CARE
Contemporary Arts Activism for Reproductive Healthcare in Portugal
Reference: 2024.16133.PEX
Start Date: 01-02-2026
End Date: 31-07-2027
Main Scientific Area: Humanities
Subarea: Arts – Art History
Keywords: Contemporary Portuguese women’s art; Arts activism; Reproductive healthcare; Reproductive rights
Description:
This project will interrogate the potentials of arts activism in post-dictatorial Portugal to communicate and foster forward reproductive healthcare. Focusing on the ways in which arts is not only employed towards but drives healthcare activism in Portugal, it proposes a groundbreaking understanding of arts activism while recognising artists alongside feminist activist groups and organisations as major players in the advancement of reproductive healthcare in mainland Portugal from 1974 until now.
Article 64 of the 1976 Constitution of the Republic guarantees citizens’ right to a universal, general, and free National Service. Likewise, Article 35 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights ensures the right to healthcare. However, as observed and raised by feminist activist organisations in Portugal such UMAR, Plataforma Portuguesa para os Direitos da Mulheres, Young Educators or The Observatory of Obstetric Violence, women experience barriers to reproductive healthcare access, and there exist discrepancies in quality healthcare across regions in the country. The situation calls for alternative effective advocacy and communication methods to engage non-academic audiences and policymakers.
The project will originate a new field of study in the Portuguese context while acknowledging the legacy of earlier art historical framings attentive to women’s artistic practices driving social change. The proposed approach to disseminating scientific knowledge aimed at making visible women’s lived experiences of barriers to reproductive healthcare access in Portugal is pioneering. The project develops knowledge on three key objectives to:
1. map and critically analyse arts activist practices for reproductive healthcare in post-dictatorial Portugal (1974 – now); 2. identify and analyse the advocacy and communication methods and strategies these practices generate; 3. determine the cultural work arts activism performs revealing women’s lived experiences of reproductive healthcare access concerned with abortion, contraception, obstetric violence, menopause and endometriosis.
The outcomes of this work are disruptive at three levels. Empirically, the project gathers, maps and critically grounds culturally specific arts activist strategies for reproductive healthcare in Portugal. Methodologically, it explores and identifies specific arts activist strategies to communicate barriers to reproductive healthcare access in Portugal to non-academic audiences with an aim to drive social and potentially legislative changes. Conceptually, it integrates artistic practice, reproductive healthcare and feminist activism to study how arts activism translates women’s lived experiences to foster forward reproductive healthcare in Portugal.
Research Question, Aims and Objectives
How can arts activism in post-dictatorial Portugal be employed to communicate and foster forward reproductive healthcare?
The overarching aim is to identify and develop innovative critical perspectives on the following three key objectives:
1. map and critically analyse arts activist practices for reproductive healthcare in post-dictatorial Portugal (1974 – now);
2. identify and analyse advocacy and communication methods and strategies these practices catalyse within mainland Portugal, both intra- and inter-regionally, accounting for their circulation and reception by non-academic audiences;
3. determine the cultural work performed by arts activism to capture women’s lived experiences of reproductive healthcare access specifically concerned with abortion, contraception, obstetric violence, menopause and endometriosis.
Expected Outputs
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Publications
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the major key output is an open access bilingual (in Portuguese and English) graphic novel including 5 chapters, each designed by a different artist; all illustrations will be accompanied by AltText to ensure accessibility
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at least 2 open access articles: 1 in an international (e.g. Journal of Gender, Culture and Health, Women’s Art Journal, Signs, Art History, differences); 1 in a national (e.g. Ler História, Q1, OA) journal with high impact factor
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at least 3 articles in magazines targeting broader non-academic audiences, (e.g. Jornal Público, Expresso, and Observador; Electra)
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1 report with main conclusions from the project and policy recommendations based on the interactions with the audience through the public-facing events and the artist-led workshop
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Website + Social media accounts (March/ April 2026)
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the project will launch a website gathering identified arts activist practices.
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Organisation of a research event
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symposium Arts Activism for Reproductive Healthcare in Portugal, hosted by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (TBC).
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Public interest contributions
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Organisation of an artist-led workshop – involving 5 women artists (September/ October 2026)
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workshop with women (15-20 participants) to share stories of reproductive healthcare access in Portugal to be featured in the graphic novel, hosted by UMinho Guimarães.
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Organisation of 3 public discussions to raise awareness of reproductive healthcare in Portugal
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each will be hosted by a different public institution in a different region in Portugal: ESAD (Caldas da Rainha), Évora University and Porto Fine Arts School.
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Organisation of a graphic novel launch event to coincide with the symposium hosted by (tbc) Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
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Participation in research events
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at least 4 national research events (conference, symposium, chairing of a panel) to promote this new area of study, seek opportunities for feedback and peer evaluation and create opportunities for knowledge exchange within academic circles.
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Training of early career researchers
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One postdoctoral fellow will be hired to reinforce knowledge transfer
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Research networking, advocacy and esteem building
Funding: 59 999,78 € (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.)
Main Institution: Art History Institute, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa – School of Social Sciences and Humanities (IHA-NOVA FCSH)
TEAM
PI – Basia Sliwinska (Universidade Nova de Lisboa)
Co-PI – Bruno Jose de Sousa Marques (Universidade Aberta)
Lígia Morais (OVO – Observatório Violência Obstétrica)
Ana Catarina Caldeira (Young Educators – European Association)
Research Fellows:
Ana Raquel Ermida (Universidade Nova de Lisboa)
Consultants:
Kylie Thomas (University College Cork, Ireland)
Leonor de Oliveira (University College Cork, Ireland)
