Founder of group for survivors of rape and gender based violence in talks with our University over research links
Kenyan activist meets with researchers at our University and practitioners at Leicester Rape CrisisL-R Dr Lisa Smith, Lynda Yorke (manager of Leicester Rape Crisis), Wangu Kanja, Dr Clare Gunby (UoL), Meirion Reynolds (Honorary President of Leicester Rape Crisis).
An activist who survived a harrowing rape and carjacking, and went on to establish a Foundation for victims of sexual and gender based violence, is in discussion with our University over establishing a research partnership.
Ms. Wangu Kanja, a Kenyan woman who founded and is director of the Wangu Kanja Foundation is participating in workshops and conversations organised by Dr Lisa Smith from our Department of Criminology.
The aim is to strengthen collaborations in research relating to sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings and other low-resource environments. This is linked to the project Dr Smith leads with colleagues in the Department of Genetics developing forensic DNA recovery techniques for women in developing countries.
Wangu Kanja said: “Amplifying the voices of survivors requires ‘all hands on deck’ and so building a relationship with the University of Leicester is crucial for linking research with national priorities in Kenya.”
