Young people in Bangladesh and Malawi, trained as researchers, developed a research plan and collected qualitative data on adolescents’ main issues and concerns relating to sexuality and the barriers adolescents experience in using Youth Friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health Services.
Training young people to become researchers
With the support of IPPF and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rutgers WPF has developed a training module and a handbook for training young people to conduct qualitative research on young people’s sexuality and SRHR related issues. The main reason for training young people as researchers is to capture young people’s perspectives and experiences as adequately as possible.
Focus and goal of the research
Under the guidance of local professional researchers, the youth research teams in Bangladesh and Malawi investigated what adolescents experience as priority issues relating to sexuality and sexual relationships, how this translated to a need for information and services and whether the offered services matched these realities and needs.
The teams also investigated what barriers adolescents experienced with regard to accessing information, contraception and utilizing the services, and what motivated and enabled those who used the services to access these.
Goal of the research was to formulate recommendations on basis of the findings, together with staff, key stakeholders and young people, to improve awareness, demand, access, quality and thus uptake of the services.
Main findings and recommendations
Implementation of recommendations: Intervention research
To ensure the results and recommendations do not stay on a shelf, two small intervention studies will take place in 2012 to investigate if implementation of key recommendations is successful.
Explore Toolkit and Training of Trainers
IPPF and Rutgers WPF are currently upgrading and expanding the EXPLORE Toolkit for youth participation in Research (expected to be finished early 2012). IPPF, Rutgers WPF and the EXPLORE toolkit can help you to engage young people in meaningful ways in SRHR research, Needs Assessments, M&E, and programme and project activities. Contact us for more information and trainings.
Young People as Researchers - Training Manual (1.63 MB)
