Professor Hazel Barrett

Hazel Barrett is Professor of Development Geography at CTPSR. She has a degree in Geography with African and Asia Studies (University of Sussex), as well as a Masters and PhD in West African Studies (Birmingham University). She has been undertaking primary research for over 30 years on social justice and human rights issues associated with gender-based abuse and violence, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and amongst the African diaspora.

In the 1980s and 1990s her research was primarily focused on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular she undertook research investigating public health and the impact of the disease on women and children. During this time it became apparent that female genital mutilation (FGM) was an issue that required attention. From 2009 to 2016 Hazel led the REPLACE and REPLACE2 multi country action research projects investigating the barriers to ending FGM amongst the African diaspora in the EU (www.replaceFGM2.org). This research used community-focused participatory methods, based on behaviour change theories to produce the REPLACE Approach to move communities towards ending the practice. The approach has been adopted to tackle Menstrual Hygiene Management in the UK and Uganda (Irise International), as well as Child Marriage (with World Vision). She presented the REPLACE Approach at the Houses of Parliament, the European Parliament, and at the Girl Summit in London.

Hazel then led a team that developed the UK’s first webapp on FGM that targeted young people (www.petals.coventry.ac.uk). This was endorsed by the NSPCC and is used by schools across the country. Following its success, the team developed a webapp aimed at safeguarding professionals in the UK that deal with FGM. This is a ‘one stop shop’ for teachers, healthcare workers, the police and social workers (www.petals.coventry.ac.uk/professionals).

She has recently begun investigating the sexual and gender-based violence and torture experiences, and access to services, by men and women refugees entering Northern Uganda from South Sudan. She is also managing research on the access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) provision by older people and people with disabilities living in Internally Displaced Peoples’ Camps in Darfur, Sudan (with Muslim Aid).

Hazel has published over 60 articles in leading peer reviewed journals. She has served as President of the Geographical Association and is a founding member of an international research network called ANSER.