The Importance of In-Depth Interview with Practitioners in Researching Gendered-Based Violence

This chapter advocates for in-depth interviews to understand gender-based violence (GBV) and provides survivors and practitioners a platform to share their stories. It draws on the author’s experience interviewing GBV experts, such as representatives of feminist NGOs and women’s shelters, the police force, social workers, and the judiciary and emphasises the importance of interviewing practitioners to gain insight into their professional reasoning. The chapter discusses the importance of reflexivity, practical examples of designing and conducting interviews, and the importance of feminist ethics of care throughout the process. The theoretical underpinnings are grounded in decolonial feminist theory, politics, and ethics centred on women’s experiences. In-depth interviews with practitioners provide insight into their professional reasoning and how they might intentionally and/or unwittingly reproduce a normative culture that leads to women’s testimonies being discredited or undermined. Furthermore, this chapter argues for the importance of reflexivity during the interviewing process and provides practical examples of designing and conducting interviews. In this way, in-depth interviewing is presented as a craft which avoids a rigid set of procedures but relies on the interviewer’s knowledge of the topic and the utilisation of personal judgement. The importance of a feminist ethics of care is, therefore, argued for throughout the chapter.