Mrs Ilaria Michelis
- PhD Candidate, Department of Sociology
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About
Ilaria is a PhD student in Sociology and a Gates Scholar at the University of Cambridge, Newnham College. Her research focuses on intersectionality within feminist movements, and in particular organisations that provide services to survivors of gender-based violence. Before starting her PhD, Ilaria worked for over ten years as a humanitarian practitioner in the field of prevention and response of violence against women and girls with refugee and displaced populations in Central and East Africa and the Middle East. As both a practitioner and a researcher, she has a strong interest in the relationship between theory and practice and maximising research impact.
Ilaria holds an MPhil in Sociology of Marginality and Exclusion from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Research
Building on my professional experience working with refugee and displaced women and girls, my research seeks to understand how the intersectionality of oppressions and violences they experience is considered and addressed by feminist service providers. I collaborate with organisations in Italy, Serbia and Uganda who primarily serve migrant and displaced women and girls in these contexts, exploring how power dynamics influence service design, service provision and ultimately outcomes for survivors of violence.