In their own voices: vulnerabilities and abilities of women, children and families in health research

REACH is a collaborative study looking at the ethical inclusion of vulnerable women, children and families in research. We can now use our early findings to spark wider debate about the ethical issues arising from research in the context of poverty and gender inequality. 

We propose a series of public engagement workshops and events in our four study countries that will help us engage with the public, community activists, humanitarian health workers, leaders in women’s and children’s health and community advisory boards. We will use case reports and videos to prompt discussion. We hope to learn from participants about what ethical research, vulnerability and empowerment mean to them, and their concerns about research and ways we can respond to these concerns. A video of the workshops will be used to share insights with researchers, universities, funders, ethics committees and other stakeholders in global health.

These activities will offer an opportunity for stakeholders to shape the debate about research ethics in their communities and beyond as well as bringing public engagement training to researchers in developing countries.