Helena Suárez Val
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The impact of my time at Goldsmiths has been enormous. I am now fully committed to research as an activist project.
A space to reflect and grow
I applied to the MA Gender, Media and Culture at Goldsmiths because it seemed like the best programme to do what I needed at the time: to reflect on my practice as a feminist activist and to gain tools to critically analyse the world of feminist practice I had been involved in for many years, on the streets and on the web.
A supportive environment
After an initial conversation with one of the convenors, Nirmal Puwar, I found her so open and welcoming that I had no doubt about joining.
I was lucky that she went on to supervise my final dissertation. Nirmal and the rest of the faculty were amazing, dedicated, bright and always open to students.
A variety of modules
From the incredible core modules to the array of optional modules I could choose from across Goldsmiths (I wish I could have taken more!), the MA Gender, Media and Culture gave me the space I needed to reflect and more.
An impactful experience
The analysis and conversations with other activists I started through the module essays and my final dissertation on the emotional labour of feminicide mappers became, with Nirmal's encouragement, the motivating research question for a doctoral project, which I completed at the University of Warwick.
The impact of my time at Goldsmiths has been enormous. I am now fully committed to research as an activist project.
Life beyond Goldsmiths
I am an independent researcher-activist, and I continue my ongoing data activism on Feminicide in Uruguay. Based on my MA and PhD research and connections, I co-founded an international action-research project called Data Against Feminicide, which reaches over 1,600 members of a community of practice built around the uses of data for feminist activism against gender-related violence.
I have also worked with organisations like UN Women, Open Heroines and ECLAC as a consultant on gender, violence, and data, particularly on programmes oriented to building the capacity of activists.
In the future, I plan to continue developing research into activism and data/technology, particularly looking at the use (or refusal) of artificial intelligence.
Advice for future students
Ó£ÌÒÊÓÆµ is unique, creative and vibrant but can also be, like all institutions of this nature and in the Global North, a bastion of colonial, patriarchal and capitalist power. Enjoy and make use of what's available to you at Goldsmiths (sleep at the library!), but also question and take a stand.