FPNN Community Reporter Innocent Grant sat down with IREX Malawi Activity Lead Barwani Msiskai following the Power Shifting Pre-conference, co-hosted by the African Population Conference (APC) and the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) on Sunday, 19 May 2024 in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Innocent and Barwani discussed practical ways of enhancing equitable demographic research across sectors, as well as other pressing topics like garnering funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the African context.

They dove into whether the global research community is making progress toward genuine, holistic integration of young people and other less included groups, or if it is simply having the same conversations with the same stakeholders time and time again.

Barwani maintained that around the world, and specifically in the African region, young people continuously collect nuanced data. She said the larger community does not always immediately trust this data, interfering with the ability of researchers early in their careers to be seen as experts in their own right. In order to advance progress toward shared population and reproductive health goals, stakeholders should uphold young researchers as credible collaborators at every level.

Timestamps of Key Moments:

• 0:57 - QUESTION: What did you learn from today's Power Shifting Pre-conference?

• 2:06 - QUESTION: The pre-conference moderator shared the historical background of demographic studies in Africa and how that has been colonial. I believe reproductive research, linked to demographic studies, also has shaped the way we see reproductive health narrative in Africa today, where we see there is a lot of resistance from the African governments in terms of amending policies, creating safe environments where we can have better reproductive health outcomes. Where do you think is a way forward in terms of enhancing equitable demographic research studies for better reproductive health outcomes?

• 7:43 - QUESTION: Power shifting comes with accountability. One of the things that Professor Jacques Emina from the University of Kinshasa mentioned during the pre-conference is how governments mobilize resources to support research institutions within their own countries. That got me thinking about sensitive issues like reproductive health. There sometimes is a big cut of trust when research is funded by external donors. How do we make our governments accountable in mobilizing resources for sensitive issues, and generate more evidence that can translate to policies?

Watch the full conversation between Innocent and Barwani below!