Research and Innovation: Centering Marginalized and Silenced Voices
What Does Research Mean to Us?
Research is a tool for transformation. Conventional research often prioritises dominant voices shaped by power and privilege, overlooking the barriers and unequal structures that sustain injustice. In contrast, our research centres on amplifying marginalised and silenced voices, using feminist methodologies to explore the root causes and driving factors of inequality.
Feminist inquiry uncovers intersectional realities and challenges entrenched systems of inequality. Our research addresses interconnected issues to ensure that underrepresented groups’ voices, demands, and aspirations are heard.
By focusing on politically and socially significant topics, our work aims to:
- Illuminate Intersectional Realities: Bringing attention to the nuanced experiences of marginalised communities.
- Challenge Inequality: Critically examining systemic barriers to equity.
- Inform Policies and Programs: Ensuring government actions are inclusive and equitable.
Through this lens, research evolves into a tool for justice, inclusion, and systemic change.
What Are We Doing? (Include Links to project pages)
- Measuring Social Norms Change Through Mass Storytelling Research: Exploring how storytelling influences societal perceptions and drives shifts in social norms, creating pathways for transformative change.
- Understanding Gender Perspectives in Nepal: Exploring diverse gender identities to uncover inequalities and promote inclusion across all aspects of life.
- Youth Perspectives in the Feminist Movement in Nepal: Examining how young people engage with and shape feminist movements, highlighting their contributions, challenges, and visions for the future.
- Voice and Agency: Elected Dalit Women Representatives at the Local Government Level: Studying the experiences and challenges Dalit women face in leadership roles to amplify their voices and inform inclusive, equitable policy decisions.
Through these initiatives, we aim to uncover insights that empower marginalised groups, foster inclusion, and inspire systemic change. We envision research as a powerful tool for transformation, challenging dominant narratives and catalysing systemic change. We want to build a knowledge ecosystem that values diverse perspectives and informs policies and programs that address the root causes of inequality. By amplifying marginalised voices and fostering intersectional understanding, we aim to contribute to a society where inclusivity and justice are central to decision-making. We want to inspire a future where every voice is heard, valued and reflected in the structures that shape our lives.
Movement Building
At The Story Kitchen (TSK), we believe that movement building must be grounded in the lived experiences of those who have faced oppression and injustice. True transformation begins when those directly affected lead the way by sharing their lived experiences, co-creating solutions, and shaping the direction of change. Movement building is not just about addressing individual grievances—it requires linking personal narratives to broader political and social structures through collaboration and activism. This approach enables communities to challenge systemic inequalities, as seen in grassroots efforts where local women’s groups have successfully advocated for policy changes to address gender-based violence and work collectively toward justice and equity.
Our philosophy, “From Me to Us,” reflects that individual actions and stories can inspire collective change. It guides our approach to transformation at three interconnected levels.
- At the personal level, we equip people with tools, skills, and opportunities to amplify their voices and leadership.
- At the organisational level, we strengthen advocacy and operational capacities through storytelling, training, and digital platforms.
- We foster collaboration across diverse groups at the movement level, creating spaces for shared learning and intersectional connections.
Individual stories must be made public and linked to larger political structures through advocacy, dialogue, and policy engagement, enabling systemic change and amplifying marginalised voices. Because the personal is political, our work focuses on uniting lived experiences into a shared understanding of injustice, designing futures collectively, and building cohesive, intersectional movements that take time but lead to lasting transformation.
By uniting HerStory, Feminist Leadership, Advocacy for Justice, and Research and Innovation, TSK fosters a collective movement for equality and justice that strengthens communities and empowers individuals.