Fully-funded PhD Studentship in Human Geography

“Invisible Women, Invisible Workers:
 Focusing a gendered lens on health and safety in the global garment industry”

The School of Geography at the University of Nottingham invites applications from suitably qualified students for a funded 3-year PhD studentship to cover maintenance and tuition fees for full-time study (home student rates).

This PhD opportunity arises from a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship entitled “Invisible Women, Invisible Workers: Focusing a gendered lens on health and safety in the global garment industry”. This research explores the health and wellbeing of workers in clothing and footwear manufacturing. Health and wellbeing is an urgent concern for female workers, in particular. Women comprise a majority of the workforce in the sector, yet a lack of gender-disaggregated data combined with the predominance of gender-blind programming means that workplace protections often miss key threats to women’s wellbeing. In response, the research aims to understand how women in the garment industry experience health and safety, and identify strategies to improve their wellbeing and security. The Invisible Women, Invisible Workers project is led by Dr Sabina Lawreniuk at the University of Nottingham and the advertised PhD studentship is linked to the project.

The PhD will combine feminist theory and methods to address a dimension of gendered health and/or wellbeing for women workers. This is very broadly interpreted to capture the different ways health and safety might be conceptualised and regulated, both within as well as beyond the factory walls. Applications are encouraged from those with interests and experience in gendered health, global production, and/or labour justice.  

The PhD candidate will be supervised by Dr Sabina Lawreniuk in the School of Geography and will be based on our University Park campus in the Sir Clive Granger Building. 

The candidate will have achieved a 1st or 2:1 Bachelor’s degree in geography or cognate social science discipline (such as sociology, anthropology, development studies, or political science) and a Master’s degree (merit/distinction) in any of the aforementioned disciplines or a Masters in Social Research Methods. The candidate will be expected to demonstrate interest and ability in engaging with a range of relevant stakeholders.  Prior knowledge of some of the policy issues around gender, work and employment in global supply chains would be an advantage but not essential. 

Applications are particularly welcomed from candidates with backgrounds historically under-represented in Geography and those with diverse experiences, including expertise in working with diverse communities and the use of participatory approaches.

The successful applicant will be entitled to a full-time, yearly tax-free stipend at current UKRI rates (currently £17,668 for 2022/3) plus tuition fees at home student rates. 

Details of how to apply using the online system for postgraduate study are available at: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/how-to-apply/research.aspx. Please include a one-page research proposal with your application and note your interest in the PhD studentship on ‘Focusing a gendered lens on health and safety in the global garment industry’.

For an informal discussion about the project please contact Dr Sabina Lawreniuk by email at: sabina.lawreniuk@nottingham.ac.uk. 

The closing date for applications is 20^th February 2022 and the interviews for the position will be held online in March 2023 (date to be confirmed). The studentship will start in late September 2023.  

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