Women's and Gender Studies Research Group
This group comprises scholars from a range of disciplines including historical studies, social studies, international development, media and education working on women and gender issues in a wide range of historical, social and cultural contexts.
Our research topics
There are a number of areas of interest including:
- women’s suffrage
- biographies and life stories
- femininities and alcohol consumption/sobriety
- sexualities
- women and gender in North Africa, Taiwan, India and South Sudan
- intersections of feminism and race
- ending violence against women and girls
- harmful gender based cultural practices such as FGM
- gender and the civil rights movement in the USA
- religion and gender
- gender and education
- gender and sexual harassment
- gender representations in the media
Methods
Within our research we use qualitative research methods – including documentary analysis, interviews, oral history, ethnography, participant observation – as well as quantitative research techniques, such as analysis of census data and statistics.
Funders
Our work has been funded by major funding organisations including the Heritage Lottery Fund, the British Academy, the Economic and Social Research Council, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Publication Highlights
Publications by members of the women and gender studies research group
-
Sexual abuse and unwanted pregnancies amongst women and girls in Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic
Chikhungu, L.C., Nkwunonwo, U. (2026) MC Public Health 26, 14
-
Abortion in Ireland: The Language of the Campaign for Reproductive Rights
Statham, S. & Ringrow, H. (2026) Bloomsbury.
-
The ongoing pleasure paradox: how practitioners are compelled to silence, sanitise and securitise pleasure in English RSE.
Vignali, A., & Marvell, R. (2025). Sex Education, 1–15
-
Navigating Geopolitics in Academia - The Struggles and Triumphs of Female Scholars from the Global South
D. Gülel and A. Awungjia (2025), . In: Serene Dalati (ed).
-
Navigating visa inequities: mobility as privilege in academia: “You are not supposed to be here”
D. Gülel (2025) lobal Social Challenges Journal, DOI: 10.1332/27523349Y2025D000000050.
-
Violence Against Women and Girls in Zimbabwe: A Review of a Decade of the Empirical Literature
Bengesai, A. V., & Chikhungu, L. (2024). Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, (impact factor 5.4).0(0).
-
Teenage Pregnancies, Child Marriage and Girl Child Sexual Abuse in Malawi
Chikhungu, L. (2024) Taiwan Insight
-
Geographical Trends and Patterns of Girl-child Sexual Abuse in Malawi: An Exploration of the Malawi Police and Malawi Public Health Facilities Administrative data
Chikhungu, L. (2024). UAPS
-
We’ve researched trans inclusion for nearly a decade – how we do our work has changed
Marvell,R.,Fletcher,L (2024): The Conversation.
-
Sexual Abuse and unwanted pregnancies amongst women and girls during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi.
Chikhungu, L. (2023). ISI WSC 2023 Conference Abstract
-
Furthering transgender inclusion in the workplace: advancing a new model of allyship intentions and perceptions
Fletcher, L., & Marvell, R. (2023). The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(9), 1726–1756.
Research group leads
Women's and Gender Studies Research Group (WGSRG) members
Media ready expert
Dr Alessia Tranchese
Dr Caroline Day
Dr Charlotte Morris
Dr Fiona McCall
Dr Helen Ringrow
Miss Jaina Hunt
Dr Lee Sartain
Dr Ottis Mubaiwa
Dr Rosa Marvell
Ms Sarah Atkins
Dr Sukh Hamilton
Media ready expert
Professor Tamsin Bradley
Other Members
- Alison Millard ([email protected])
- Busranisa Sarac ([email protected])
- Sixtus Onyekwere ([email protected])
- Ugochi Nkwunonwo ([email protected])
MRes student
- Nadine Sadler ([email protected])
PhD candidates
- Anupriya Biswas ([email protected])
- Natalia Cama ([email protected])
- Mercia Aidoo ([email protected])
Post-Doc candidates
- Patience Manhovo ([email protected])
- Devran Gulel ([email protected])