Intersectional Gendered Violence
The project 'Intersectional Gendered Violence' seeks to understand how Visual and Embodied Methods (VEM) can be used to enhance our understandings of gendered violence, from sexual harassment to state violence, war, and genocide.
Led by Professor Jelke Boesten, Professor Rachel Kerr and Professor Cathy McIlwaine, and Suzanne Hall, the research team is part of the VEM Network at King’s. The different strands of the project look at young people’s experiences of sexual harassment, resistance and activism among migrant women, and conflict-related gendered trauma and pain.
VEM can build connection across different experiences and audiences where other approaches fail. Working closely with The Policy Institute at King’s, the team will use the findings from across these different workstreams in policy labs to explore ways of shaping policy and influencing policy makers in their understanding of these issues in the UK and beyond.
Project strands
Professor Jelke Boesten’s research will focus on sexual harassment against and among young people. She will work with students at King’s to map what they understand as sexual harassment, what safe and unsafe spaces are, who might be most vulnerable and why. Alongside, a Just Futures project led by Science Gallery London, she will develop a parallel project with young people from South London, establishing the link between student-life and pre-university or non-university students and young people, and to further explore the meaning of intersectionality.
Professor Cathy McIlwaine will use VEM to work with Migrants in Action, using storytelling, photography, and film to explore resistance and activism among three generations of migrant women.
Professor Rachel Kerr will draw on archival research to produce new visual understandings of conflict-related gendered trauma and pain, how this is expressed and understood and what meanings are attached to it in different contexts.
Suzanne Hall will use the findings of these workstreams in policy labs to explore ways of shaping policy and influencing policy makers in their understanding of these issues.
Methods
The project will use Visual Embodied Methodologies, including creative activities such as photography, drawing, bodymapping, songwriting, poetry etc.
Strands of the project will student-led and collaboration with students and participants. Workshops using creative methods will be used as a space to express knowledge of and experiences with intersectional gendered violence. The results of this research will be disseminated through a range of outputs, including an online exhibition, on campus displays, and research articles. Importantly to contribute to toward positive changes in the areas of focus including University through creative actions.
Impact
Through the project’s different strands and outputs the project proposes, the research team will demonstrate the numerous ways VEM can be used to address multiple forms of gendered violence.
They team will develop training and toolkits in the use of VEM in academic, policy and action research, with a strong focus on collaborations between researchers, artists, and participants.
The project will generate dialogue with fellow students, staff and leadership, within and beyond King’s, contributing to changing and creating important understandings of what intersectional gendered violence is, does and can be prevented.
Our Partners
Principal Investigators
Associate Dean Doctoral Studies
Professor of War and Society
Vice Dean (Research), Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy
Director of Engagement
Investigators
Research Associate
Research Fellow
Affiliated Facilitator and Just Futures Programme Manager (Joy as Resistance Residency)
Project Coordinator
Affiliations
Funding
Funding Body: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Amount: £800k
Period: September 2023 - October 2025