This research is changing me, shattering what I know at times, confirming what I have learned at others, making my head spin and blowing me away with new ideas.
One thing that has become clear for me is my role as a researcher. I have co-written articles on research for the purpose of social change but I think I only understood it on a theoretical perspective until now. And how can you really know what kind of researcher you are, until you are out in the field on your own?
I am not an expert. I am not an objective scientist. I do not separate who I am from my research.
What I am is an activist and researcher, whose heart is very much part of what I do. What I am is a scientist and an artist, co-creating reality with the people I am studying. I see participants as experts.
How can I claim to do women's empowerment research and practice if the methods I use are not empowering? I have changed my project several times according to what I've learned. I strive for dialogue and collaboration. I hope to always stay open.
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