Research and Innovation
Queen Mary’s research and innovation drives progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals through collaboration, creativity, and real-world impact.
Addressing Persistent Gender Imbalances in UK Political Candidate Selections
In a comprehensive analysis by Dr Sofia Collignon, Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Queen Mary, the screening process for the selection of parliamentary candidates has been exposed to be persistently gender imbalanced. Of 134 parliamentary selections by the Conservatives, a striking 70% are men. In contrast, Labour’s selection shows a more balanced approach, with 56% of their 206 candidates being men. Many reasons have been cited for this imbalance among the Tories, such as lack of supply of female candidates, local candidate preferences. However, Dr. Collignon’s paper argues that these explanations shift the blame onto individual women rather than addressing the structural barriers within the Conservative Party.
Dr. Collignon’s paper is a clarion call for the Conservative Party to undertake meaningful reforms if it hopes to rectify the under-representation of women among its MPs.
Queen Mary and UNFPA Joint Publication on COP Commitments to tackle Gender Injustice from Climate Change
Climate change is an amplifier of inequalities. As the climate crisis intensifies, minority and marginalised communities get left behind, and the gap between wealthy and poor gets larger.
Climate change also has negative impacts on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls. For example, we know that the climate crisis increases air pollution and heat, and this has a negative impact on maternal health during pregnancy – including links to premature births, stillbirths and other complications.
Dr Heather McMullen, Senior Lecturer in Global Public Health at Queen Mary, researches the intersection of climate change and gender. For years, she has been working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to evidence the impact of the climate crisis on the sexual and reproductive health on women and girls.
Together, in October 2024, the UNFPA and Queen Mary have published five regional reports to support the integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights into countries ‘nationally determined contributions’ (NDCs), committed to at COP. The report assesses many countries have made commendable progress in integrating access to contraception, safe birthing, and protection for women and girls from gender-based violence into their adaptation goals but a majority still fall short.
These reports will help countries meet their commitment made at COP28 to submit their next NDCs “at least 9-12 months in advance” of COP30 in Brazil at the end of 2025.
Medication Abortion Pills in Restrictive Countries
Dr Sydney Calkin’s research examines how access to Medication abortion pills allow people to safely self-manage an abortion even in countries with restrictive abortion laws.
Medical (non-surgical) abortion usually consists of a combination of two drugs: mifepristone followed one to two days later by misoprostol. Even in countries where most abortions are illegal or severely restricted, people can access the pills online or through underground networks. Dr Calkin’s research explores how this avenue has become more popular in countries such as the United States and Poland in the wake of their recent restrictive abortion laws.
Dr Calkin’s research shows that activists rely on changing perceptions and the practical importing of pills as a route to changing policy and providing safe reproductive care. This research can be used by activists in countries that are facing threats to reproductive rights, who can mirror the efforts in Poland, Ireland and the US in their own countries. This will bring together high-quality research into the actions of people whose healthcare needs are unavailable, unaffordable, or stigmatised.
Queen Mary researchers named in top 100 female scientists in the UK
Queen Mary is proud to announce that for the third year in a row, Professors Fran Balkwill, Irene Leigh and Claudia Langenberg remain in the list of the UK’s top 100 female scientists. The researchers have been featured on the list every year since its creation in 2022.
The aim of the ranking is to inspire female scholars, women pondering an academic career, as well as decision-makers worldwide with the example of successful women in the scientific community. Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry is one of seven Faculties in the UK to hold the Athena Swan Gold Award, recognising our significant and sustained progression and achievements in gender equality in medicine. The Athena Swan Charter is an international framework used to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research, and the Gold Award is the highest award on offer
Exposing overlooked issues surrounding women’s health worldwide.
Professor Sophie Harman's insightful new book confronts the alarming reality that, despite well-documented causes of disease and significant funding from governments and philanthropists, women across the globe continue to die from preventable health issues
Harman explores a wide range of urgent questions, including the impact of populism, the role of big data, and the chronic undervaluation of women's work. Through her comprehensive analysis, she offers practical solutions to this crisis, advocating for increased activism and political engagement to drive meaningful change.