From "Reel" to "Real" - Embodied Responses to Rape

Women’s perspectives of their embodied experiences of and responses to rape are explored in this research. In sexual violence literature, there is minimal focus on individuals’ experiences and responses to rape and when included, what is emphasized is medical, legal, and social systems responses. Post-colonial intersectional feminist theory frames this research, highlighting impacts of social locations and systematic processes on the embodied multi-layered experiences of women who have been raped. Narrative methodology including creative data collection facilitated opportunities for participants to express their experiences. My analysis, grounded in participants’ stories and my own experience of rape, incorporated visual representations and poetry reflecting on sexual politics and discourse. Creative dissemination of women’s narratives provides greater understanding of women’s embodied and contextual experiences of rape. Bringing to light the diversity and resilience of women who have experienced rape, can contribute to influencing health care policies and practices while advancing critical social justice.