Contribution short abstract:

The article explores art-based methods empowering Polish KGW women to share knowledge beyond government narratives. Collage reclaims their subjectivity, challenges exclusion in tradition, and resists political exploitation, fostering inclusive, feminist-aligned knowledge and agency.

Contribution long abstract:

The article explores the use of art-based methods to create and disseminate non-expert knowledge produced by women, focusing on its potential application within governmental institutions. The research centers on participatory arts-based methods that engage non-academic women as co-collaborators, providing a space for them to express ideas outside government frameworks. While feminist epistemology critiques women’s exclusion from mainstream knowledge production, integrating women into these contexts requires adapting research methods rather than superficial inclusion.

The study involved a Rural Housewives' Club (Koła Gospodyń Wiejskich, or KGW) in Poland, a historic association for rural women often linked with cooking and folklore. KGWs have become state-recognized ambassadors of tradition but lack agency in shaping knowledge about their roles and regional customs. Since 2023, public narratives about KGWs and traditions have largely been shaped by Poland’s right-wing government, which uses KGWs as political tools. This instrumentalization not only exploits intergenerational transmission of women’s cultural knowledge but also diminishes the agency of socially active women like KGW members. Even beyond politics, institutional discourse often overshadows the women’s lived experiences and insights about their practices.

KGW activists face dual exclusion: as non-academics and as contributors to tradition-related knowledge undervalued in institutional narratives. The article highlights visual arts methods like collage as egalitarian tools to reclaim women’s subjectivity, reach audiences beyond government influence, and foster empowering, contextually meaningful research. This approach situates KGW members’ knowledge as central, challenging their marginalization within traditional and feminist epistemologies.