Hesitating at the Door: Youth-led research on realising sexual rights informing organisational approaches

This chapter will consider methodological issues confronting youth-led participatory research that was carried out for International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) in Benin, Kenya, Nepal and Nicaragua. Photo narratives were used by young peer educators to tell stories about being young in different cultural contexts, and what helped and hindered them to realise their sexual rights. Young people were supported to analyse their evidence and present recommendations to local decision-makers. Presentations by young researchers in the four country cases was analysed alongside the interviews conducted by a team from Panos London and the University of Brighton. The chapter also addresses questions around interdisciplinary collaboration and conversation as the findings youth-led research was taken to national, regional and global levels and have informed a process of reconceptualising youth programming in sexual rights. Building on Johnson’s Change-scape framework, the research informed a youth centred approach to sexual and reproductive health and rights across IPPF and Member Associations. This socio-ecological framework places young people’s identities, inclusion and interest at the core of developing youth friendly services and programming. It includes young people’s priorities to: find safe spaces in which to interact with each other and access services; work with adults, religious leaders and service providers in communities; and to influence policies and laws that affect their health and rights. It builds on IPPF’s strategies of youth friendly services, advocacy and comprehensive sexuality education.