

In 2025 I developed an aligned approach for planning and implementing measures to safeguard against the risk of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH). This approach was developed in collaboration with a technical working group and i) aligned with the PSEAH approaches of PRIF partners (6 donors and 2 multilateral banks), ii) anchored in international good practice (CAPSEAH, IFC etc) and iii) relevant to the national, cultural and operational contexts of delivering infrastructure in Pacific Island Countries. The approach was socialized through a guidance note, a series of interactive presentations and a train the trainer approach.

Good Practice Infrastructure Projects (GPIPs)
Client: BAPPENAS and USAID

^{Sarah in a community consultation with women traders at a traditional market planned for upgrade in North Sulawesi, Indonesia}

In 2024, I was the Gender and Social Inclusion lead for five feasibility studies for transport and logistics infrastructure projects in Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Bali. I supported and coordinated a national team of social specialists, designed research tools and methodologies for baseline studies and worked with local partners to design a grievance redress for a survivor-centered approach to counter Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment (SEAH) and Trafficking in Persons (TIP).

Blue Pacific Finance Hub
Client: Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Global Environment Facility (GEF)

^{Sarah interviewing staff from a women’s NGO in Tuvalu about blue economic priorities.}

In 2023 I worked with a multidisciplinary team to develop a full proposal for a Global Environment Facility (GEF) project. To design a pipeline of projects for blue ocean positive economic growth in four Pacific Island countries, I identified and consulted with a range of GEDSI relevant stakeholders in the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati, in addition to consultations with government ministries.

Lae Market Redevelopment, PNG
Client: Economic and Social Infrastructure Program (ESIP) and DFAT

^{Fruit sellers at the old Lae Main Market, in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.}

In 2022 I coordinated and supported a team of local social scientists to conduct a rapid baseline GEDSI study of the Lae Main Market. Data was written up as a report that included a list of recommendations for the design of the new Lae market and future rebuild and management.

Circular Economy for Reducing Marine Plastics
Client: Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Global Environment Facility (GEF)

^{Marine plastic is a threat to marine environments, a root cause solution is to create circular economies.}

In 2021 I worked with a multidiscinary team to mainstream gender equality and social inclusion in two full project proposals for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to promote a circular economy to address plastics in our oceans. One plan was for a Southeast Asian regional project and one was Indonesia specific. The needs and desires of women, informal waste workers and other marginal groups was at the heart of my inputs into project plans.

Waste Management system upgrade – Jakarta
Client: BAPPENAS, Kemitraan Indonesia Australia untuk Infrastruktur (KIAT) and DFAT.

^{Sarah interviewing waste pickers so that she can incorporate their needs and aspirations in waste management system upgrades.}

In 2021 I integrated GEDSI in a feasibility study to support the Jakarta city government improve waste management, collection and transport arrangements.

Post-disaster infrastructure reconstruction
Client: United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)

^{Sarah listening to a teacher sharing what female students need for incorporation into architectural design plans.}

In 2019 I produced a GESI technical report with a checklist, specifications and recommendations for 42 critical public infrastructure projects. I traveled to the post-disaster regions of Lombok and Sulawesi and listened to over a hundred stakeholders share their wishes for the project designs as part of UNDP’s ‘Programme for Earthquake and Tsunami reconstruction Assistance’ (PETRA)

Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Client: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and DFAT

^{Policy advocacy work for a cultural-religious based gender violence involved many long meetings at a ministerial level.}

In 2017, I was involved in developing the evidence base for a politically sensitive and complex form of gender-based violence. I also worked on policy advocacy for this issue. I produced a consolidated research report from qualitative and qualitative data on female genital mutilation in ten Indonesian regions.