‘My story is like a magic wand’: a qualitative study of personal storytelling and activism to stop violence against women in Turkey

Abstract

Background : Telling personal stories of violence has been central to recent advocacy efforts to prevent violence against women around the world. In this paper, we explore the use of personal storytelling as a form of activism to prevent femicide in Turkey. This study is part of a broader storytelling initiative called SHAER (Storytelling for Health: Acknowledgement, Expression and Recovery) to alleviate the psychological and emotional suffering of women who have experienced gender-based violence in high-prevalence settings. Objectives : We conceptually explore personal stories of violence as a form of both distributed agency and activism. This conceptual framework is used to answer the following research question in the Turkish context: How do women use their personal stories of interpersonal violence for their own benefit (support) and that of others (activism)? Methods : Our study is based on 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews with women who have experienced violence and were purposefully recruited by the ‘We Will End Femicide’ Platform in Istanbul. Interviews were conducted between March and August 2019. We used inductive and deductive thematic analysis to identify instances of personal storytelling at three levels: intrapersonal, relational and collective. Results : Our results show how the use of personal storytelling can provide a means of healing from experiences of violence. However, this process is not linear and is often influenced by the surrounding context including: the listener of the story, their reaction, and what social networks the woman has to support her. In supportive social contexts, personal storytelling can be an effective support for activism against violence: personal stories can provide opportunities for individuals to shape broader discourses about violence against women and the right of women to share their stories. Conclusions : Telling one’s personal story of violence can both support women’s agency and contribute to the collective struggle against violence against women more broadly.

When the Personal Becomes Political: Unpacking the Dynamics of Sexual Violence and Gender Justice Discourses Across Four Social Media Platforms

“…The visibility of networked counterpublics as well as the contention this visibility attracts, which simultaneously exist in a continuous and interactive context, constitute the dynamic process of “publicness.” As such, our framework for understanding the temporal dynamics of discourses surrounding social media activism encompasses the following three components. First, sharing personal experiences and expressing social support have been a central narrative structure to social media activism discourses (Jackson et al, 2020; Linabary et al, 2020; Mwaba et al, 2021). Second, such “co-production and sharing based on personalized expressions” (Bennett & Segerberg, 2013, p. 16) can transform into demands for social and cultural change, moving debates from the margins to the mainstream.…”

“…Networked acknowledgment can motivate people to call upon each other to articulate cultural, social, and legal demands to address sexual violence and gender injustice. Sharing oppressive experiences promotes a socially acceptable environment for disclosing personal stories, a process that constructs shared narratives (Manikonda et al, 2018; Mwaba et al, 2021). Spreading quickly through weak-tie networks, personal storytelling on social media not only raises public awareness of the situation but also enhances the collective capacity to organize personalized voices, coordinate actions, and change social norms (Bennett & Segerberg, 2013; Mwaba et al, 2021).…”

“…Sharing oppressive experiences promotes a socially acceptable environment for disclosing personal stories, a process that constructs shared narratives (Manikonda et al, 2018; Mwaba et al, 2021). Spreading quickly through weak-tie networks, personal storytelling on social media not only raises public awareness of the situation but also enhances the collective capacity to organize personalized voices, coordinate actions, and change social norms (Bennett & Segerberg, 2013; Mwaba et al, 2021). Through this process, networked acknowledgment on digital spaces has the potential to congeal into actions for broader social change.…”

Traumatic Imagination in Traditional Stories of Gender-Based Violence

“…Specifically, following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, violence towards women in the region has escalated, demonstrating an ongoing need for storytelling in women's collective struggle. 9 Connecting one's own story to traditional stories allows individuals and communities to tap "literacy practices supported by family networks," 10 and participate in community-based mental-health interventions that use storytelling in trauma therapy and recovery.…”