Women Research Institute (WRI) has organized a series of training of feminist methodology, ranging from the Training of Basic Feminist Methodology First Batch on 24-27 May 2011, and the Training of Basic Feminist Methodology Second Batch on 13-16 June 2011. Both trainings were conducted at Galeri 678, Kemang, Jakarta. 

 

Through the trainings of feminist methodology, WRI expects to encourage and strengthen the capacity of the researchers to improve their research skills and knowledge. Thus, the research communities are expected to become stronger and able to develop knowledge in many regions.

WRI has have adequate experience in feminist-perspective research methods and been continuously developed and disseminate the research method in a bid to create a discourse as a critical alternative of research methods that do not have gender perspective. Therefore, WRI organized feminist methodology trainings to support attempts to achieve an ideal of a gender-equitable society. In this case, WRI believes that researchers must have the ability, both on philosophical and practical part in using feminist research methods.

After the completion of the training of basic feminist methodology, participants of both batches were required to send their research proposals. WRI felt the need to maintain and ensure that the gender perspectives of the researchers remain intact and well honed after assisting them in writing their research proposal and consulting during the field research.

Therefore, after the researchers conducted field research as a medium to learn the use of feminist perspectives in research, WRI felt the need to conduct the Training of Advanced Feminist Methodology on 12-15 October 2011 in Jakarta. The training provided advanced knowledge and capacity for the researchers to use feminist methodology to the stage of doing a feminist analysis in writing the result of their research.

Data analysis using feminist perspective in writing the result of research becomes a main point in the training of advanced feminist methodology. The participants were trained to learn deeper in analyzing the data of the result of the research that have been done. The participants wee expected to deepen their ability in organizing data, expand their references and sharpen their analysis ability.

Activities Output

1. Participants are able to recognize and agree on the values of ethical research with feminist perspectives.
2. Participants gain knowledge about the problems of methodology in feminist research. 
3. Participants are able to apply empirical data obtained from research over the feminist political positions, including gender-based power relations.
4. Participants are able to analyze data using a feminist perspective and able o conceptualize the data of the research result in the form of research report outline. 
5. Participants are able to write a research report with a feminist perspective.

The trainings involved facilitators who have been used to facilitate trainings of feminist methodology such as: Dr. Aris Arif Mundayat, Dr. Risa Permanadeli, Dra. Myra Diarsi, MA, Edriana Noerdin, MA and Dra. Sita Aripurnami, MSc.

In the training of advanced feminist methodology, WRI invited a special guest speaker, Prof. Dr. Saskia Wieringa (University of Amsterdam, Holland). Saskia played a part in criticizing the use of basic concepts (gender and feminist thought, standpoint, feminist empiricism and feminist ethics) and practices of the methodology.

The training of advanced feminist methodology used the approach of “coaching clinic” in order to ensure that each research’s working process and result obtain adequate comments and inputs to improve the construction of their final research reports.

The training series were expected to answer the problems that have been identified by WRI:

1. Lack of researchers who master the feminist methodology . 
2. There has yet any forum that brings together researchers who use feminist methodology.
3. There has yet any new and adequate documentation of expereinces in the use of feminist methodology both in the national and international levels.
4. Lack of forum to facilitate exhcance of experience and knowledge about feminist methodology.

Lessons Learned

1. To increase or intensify a comprehensitve understanding and working operational of gender in various fields. It is because the concept of gender has been in general understood quite to the definition and “know what” only.
2. Mastering the feminist perspective can only occur with the praxis that is assisted by experts to ensure that it will not be dragged or absorbed by the more-dominant non-progressive paradigm usually becomes a normative hold and widely practived in the institutions where the researchers work.
3. WRI’s work patterns and designs for the program of the feminist methodology training that have been carefully arranged need to be disseminated widely to become a steady regular program. With sufficient financial support and technical assistance, the progam could become a future WRI resource.