Erica Lawson

Erica S. Lawson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Western University. She holds an MA and PhD from OISE (University of Toronto). Her work focuses on motherhood studies, Black feminist theory, critical race studies, and gender dynamics in post-conflict societies such as Liberia. Dr. Lawson’s research critically examines intersections of race, gender, and power, particularly regarding maternal grief, anti-Black racism in Canadian institutions, and social reproductive labor in global crises. She has authored/co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and edited volumes, including *African Canadian Leadership: Continuity, Transition, and Transformation* (2019) and contributions to *Memorializing Violence: Transnational Feminist Dialogues* (forthcoming 2025).

Her funded research includes SSHRC grants addressing: 1) racialized women’s experiences as pandemic frontline workers; 2) Liberian women’s post-conflict gender equality initiatives. She has also led studies on HIV vulnerabilities among Black men in Ontario and the socio-cultural dimensions of maternal activism in North America. Dr. Lawson’s teaching emphasizes decolonizing methodologies and Black feminist frameworks in academia.

Key grants include SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2021–present) and SSHRC Insight Grant (2017–present). Her work bridges academic scholarship with community advocacy, particularly around anti-racist pedagogy and global health equity. She collaborates internationally with Liberian researchers and Canadian-based Black communities.