Women’s voice and participation in decision-making is essential not only for true democracies to flourish but also for women to ensure that decisions made in households and at the highest levels of government benefit rather than harm them. Persistent inequalities– including economic, social, cultural, and political, prevent women’s full and meaningful participation in policy making, development programmes and implementation.
Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) is rooted in movement building. Through FPAR women collect evidence about what is happening in their communities, and they act on it – together. When they do this, they create a movement. When they do this over and over again, alongside women from many countries, movements make waves.
FPAR shakes power relations in our daily lives and society. It ensures research is done by and for women (this is not the norm!). With good research and documented evidence, women challenge rights violations and gendered power imbalances. FPAR is a potent tool for enabling women to take control of development agendas and programmes that are affecting their lives, and that for the most part are developed without their input.
