‘There is no greater power on this earth than story’ – Libba Bray.
Storytelling is fundamental to humans. Narratives shape our lives—they are how we make sense of the world around us, interpret and express ideas, relate to others, develop our capacity for empathy, and spark change.
Narratives embedded in stories and art can foster social transformation and long-lasting change by exploring our reality while allowing us to imagine different futures and possibilities. Stories and art carry social messages and meaning while challenging dominant norms and social attitudes. They are direct avenues for change.
But not all stories are told. Not all stories are spread evenly, represented fairly, or even given the chance to be heard. Marginalised and disempowered voices frequently cannot share their stories, cannot voice their thoughts, ideas, and experiences. Instead, dominant voices prevail, meaning that the change stories created can be unequal and perpetuate existing inequalities.
Storytelling in Nepal
‘The art of storytelling is the art of bringing the invisible visible’ – Edgar Allan Poe.
The Story Kitchen, founded by two Nepalese radio journalists in 2012, aims to share the stories of women who are often not recorded, heard, or taught. They use storytelling to amplify and empower the voices of women, making them visible, yet often unrepresented and ignored. By providing a platform for individuals to share their stories, The Story Kitchen not only allows women to share theirs but also ensures they are heard.
10 years after its inception, The Story Kitchen partnered with Gender at Work and UN Women Nepal to create the Hamro Sahakarya (Our Collective Action) storytelling project. This project aimed to use storytelling to understand gendered social norms in Nepal and create transformative shifts towards achieving gender equality.
Image from UN Women Nepal & Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, 2023, Hamro Sahakarya: Our Collective Action.Through these stories told by over 1,000 participants of all genders and ages, the researchers found that for transformative change to occur, there must be broad shifts in consciousness, changes in norms, culture, and social structures, more inclusive laws and policies, and increased access to resources that are not sexist.
Image from Gender at Work, 2023, The power of storytelling: Understanding social norms change in Nepal.Art in Nepal
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see – Edgar Degas.
Led by UN Women Nepal, the 2023 exhibition Stories of Resistance featured the project We For Us: Walking with Gender Equality Activists – an online exhibition of four artists’ works that tell the stories of Rekha Yadav and Gauri Devis, who are both gender equality leaders and activists in Nepal.
Image from The Kathmandu Post, 2021, ‘Using art to create and tell stories of identity and equality’.Yadav argues that a significant challenge in achieving gender equality is women’s inability to participate meaningfully in leadership and decision-making in their communities. Women face barriers in all areas, leaving them unable to both speak and be heard.
The artworks in the exhibition act as a platform to share the stories of these two women. Gauri Devis reflects that ‘Through this art, I feel like my unsaid words were finally heard.’. By sharing the stories of Rekha Yadav and Gauri Devi through art, other women are encouraged to share, reflect, and be heard.
Image from UN Women Asia and the Pacific, 2023, ‘Seeing through their eyes: art, activism and empowerment’.The We For Us exhibition not only raises awareness of the existing gender inequalities in Nepal and globally, but also encourages others to create art as a means of achieving gender equality. It becomes an empowering force for change, allowing people to sympathise and empathise with the art, leading them to believe they are not alone and helping them voice their struggles.
Through sharing narratives, individuals can express themselves and challenge social conditions. Storytelling is a powerful tool for creating long-lasting change – one that can empower women and achieve gender equality.