Helena Suárez Val

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

Goldsmiths 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.