Working Paper- A Qualitative Analysis of Women Researchers’ Experiences within Gender-Based Violence Research

Trauma-informed research and approaches have become increasingly popularized and widely accepted in the last two decades. However, the emotional and psycho-social impact of being a researcher working with vulnerable and traumatized populations largely remains under-researched. Past research has indicated that persistent and strenuous interactions with people who have experienced trauma may result in indirect trauma reactions. The objective of this qualitative research is to understand the experiences of cis women researchers working in the field of Gender Based Violence. To achieve this objective, this research seeks to answer the following questions: What psycho-social challenges do the researchers experience, and how do they cope with them? Using Reflexive thematic analysis of 6 semi-structured interviews, the following three themes emerged, each with its own set of subthemes: Experience of Vicarious Trauma as a Researcher, Reflections on Violence, Safety and Womanhood, and Coping as a Researcher. This study suggests that the psycho-social impacts on researchers are shaped by the nature of the work, their positionalities, and the broader contexts in which they operate. Keywords: Gender Based Violence, Researchers, Psycho-Social Challenges, Women, Vicarious Trauma