Language Justice Division

Our Mission

The Language Justice Division (LJD) is a project of RCGV aimed at offering resources for researchers, students, and practitioners committed to incorporating language justice to every aspect of research with survivors of gender-based violence.

Language is a powerful tool in shaping perceptions and experiences. It can also reinforce or challenge existing power dynamics and marginalization. Language Justice is an evolving framework grounded on the fundamental belief that every individual has the right to communicate, understand, and be understood in the language they prefer and feel most articulate, whole, and powerful.

In research with survivors of gender-based violence, language justice must be considered an integral part of the research process. It is key to establishing safety, promoting healing, and addressing survivors’ unique needs. In research, integrating language justice principles throughout the process helps ensure that survivor voices, experiences, and perspectives are accurately represented and respected, without being distorted or minimized. By prioritizing language justice, researchers can help to create a safe and empowering environment for survivors, build trust, and increase the validity and impact of their research findings.

Language Justice Research & Evaluation Process

Navigate to each section of the resource library by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below

Research Design

Does your research involve individuals with limited English proficiency?

Budgeting & Hiring

Get a budget for translation and necessary materials from our multilingual, multicultural team.

Data Collection

Ongoing staff training can ensure accurate results.

Analysis & Interpretation

Staff should interpret findings with cultural and contextual considerations.

Data
Reporting

Consider cultural and contextual sensitivity when reporting back to communities.

Tips & Tools

Language Justice in Research:

Practical considerations incorporating language justice principles throughout the research process.

Research Design

Incorporating language justice into every part of a research study with survivors of gender-based violence is essential to ensure that the study is respectful, ethical, and culturally responsive. It is important that researchers take into consideration the language needs and preferences of the survivors, as well as any cultural nuances that may impact their experiences and perspectives. The key is to plan ahead.

The following resources may help researchers consider how they can integrate language justice principles into a research study with survivors of gender-based violence:

Data Collection

The importance of language justice in data collection processes cannot be overstated. Integrating language justice principles into the data collection process is a crucial step towards implementing research that truly reflects and respects participants' experiences and perspectives. Considering how culture, context, and language of both data collectors and participants may help create a safe and empowering environment for participants, build trust, and improve the accuracy and impact of the research findings.

Data Analysis

Integrating language justice into the analytic process is central to ensuring that participant experiences, perspectives, and voices are accurately represented and honored. By considering language justice in the analytic procedures, researchers can help minimize potential biases and ensure that data is properly interpreted and understood. Adequate resources should be allocated to hire and train multilingual and multicultural data analysts and/or hire trauma-informed translators if necessary.

Data Dissemination

It is also critical to integrate language justice into the dissemination of research results. The dissemination of research results should be accessible and understandable to all participants, regardless of language background or proficiency. Researchers should therefore consider the language needs and preferences of participants in order to effectively communicate the results and implications.