Research in Nepal: Studying the Roots of Violence against Women and How that Might Change for the Positive

Published November 7, 2018
By By Assistant Professor Barbara Grossman-Thompson

In summer 2018, in partnership with Dr. Charlotta Salmi at Queen Mary University London, I began a two-year project titled “Visualizing Gender-Based Violence in Graphic Awareness Campaigns in Nepal.” This project is part of the British Academy’s Sustainable Development Programme 2018, and it is supported under the Global Challenges Research Fund.

Our project investigates representations of gender-based violence (GBV) in graphic art forms in two of Nepal’s major cities: Kathmandu and Pokhara.

During three weeks of fieldwork in June 2018, we studied how four types of violence – domestic abuse, trafficking, street harassment, menstruation-based discrimination – are portrayed in graphic print publications (comics, zines) and public graphic expressions (murals, graffiti, street art). We also used interviews and focus groups to collect data on how stakeholders such as NGOs, activists, and artists use graphic art as an awareness-raising tool.

This preliminary trip served to pilot the larger initiatives that will occur during three additional field visits in 2019-2020. Two CSULB undergraduate students were able to join us this summer, one supported through a CSULB ORSP Student Summer Research Award and another supported through the CSULB McNair Program. Both students developed their own individual research projects, pursued language training, and presented their work at an undergraduate research symposium.

This fall (2018), and over the next two years, our work on this project will have three primary objectives.

First, to understand the impact of visual and narrative techniques used in graphic GBV awareness campaigns. Specifically, we hope to elucidate the role of religious heritage and popular culture in representing violence and gender, and promote critical reflection of cultural representations of GBV. 

Second, to encourage knowledge exchange between disciplines, researchers, and stakeholders in Nepal in order to shape inclusive practices in current messaging.

Third, to run two creative initiatives with local arts organizations and NGOs:

(1) an open-access digital archive of graphic representations of GBV and (2) a series of graphic art workshops for 600 girls (aged 12-17).

We are most excited about this latter initiative, which will allow us to leverage our research project into meaningful community engagement.