The paper Using Participatory Statistics to Examine the Impact of Interventions to Eradicate Slavery: Lessons from the Field examines the use of participatory statistics to evaluate grassroots anti-slavery efforts in India. It combines local data collection with statistical principles to gauge modern slavery’s impact, with participatory methods engaging communities in defining slavery and crafting indicators. This research comes from an interest of The Freedom Fund in measuring and understanding the impact of slavery eradication programmes undertaken by 16 grass-roots non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in 27 districts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This research was undertaken by researchers from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in the UK and Praxis-Institute for Participatory Practices in India
The research shows that challenges to implementing participatory methods include confidentiality and caste dynamics, yet participatory statistics offer benefits like rapid feedback loops and community engagement. Trust-building and timely data dissemination are crucial for effective planning. Despite challenges, the approach holds promise for development research in modern slavery, emphasising inclusivity and community involvement.
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