Navigating emotions and resilience: Women’s battle against sexual harassment in public spaces in Nepal

Abstract

This study explores sexual harassment experienced by women in the public spaces of Kathmandu, Nepal, with a focus on their emotional responses and the mediating resources they employ to cope with such experiences. Theoretically, the study draws on the sensibilities of emotions that result from violence by examining the women’s understanding to perceive, interpret, and respond to emotions in a manner that helps them manage their presence in public spaces. Data were collected from semi-structured individual and group interviews with women who frequently used public spaces. Adopting a constructivist approach, the findings discuss three sub-themes: (1) the emotional impacts of sexual harassment, encompassing a wide range of emotions among respondents; (2) responses to these emotions and incidents through freeze, flight, and fight mechanisms; and (3) the coping strategies and social support mechanisms utilized to deal with the situation. This research significantly contributes to our understanding of the convergence of the sociology of emotions with gender-based violence, with specific attention to sensibilities, in rapidly transforming societies.