In a significant collaborative effort, Democracy Works Foundation (DWF) and the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Lesotho embarked on the Participatory Action Research (PAR) initiative. From February to May 2022, they conducted detailed Participatory Action Research (PAR) to kickstart the Putting Youth and Women at the Centre of Inclusive Economic Growth program, putting a spotlight on two critical areas: fostering youth engagement and empowerment through Civil Society Organisations at both local and national levels and enhancing Women CSOs' capabilities for active involvement in policymaking.
This study explored the roles of women--and youth-led Community-based Organisations (CBOs) in community governance. By assessing their participation in various decision-making forums, from local councils to electoral processes, the project sought to understand and enhance their influence in key community engagements and forums.
Adhering to a robust Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology, incorporating planning, action, observation, and reflection phases, the initiative enabled deep engagement with targeted stakeholders. This encompassed forming a cohesive strategy, pinpointing research inquiries, and developing and deploying information-gathering tools.
Field research was executed with an emphasis on meaningful interaction with women and youth-driven organisations in the targeted districts of Leribe, Butha-Buthe and Maseru. This collaborative approach was crucial; it leveraged the grassroots knowledge and firsthand experiences of the community enterprises alongside the theoretical and methodological insights of the researchers. Such synergy not only heightened the research's validity but also marked a departure from conventional external observation methods in research, paving the way towards research for impact - a more immersive and insightful understanding of community and organisational dynamics.
