Figure 3: Role and purpose of focus group participants Role Contribution Promote and advocate for the Gender Strategy within their networks, communicate the views of their colleagues. Increase likelihood of adoption, support, and active participation. Share own work-based experience, research, data, about priority gender-based issues. Ground the framework in real-world realities and diverse perspectives. Contribute to drafting the Strategic Framework. Align framework language and focus with community needs and values. Ensure that the strategic priorities address the most important gender-related challenges. Ensure the framework addresses what matters most to stakeholders. Identify potential obstacles and factors that could support implementation. Inform realistic action planning and risk management. Review proposed framework. To align with the context and focus of the NHRI. Question: How will you ensure focus groups are gender inclusive? Simply including women or gender-diverse participants does not make a focus group gender inclusive. Participants must be able to contribute safely, equally and meaningfully. Plan inclusively from the beginning. Think about who is represented, whose voices may be missing, and whether some groups may participate more openly in separate discussions. Make participation accessible and safe by considering venue, timing, transport, childcare, interpretation and confidentiality. Facilitation also matters. Use inclusive language, establish respectful ground rules, and actively manage power imbalances so all participants can contribute. When collecting and reporting information, avoid assumptions, protect confidentiality and reflect the diversity of perspectives shared. Question: What focus group structure will get the best results? You know your NHRI and participants better than we do. You may decide to develop your own focus group structure and agenda. For this Toolkit, Figure 3 proposes a simple model based on two sessions per focus group. Session 1 focuses on the Vision, Purpose, and Strategic Priorities Session 2 focuses on the Long-term Outcomes and Indicators, and High-level Activities The purpose of having two sessions is to provide participants the opportunity to discuss developments with their colleagues and to invite and include their feedback in the second session. Section 3 of the Toolkit includes an example of a focus group structure and participatory exercises that you may find useful when facilitating the focus groups. Gender Strategy Toolkit 2026 34