At Portsmouth, researchers across a range of disciplines are determined to play a part in ending violence against women and girls. Across a varied portfolio of projects around the world, they’re revealing the latest threats and challenges, exploring practical solutions, and engaging with governments and services to make real change happen.
Giving a voice to women around the world
The fight to stop violence against women in South Asia, alongside the struggle for gender equality, has been gaining momentum for decades. Tamsin Bradley, Professor of International Development Studies, is working to eradicate the routine and systematic abuse of women through vital research.
At a time of growing female empowerment in the region’s cultures, Professor Bradley found that, in Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan, women with an income felt physically unsafe while travelling to and from work. And when they eventually arrive, they are very likely to experience gendered harassment.
These women feel the benefits of an income through increased confidence and independence. Yet the research highlights how social norms within South Asian culture threaten to simply shift violence out of the home and into places of work and study.
Professor Bradley's research reveals that one factor matters more than most in helping women build resilience to violence. When they engage with women’s organisations, their willingness to challenge violent behaviour increases.
This insight is helping develop new schemes to support women as they make the progression from oppressed ‘other’ to liberated citizen. Professor Bradley is making sure the message reaches governments around the world – and is already seeing changes in policy as a result of her research.
Decoding the language of violence against women
The words we use mirror society. They also influence it. Dr Alessia Tranchese’s research reveals everyday, endemic sexism in language which is either ignored or accepted as natural and harmless.
An expert in communication and applied linguistics, Dr Tranchese has found distinct patterns of language and grammar in how the media report violence against women. She shows that patterns of silencing and disbelief towards women are common. Recognising the invisible harm our use of words can do is a vital step towards equality.
Calling for action on the use of tech for domestic abuse
Abusive partners are increasingly harnessing common digital technologies to monitor, threaten and humiliate their victims. Dr Lisa Sugiura led a Home Office report revealing the scope of technology-facilitated domestic abuse (TFDA).
From spying on partners’ online accounts to posting intimate photos on ‘revenge porn’ sites, abusers only need a smartphone, voice assistant or connected camera. Dr Sugiura and colleagues call for legislators and police to answer TFDA with new policies and practices.
Dr Sugiura also co-authored a paper which highlights how incel subculture contributed to a surge in misogynistic and anti-feminist content on the popular social media platform, TikTok. Misogynist incels are men who are ‘involuntary celibates’. It was thought that their misogynistic and violent views were mostly confined to niche forums online. But our researchers found that incel ideology was present, popularised and thriving on an app with over 1 billion global users.
Crucially, they identified the techniques incels use to mainstream their ideas – from deliberately misinterpreting graphs, to repurposing TV clips, and using implicit language to evade content moderation. These are the challenges with which policymakers must grapple.
Hear more about Dr Lisa Sugiura’s research on the Life Solved podcast:
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