Research teams

• Read the questions on the research question handouts.
• Find and read national and international reports on the state of FORB in your country. (This is good practice before leading any training on FORB.)
• Identify which sections of the reports will be useful in answering the research questions. Compile these sections to form a ‘research pack’ for participants to use.
• Based on your reading, adapt the research question handouts by removing questions that are not relevant to your context and adding questions you find more relevant. Aim to have 3-4 questions per template (group).
• Print out one ‘research pack’ per group (6 groups) and two copies of the research question sets (6 different question sheets x 2 copies per group).

Explain to participants that their task is to research a FORB context analysis that covers different dimensions of FORB. Divide participants into 6 groups and give each group a set of research questions and a research pack.

Explain that each group has different questions and that their task is to find out as much information as they can about their questions using the research pack provided, their own knowledge or by searching the internet. Ask them to write key points they find on flip chart sheets to present to the plenary.

Comment that in doing their analysis it is important to have the following in mind:

• Consider both legal restrictions of the right (including family and personal identity law) and the restrictions/violations that are, in practice, placed on people by authorities and by members of the family, community or extremist groups.
• Remember the rules governing when limitations on FORB are legitimate (or not). Remind them of these if necessary.
• Think about the different ways in which males and females are affected.

RESEARCH (40 min)

Ask the groups to get started with their research and tell them they have 40 minutes to find as much information as they can. Circulate among the groups, helping them if they struggle to locate the information they need in the research packs/online.
Presentations and plenary discussion (60 min)

Bring participants back to the plenary. Give each group up to 5 minutes to present their findings and an additional 5 minutes for questions and discussions of the findings and then move to the next group, even if there is a lot more you could discuss!

TIP! Schedule a break or run an energiser after half of the groups have presented in order to keep energy levels going.

When all the groups have presented ask participants to share their reflections using the following questions:

• Have you learnt anything new today? Did anything surprise you?
• Are there things you still want to find out?
• From what has been described, what do you think are the most important challenges for FORB in the country?
• How did this listening to the results of everyone’s research make you feel?

Thank participants for their hard work and congratulate them on their research. Make clear if the information gathered will be documented and shared with them after the training. Mention any coming sessions in the training that will focus on action planning to tackle some of the issues highlighted.

If looking at problems has left a heavy feeling in the group, share a story to encourage people that change is possible! Think of an inspirational story from your context or share inspiration from the ‘changemaker stories‘.