I began the MSc Gender History in 2017, owing to the Gender History specialism at the University. The course is one of the few of its kind in the UK and it definitely seemed the best way to prepare myself for PhD study. I developed an interest in women's history during my undergraduate degree and the MSc at Glasgow provided me with a deeper methodological understanding of Gender History. The core courses provided a toolkit of gender theory which allowed me to become familiar with key theorists and theories which I could apply to my own work. The programme provided the opportunity to study the meaning of gender in a variety of different historical and cultural contexts - I especially enjoyed the chance to study texts from a non-Western perspective. What I enjoyed most was that the classes: they felt more like a roundtable discussion with peers. It was truly a privilege to be taught by some of the most accomplished gender historians in the field, who, apart from giving their expertise were always on hand to help and suggest ways to improve my work.

After receiving my MSc in 2018, I pursued a PhD at the Centre for Gender History, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership. My doctoral research, Gendered Citizenship and Women’s Relationship to Systems of Social Care: Investigating the GDR’s Frauenparadies (1971–1989), explored the intersection of gendered citizenship and social care provision in the German Democratic Republic (1970–1990). I successfully defended my thesis in June 2024. Currently, I am based at the Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History in Potsdam, funded by a Leverhulme Trust Study Abroad Fellowship, where I am working on a project examining the East German Women’s Organisation, the Democratic Women’s League of Germany, titled Socialist Sisterhoods, Subjectivities, and Citizenship: Lessons from the Democratic Women’s League of Germany (1971–2000). While I will be in Potsdam for the next two years, I am pleased to maintain my affiliation with the Centre for Gender History, whose supportive academic community continues to be an invaluable resource for my research.

First published: 24 August 2025

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