Are you an activist-researcher seeking to challenge traditional research methods? Do you believe research should lead to meaningful collective action? Are you interested in applying feminist frameworks to address complex social issues in your community, collective, organisation or networks?

FPAR Academy is pleased to offer our inaugural foundational course in Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR). This four-month programme will guide you through the essential elements of FPAR methodology—from research design to practical implementation and advocacy.

Designed for practitioners, researchers, and activists interested in feminist approaches to knowledge co-creation, this course balances theoretical understanding with hands-on application. Join us to develop practical skills for implementing FPAR methodologies that center marginalised voices and challenge power structures in your own context.

What is FPAR?

Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) is a powerful conceptual and methodological framework that enables a critical understanding of complex oppressive structures and relationships that undermine social justice. 

The origins of FPAR can be traced back to Kurt Lewin’s work on Action Research in the aftermath of WWII, and builds on the work of Participatory Action Research (PAR), a method of critical pedagogy developed by prominent thinkers from the Global South since the 1970s (such as Paolo Freire in Brazil and Orlando Fals-Borda in Colombia). 

PAR critiques positivist approaches for being elite and exclusive to academic researchers and aims to empower oppressed peoples to participate in social investigation and take collective actions for social change. Over the last few decades, feminist activists-researchers have critiqued the praxis of PAR for being androcentric (or male-centred) and ignoring patriarchal structures that limit women’s participation in social processes. Feminist activists-researchers have since integrated feminism and PAR and developed the methodological paradigm of FPAR.

Is This Course Right for You?

This course is designed for activist-researchers who want to:

  • Implement FPAR methodologies within their communities, collectives, organisations, or networks
  • Develop research skills that center marginalised voices
  • Use research as a tool for collective action for structural change
  • Connect with like-minded practitioners across the globe


This course is particularly valuable for those working in organisations transitioning to more participatory approaches and for independent researchers or consultants seeking to incorporate feminist methodologies into their practice.

You do not need a strong academic background to join this course. However, proficiency in English and a reliable internet connection are necessary to engage fully with the course materials and community. Participants should be able to attend live sessions that will be scheduled with consideration for different time zones.

What You Will Gain

By the end of this learning journey, you will have:

  • Grasp the core principles of FPAR and how it differs from traditional research approaches.

  • Learn concrete tools for feminist data collection, analysis, and evidence-based advocacy

  • Examine successful examples of how FPAR has strengthened social movements and led to structural changes

  • Connect with a diverse community of activist-researchers interested in applying FPAR in their work

  • Leave with a concrete framework to apply FPAR in your community, collective, organisation or networks

Course Structure

This course guides participants through the complete FPAR cycle, beginning with collaborative research design, moving to participatory data collection methods, and culminating in translating findings into collective action for change. Through a combination of self-paced learning, practical assignments, and live discussion sessions, participants will develop both conceptual understanding and practical skills in applying FPAR methodology in their own contexts.

Course Timeline:

  • Registration deadline: April 21, 2025
  • Onboarding call and module 1 release: Week of May 5, 2025
  • Module 1 live discussion: Week of June 2, 2025
  • Module 2 release: June 9, 2025
  • Module 2 live discussion: Week of July 7, 2025
  • Module 3 release: July 7, 2025
  • Final live session: Week of August 4, 2025


Onboarding Call (Week of May 5, 2025)

  • Introduction to the course platform and community
  • Getting to know fellow participants
  • Orientation to the course content and structure
  • Overview of learning journey and expectations


Module 1: Introduction to FPAR and Designing your FPAR (Release: Week of May 5, 2025)

  • Self-paced learning content:
    • Foundations and principles of Feminist Participatory Action Research
    • Applying intersectional feminist analysis
    • Case studies and practical applications of FPAR
    • Collaborative research design methodology
    • Co-creating research questions and approaches with communities
  • Practical assignment: Design an FPAR research project
  • Live discussion session (Week of June 2, 2025): Share research designs and receive feedback


Module 2: Participatory Data Collection Methods & Collective Analysis (Release: June 9, 2025)

  • Self-paced learning content:
    • Feminist approaches to data collection
    • Participatory data collection tools 
    • Strategies for inclusive and representative data gathering
    • Facilitating collective data analysis with communities
    • Methods for community validation of research findings
  • Practical assignment: Practice selected participatory research methods in your context
  • Live discussion session (Week of July 7, 2025): Share experiences and insights from data collection practice


Module 3: Collective Action and Transformative Change (release: July 7, 2025)

  • Self-paced learning content:
    • Co-creating advocacy and actions strategies from research findings
    • Identifying strategic advocacy and actions using the Deeply-Widely-Winnable framework 
    • Participatory campaign design using Power Mapping and Critical Pathway
    • Community-led evaluation of impact and change
    • Sustaining collective momentum through the cyclical FPAR process
  • Practical assignment: Collaboratively develop action strategies with your community
  • Final live discussion session (Week of August 4, 2025): Share collective learning and discuss implementation approaches

Registration Details

[Please note that the registration for the course is now closed]

Maximum Participants: 20 people

Application Deadline: April 21, 2025, or until all seats are filled

Course Fees: Our tiered pricing relies on the honour system. We trust participants to select the rate that honestly reflects their circumstances, allowing us to maintain accessibility while sustaining our programme. These fees help cover our labour and the development of course materials.

  1. Global North Institutional Rate ($800): For participants sponsored by organisations based in Global North countries or large international organisations.
  2. Global South Institutional Rate ($500): For participants sponsored by organisations based in Global South countries.
  3. Global North Individual Rate ($400): For individuals paying personally who are based in Global North countries or have financial circumstances that allow contribution at this level.
  4. Global South Individual Rate ($200): For individuals paying personally who are based in Global South countries, students, independent researchers, or grassroots activists without organisational backing.
  5. Alternative Exchange Option: As feminist activists primarily from and working in the Global South, we understand global inequalities in wealth, resources, power, and decision-making. If you cannot afford the fees above, please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] to discuss alternative exchange options (inspired by the Post Growth Institute's Offers and Needs Market model).


Waitlist System: Due to high demand and limited spaces, we will maintain a waitlist for interested participants once the cohort is filled. If accepted to the waitlist, you will be contacted should a space become available. Waitlisted applicants will receive priority consideration for future cohorts.

Enrol Today

First Come First Served Basis

Course Instructors

Co-founder & Director Trimita Chakma

Trimita is a feminist researcher, organiser, and facilitator from the Indigenous Chakma hill tribe of Bangladesh. She specialises in using FPAR for strengthening social movements and evidence-based policy advocacy across gender, labour, climate/ environmental, and Indigenous People's issues. She has led numerous feminist research projects across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. With an MA in Asian Women's Studies (Ewha Womans University, South Korea), an MSc in IT Management (Carnegie Mellon University, USA), she is currently pursuing a PhD in Just Transition at Edith Cowan University, Australia, using Eco-FPAR. Trimita is passionate about translating complex social research into accessible campaign materials that drive grassroots action.

Co-founder & Director Diyana Yahaya

Diyana is a feminist activist, researcher, and training facilitator from Malaysia with more than a decade's international experience in advancing women's human rights. Her work spans economic justice, trade justice, gender-based violence, gender and politics, and sustainable development. She has delivered capacity building and training to diverse audiences from activists, educators, Indigenous women, trade unionists and parliamentarians worldwide. Diyana has also produced and authored various research, advocated for policy reform, and strengthened movements' capacity to challenge traditional economic models, with particular focus on the current economic, trade and investment rules. She is passionate about thinking and creating alternative economic and political systems with grassroots communities and social movements.