E13 Part 2: Building Community and Connection through Photovoice – Research with migrant women in London and young mothers in Cape Coast cover art

E13 Part 2: Building Community and Connection through Photovoice – Research with migrant women in London and young mothers in Cape Coast

E13 Part 2: Building Community and Connection through Photovoice – Research with migrant women in London and young mothers in Cape Coast

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 In this episode, we explore the complexities and rewards of conducting participatory creative research with marginalised women. We hear from two distinct research contexts: one working with young mothers in Cape Cost, Ghana, and another engaging with migrant women in London, UK. While these projects differ in format and location, they share fundamental questions about how researchers can remain responsive and receptive to the constant changes that creative participatory work demands. We reflect on the work of building trust in spaces marked by stigma, the evolving nature of creative methods like photovoice, and the transformative power of bringing women together who might never otherwise meet. We consider what happens when participants become peer-researchers, reshaping not just the data but the questions being asked. Hosted by Ayomide Oluseye (The Open University), we hear from Cathy Mcllwaine (Kings College London) and Philippa Waterhouse (The Open University). Together, they share stories of how women on the margins engaged with, challenged, and ultimately enriched the research process—revealing the gaps between what we plan as researchers and what actually unfolds when we genuinely share power. Join us for a conversation about adaptation, authenticity, and the unique contribution that creative methods make to both research and public engagement. We ask: what does it truly mean for research to be participatory, and how do photographs communicate what words alone cannot? This episode was produced by Elise Denis-RamirezBioCathy McIlwaine is Professor of Geography at King’s College London. As a feminist geographer, she has published widely on gender, violence and migration in cities of the global South and with Latin Americans in London. Cathy has worked with several international, human rights and migrant organisations and with a range of artists and arts practitioners. She is the co-convenor of the Visual and Embodied Methodologies (VEM) network, and is currently working on migrant activism, collective care and the arts as well as on feminist activism among youth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. See full profile here. Also, here is a link to the book that arose from the most recent Migrants in Action work. See here for their website too.  Dr Philippa Waterhouse is a Senior Lecturer in Health at The Open University, and co-lead of the Health and Wellbeing hub of the Centre for the Study of Global Development. She has a background in demography and applies this interest to explore of the wellbeing of women and families. She is currently leading a project with colleagues at The Open University and University of Cape Coast that aims to support the mental wellbeing of young mothers in West Africa. Her profile can be found here. More information about the project ‘Improving the mental wellbeing in West African countries’ can be found here. Dr  Ayomide Oluseye is a researcher and Lecturer in Public Health at The Open University, and co-lead of the Health and Wellbeing hub within the Centre for the Study of Global Development. Her work focuses on improving gender equality and advancing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls. She also co-leads an international collaboration aimed at improving the wellbeing of young mothers in West Africa. Click here for more information about her publications.
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