“It’s a struggle but it’s also a strength”: Embodied declarations of resistance, resilience, and strength amongst survivors of gendered violence

Abstract

This study explores women’s representations and declarations of resilience, resistance, and strength within the context of gender-based violence through photography. A visual-narrative methodology is used to answer the following research question: In what ways do survivors resist gender-based violence at both individual and systemic levels? Photo-elicitation interviews were conducted with a total of three female survivors between the ages of 27 and 35 living in the GTA. The benefits of this study involve reconceptualizing women’s experiences of gender-based violence through creative expression, as well as disrupting dominant ideas of female survivors as “vulnerable victims” by constructing new accounts that depict strong, resilient women. The hopeful outcome of this study is that it informs current and future policy and practice. I hope that scholars, practitioners, and legislators will critically reflect on how their current and past research and practice may fall short of the rights and needs of women they work alongside.