Turning data into pathways for gender justice
About me
Passionate about gender justice, powered by research
I’m a researcher and consultant with 10+ years of experience and a strong commitment to gender equality and social justice. My work sits at the intersection of academia and practice, where I am dedicated to turning rigorous research into real-world solutions. While I focus mainly on gender-transformative approaches that challenge harmful social norms, I also work across the fields of gender and protection to help organisations design, evaluate, and strengthen programmes for meaningful and inclusive impact.
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I am passionate about applying feminist and people-led approaches that are sensitive to cultural contexts. Much of my experience has been in Sub-Saharan Africa, where I’ve worked with a wide range of stakeholders—UN agencies, (I)NGOs, CSOs and at community level. I particularly enjoy working on gender norms and finding ways to increase men’s engagement in preventing GBV and promoting gender equality.
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I love working with different people, testing new ideas, and finding solutions that truly work for those on the ground. Outside of work, you’d usually find me growing herbs and vegetables on my allotment or getting stuck into DIY renovation projects.
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For me, data isn’t just about tracking progress—it’s about reimagining what’s possible and using evidence as a pathway toward equality, empowerment, and more just futures.
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Profile
My Key Skills
Research and Analysis
Study Design, Mixed Methodologies and Quality Assurance
Training and Mentoring of Research Teams
Effective Communication of Complex Data
Project Management and Study Coordination
Utilisation of Evidence for Programming and Strategy
Education
My Academic Background
Doctorate (PhD) in International Development
University of Edinburgh (2019-2024)
Master’s (MA) in Intelligence and International Security
King’s College London (2011-2012)
Master’s (MA) in international studies and diplomacy
Bachelor (BA) in Literature and Geography
Université de la Sorbonne Paris IV (2007-2010)
School of Oriental and African Studies (2010-2011)
PhD research on gender norms and masculinity in conflict
My PhD explored the parameters of attitude and behaviour change in violence prevention programmes in conflict-affected settings, with a particular focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Preventing GBV by tackling root causes and harmful gender norms has become a widely accepted approach, and in recent years gender-transformative interventions engaging men have proliferated. Yet few succeed in deeply and sustainably shifting individual and collective practices. While debates on how to conceptualise and measure normative change have gained ground, major gaps remain in understanding the pathways, drivers, and conditions of change.
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I investigated these dynamics through 11 months of ethnographic research with the Congolese NGO Ghovodi in Goma (North Kivu). By documenting the development, implementation, and follow-up of a group-based gender-transformative programme, I gathered unique longitudinal data tracing how Congolese men and women engaged with and experienced processes of attitude and behaviour change. Findings highlighted the complexity and non-linearity of change: participants did not passively absorb new ideas but actively debated, negotiated, rejected, or adapted them. Change was also constrained by fears of social sanctions and by broader structural and psychosocial pressures linked to poverty, chronic insecurity, and collective trauma.
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Finally, I problematised the assumption that men’s inclusion should be based solely on their status as primary perpetrators of violence. My research showed how men’s own experiences of economic, physical, and psychological violence shaped their willingness to participate in interventions perceived to prioritise women. By foregrounding these dynamics, I argued for more intersectional, contextualised understandings of violence and for inclusive, gender-transformative programming that recognises both the potential and the limitations of social norms change in conflict-affected settings.
Experience
Some examples of recent assignments (download CV for my full work history)
World Bank
October 2025 – present (January 2026)
Qualitative study for the Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Program (Germany, France/AFD, and UK (DFID/FCDO) funded) to (1) understand the constraints to the development of economic activities, social cohesion, and the adoption of climate adaptation strategies, with a particular focus on women and refugees; (2) inform intervention design and scale up the most effective strategies in each country.
Provide methodological input, develop coding strategy and guidance, training and supervision of in-country research teams, data analysis and quality assurance, writing and recommendations.
Ensure AGD-informed analysis by disaggregating data along age, gender, refugee/host/non-refugee/non-host, pastoralist/agro-pastoralist/farmer/landless groups.
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Outputs: Coding guide, Researcher Training report, 3 Country Reports, 1 Regional Report
UNICEF / World Food Programme / Food and Agriculture Organisation (via Ghovodi)
August 2025 - present (December 2025)
Joint Resilience Programme II (BMZ-funded) on strengthening the Socio-Economic Resilience of Vulnerable Households to Violence and Conflict in Eastern DRC (Tanganyika province).
Provide technical input for mainstreaming of community-based gender-transformative approaches (including community protection, accountability and GBV prevention) into health, family planning, WASH, food security, economic resilience and social cohesion sectoral activities.
Conduct a cross-sectoral gender analysis, gender norms diagnosis, value clarification and attitude transformation, community-led indicator development and participatory impact evaluation.
Support the development of training materials to strengthen the capacity of community-based organisations, civil society actors, and other community structures.
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Outputs: Norms Diagnostic Tools, Community Risk Assessment Tools, Data Collection Guides, Gender Analysis Report
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UNICEF (via Ghovodi)
May 2025 - present (May 2026)
UNICEF-led Community Mobilisation Project for the Prevention of and Response to GBV and Grave Violations of Children’s Rights in Eastern DRC (South Kivu province).
Lead participatory RMEL and support community-based iterative programming including: Gender analysis, community risk analysis, norms diagnosis, mixed-methods longitudinal evaluation, case studies, participative indicator development.
Provide capacity-building and mentoring to M&E teams on research methods, including quality assurance and ethics supervision.
Ensure AGD/GEDSI principles through inclusion of displaced communities, indigenous communities, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable minorities in all activities.
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Outputs: Diagnostic Tools, Community Risk Assessment Tools, Data Collection Guides, Researcher Training Materials, Baseline/Endline reports, Case Studies, Final Participatory Evaluation report
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UNICEF (via Ghovodi)
February 2022 - December 2024
UNICEF Positive Masculinity Education Project for Gender Norms Change to Tackle Malnutrition (BMZ-funded) in eastern DRC (South Kivu province).
Provide Social and Behaviour Change technical input for the integration of a gender-transformative approach into activities to prevent malnutrition, increase household resilience, improve maternal health and prevent GBV.
Support the development, piloting, evaluation and scaling-up of the intervention components related to gender, protection and norms change.
Lead the research, methodological design and strategic learning activities including exploratory research, Theory of Change development and review, baseline/endline research and community feedback.
Support the development of an implementation guide, including curriculum modules, facilitation tools, facilitator recruitment criteria and training tools, and M&E toolkit.
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Outputs: Data Collection Tools, Baseline/Endline Reports, Common Approach Implementation Guide
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Plan International Finland
September 2023 - May 2024
Lead a mid-term review and learning exercise for the gender-transformative My Body My Future 2 programme on inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
Develop, plan and carry out internal and external consultations, outcome harvesting workshops, multi-stakeholder surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups and a learning and validation workshop.
Use human-centred, feminist and queer methodologies, inclusive of youth-led and persons-with-disabilities-led organisations (AGD focus).
Provide strategic recommendations for the stronger integration of a gender-transformative approach into programming, improve synergies across areas of work, and support more inclusive and localised partnerships.
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Outputs: Inception report, Data Collection Tools, Validation Workshop Materials, Mid-Term Review Report
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Internews DRC
October 2023 - May 2024
'Ecosystems of Disinformation and Misinformation in Electoral Contexts’ research as part of the Media Sector Development Activities Project (USAID, SIDA and SDC - funded).
In collaboration with the Information Science and Communication Research Lab (UNISIC Kinshasa), lead the development and implementation of a research to (1) understand the nature of mis/disinformation and hate speech circulating in WhatsApp groups, (2) explore sharing and consumption dynamics of WhatsApp users, (3) identify factors of vulnerability to spreading false or harmful information.
Provide technical guidance on methodologies, quality assurance for the analysis and lead the writing of the final research report (including recommendations and infographic).
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Outputs: Research report
Save the Children UK
April 2023 - June 2023
Review the evaluation and impact assessment tools of Parenting Without Violence – STC’s common approach to reducing physical and humiliating punishment in the home – to assess alignment with its gender-transformative objectives (working with fathers, mothers, caregivers, communities and children to transform harmful gender norms).
Update and develop new indicators for medium and long-term outcomes (resilient families, boys and girls empowerment, supportive communities)
Develop qualitative and quantitative measures for gender norms and attitudes change at the level of children, caregivers and the community – including adapting existing scales.
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Outputs: Set of indicators and measures​​​
Ghovodi (Groupe des Hommes Voués au Développement Intercommunautaire)
February 2021 - Juin 2023
Provide technical input to the BICE Project ‘School Without Walls’ (AFD-funded) to reduce and prevent GBV against children and adolescents in school and at home and create a protective environment in North Kivu province (Goma and Nyiragongo).
Develop qualitative research tools to support iterative learning and adaptive programming, including participative observation, facilitating regular consultations and feedback with teams, and ongoing adaptation of project tools (e.g. curriculum).
Carry out mixed-methods evaluations, including participative approaches (Most Significant Changes).
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Outputs: Data Collection Tools, Baseline/Endline reports​
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Action Against Hunger and Norwegian Refugee Council (via Ghovodi)
May 2022
Design materials for a 3-day training on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) with a focus on value clarification and attitude transformation of staff to facilitate the intake of PSEA protocols. This includes 10 participatory modules (e.g. role play, group exercises) on key concepts around gender, shared perceptions on masculine and feminine expectations, gender stereotypes, causes and consequences of GBV in humanitarian settings, legal and policy frameworks, accountability, personal value identification and transformation, dealing with resistance, PSEA policies and reporting mechanisms.
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Outputs: Training Materials
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Médecins du Monde (via Translators Without Borders)
April 2021 - September 2021
Lead a qualitative study on Language and Accountability Mechanisms in Healthcare Provision for Médecins du Monde in eastern DRC (Tanganyika province).
Develop and carry out research on protection & accountability mechanisms to understand (1) how MdM service users understand and perceive the provision of health services ; (2) enablers, barriers and preferences for interacting with healthcare staff and complaint mechanisms.
Provide recommendations to improve MdM’s ability to engage with its service users and to provide accessible means for service users to give feedback and make complaints.
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Outputs: Research report
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Publications
A snapshot of my academic and practitioner publications
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This paper introduces the Development in Practice Special Issue on “Changing Gender Norms for Gender Justice,” providing an overview of current debates and advances in the field. It highlights how gender-transformative approaches are evolving to address complex, multi-layered challenges in the Global South, emphasising systemic thinking, multi-sectoral strategies, and the interplay of power and politics. The article explores emerging theories, measurement approaches, and the balance between individual and collective change, while advocating for diverse, context-sensitive strategies. By identifying critical gaps and research avenues, it offers guidance for practitioners and scholars on how to advance gender norms change in ways that are adaptive, inclusive, and effective amid intersecting social, political, and economic crises.
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In this article, I examine how legitimacy is constructed during gender-transformative interventions aimed at preventing gender-based violence in the DRC. While such programs can shift attitudes and reduce violence, support for gender equality may remain abstract or performative if interventions are perceived as “external” or misaligned with local realities. Using Gramsci’s concepts of hegemony and counter-hegemony, the study analyses micro-level group dynamics in Washindi programs, showing how participants negotiate, contest, and collectively legitimise new gender norms. The article highlights the importance of vernacularising gender-transformative ideas—adapting them to locally valued beliefs and practices—to foster meaningful adoption and sustainable change, providing insights for more effective, context-sensitive GBV prevention interventions.
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This guide introduces Washindi, a community-led approach designed to transform harmful gender norms and promote mutual accountability. Meaning “the winners” in Kiswahili, Washindi engages entire families and communities in reflective, participatory processes to encourage attitude and behavior change while addressing structural factors that contribute to violence. The approach emphasises collective responsibility, resilience-building, and the integration of gender-transformative practices across multiple sectors. The guide and toolkit provide practitioners with step-by-step guidance for implementation, including curricula for workshops, facilitator tools, and adaptable activities for themes such as GBV prevention, WASH, nutrition, and vaccination. Participatory monitoring, evaluation, and learning methods are included to ensure context-sensitive, adaptive programming while maintaining fidelity to Washindi’s core principles.
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In this paper, I explore the conceptual underpinnings of the agenda to ‘change men’ in the Democratic Republic of Congo and interrogate the extent to which continued reliance on the reductive sole framing of ‘men as perpetrators’ can have negative consequences on the success of GBV prevention programming. Through vignettes of Congolese men’s life stories and their experiences as participants in a gender-transformative men’s group, the analysis shows that men’s (relative) position of privilege conferred by their gender identity is in fact significantly challenged by their experiences of everyday violence. I use intersectionality as an analytical tool to overcome the sole focus on gender and masculinity and to introduce class as an additional ‘intersecting’ standpoint to analyse men’s experiences. In doing so, I argue that one-dimensional narratives of ‘men as perpetrators’ preclude those experiencing violence, discrimination and loss from being heard and create frustrations from men who feel blamed, and this in turn hinders their full and meaningful engagement in GBV prevention interventions. In fine, the article calls for incorporating men’s suffering into programming, moving away from a focus on men and masculinities and towards intersectionality for a more inclusive approach which has the potential to successfully incorporate the combined drivers of violence as well as men’s experiences of loss, humiliation and violence.
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This paper analyses micro-dynamics at play during group activities aimed at preventing gender-based violence (GBV) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gender-transformative interventions seek to reduce GBV by shifting gender norms towards more equitable practices, but there is limited research on how change occurs in group discussions. Based on ethnographic observations, the paper explores how new knowledge, reflection, and experiential learning foster attitude and behaviour change. The analysis is grounded in Paulo Freire’s emancipatory pedagogy, and his theory that critical consciousness forms the basis of collective action for change. Using the concepts of “repetition” and “rupture”, it makes visible practices of normative disruption at play during the sessions. The findings suggest that the introduction of new knowledge alone is not sufficient for change to take place. Rather, it is the collective recognition of the socially constructed nature of norms, the active creation of a counter-discourse, and the rehearsing of new behaviours that drive transformation.
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This article documents how communities in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains are adapting to the rapid disappearance of Africa’s last glaciers and the intensifying floods and landslides that threaten their livelihoods. It documents the work of scientists and citizen scientists in setting up early warning systems, while also highlighting how indigenous traditions and cultural practices are being revived to restore ecosystems and strengthen resilience. The piece reflects on the Rwenzori’s environmental, social, and spiritual significance, showing how blending modern research with ancestral knowledge is key to building sustainable futures in the face of climate change.
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My PhD explored how attitudes and behaviours shift in violence prevention programmes in conflict-affected settings, focusing on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Through 11 months of ethnographic research with a Congolese NGO in Goma, I traced participants’ experiences in a group-based gender-transformative intervention. Findings showed that change is complex and non-linear: men and women actively debated, adapted, or resisted new gender norms, while fears of social sanctions and broader pressures linked to poverty, insecurity, and trauma constrained transformation. I also highlighted how men’s own experiences of violence shaped their willingness to engage. The thesis calls for more intersectional and context-sensitive approaches to gender equality and GBV prevention in conflict-affected settings.
​Maubert, C. and Bahati, S. (2022) ‘These women are bringing some peace to war-stricken Congo’ National Geographic (Winner of the second prize ‘Outstanding Contribution to Peace’ in the Fetisov Global Journalism Awards 2024)
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These collaborative article highlight the central yet under-recognised role of Congolese women in peacebuilding amidst protracted armed conflict. Drawing on testimonies from activists and community leaders in North and South Kivu, it illustrates how women mobilise at the grassroots level to negotiate with armed groups, monitor human rights abuses, and promote dialogue in contexts where formal peace processes have repeatedly failed. By situating women’s agency within a highly patriarchal and militarised environment, the piece highlights both the challenges and transformative potential of gender-inclusive approaches to conflict resolution in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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This article explores the structural and sociocultural factors that marginalise men from mental health care in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While recent policies call for universal access to psychosocial services, humanitarian interventions remain shaped by archetypes of the “female victim” and “male perpetrator,” leaving men’s psychological suffering largely invisible. Drawing on field observations, the article examines how patriarchal norms of masculinity further deter men from seeking or receiving care, even when services exist. By situating these exclusions within broader contexts of conflict, poverty, and structural violence, the authors argue for more inclusive, intersectional approaches to mental health that address men’s vulnerabilities alongside women’s, recognising their intertwined effects on households and communities.​​
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This Working Paper analyses the role and practices of women’s groups in relation to women’s protection in the provinces of North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The paper is available in English and French. Contrasting qualitative materials from communities in Congo with the literature on women’s agency, we explore the spaces, strategies, and repertoires used by women to increase their participation in community protection structures. Using case studies from North and South Kivu, including protection projects supported by ActionAid and Oxfam, we show how women’s leadership groups can constitute an empowering space and vehicle for women’s collective negotiation for protection which spans across several interrelated spheres: domestic, community, and professional, as well as legal, religious, and customary. Through our analysis of how women’s groups shape protection discourses and progressively change practices, we aim to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of what a women-led approach to protection means in practice as well as the challenges and opportunities that women face in order to expand their agency in a conflict-affected and patriarchal context.
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This article interrogates the dominance of vulnerability and victimhood in humanitarian child protection frameworks, situating its analysis in Eastern DRC. Drawing on a year of participant observation with the Congolese NGO Ghovodi and 48 focus groups with young people, it highlights how children are too often framed as passive victims rather than social actors with agency. By deconstructing assumptions of the “vulnerable” and “innocent” child, the article shows how such categories risk obscuring resilience, coping strategies, and even children’s participation in perpetuating harmful norms. Through the Washindi approach, which foregrounds youth agency in violence prevention, the study demonstrates how participatory, context-sensitive models can expand protection strategies beyond narrow notions of “good victims” to foster more sustainable change.
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The humanitarian and protracted crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the most enduring and complex of the Great Lakes region, intertwining issues of governance, health and food security emergencies, insurgencies, natural resources issues and land conflicts. Humanitarians and researchers (both academic and non-academic) have been working for decades to understand the causes and find holistic and multisectoral solutions to these problems. However, in Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, where most humanitarians are located, the limitations of the humanitarian and research sectors have become very clear as the impact and relevance of the multi-million-dollar humanitarian industry remains minimal at the same time as the applicability of academic studies is also being questioned. Both criticisms tie back to the weakness (or lack) of partnerships between humanitarians and researchers on the one hand and the difficult collaboration amongst Global North and Congolese practitioners and researchers on the other.
Services
What I can do, and what you can expect
I take a collaborative and inclusive approach, integrating participatory methods and GEDSI principles to ensure all voices are heard and valued. By embedding trauma-informed practices, I create safe, supportive spaces that foster trust and meaningful engagement. Highly organised and proactive, I maintain clear communication with all stakeholders, ensuring findings are relevant, actionable, and useful for clients and their partners.
Technical support on Gender & Protection
I offer expert guidance on the prevention of GBV, promoting shifts in social norms, attitudes, and behaviours, and engaging men and boys in meaningful ways. I also support the integration of transformative approaches across other sectoral activities, ensuring that gender and protection considerations are embedded in policies, programs, and practices for greater impact and sustainability.
Research & Evaluation
I provide comprehensive research and evaluation support, leading all stages of the research cycle, including study design, team supervision, tool development, data collection, coding, analysis, and report drafting. I ensure rigorous ethics compliance and quality assurance throughout the process and present findings in clear, accessible, and tailored formats that meet the specific needs of clients, supporting evidence-based decision-making and practical application.
Training & Learning Facilitation
I provide training and learning facilitation, developing pedagogical tools and training materials and leading a variety of workshops, including researcher trainings, validation workshops, and public presentations. My approach ensures interactive, engaging, and practical learning experiences that strengthen skills, understanding, and application of research and sectoral knowledge.
Testimonials
Collaborators' experiences working with me
