Anna Sanders

Dr Anna Sanders is a Lecturer in British Politics at the University of York, affiliated with the Department of Politics and International Relations. Her research focuses on gender, elections, public policy, and governance, with a particular emphasis on gendered policy impacts and political engagement. She holds a PhD from the University of Manchester (awarded the McDougall Trust Prize in 2021) and has held visiting positions at Purdue Policy Research Institute and research roles in local government and Parliament.

**Education:**

• PhD in Political Science, University of Manchester (2020)
• MA in Political Science, University of Manchester (2016)
• BA in Politics, Queen Mary, University of London (2015)

**Research Interests:**

• Primary: Gender and voting behavior in Britain, gendered policy impacts, mixed-methods research
• Secondary: UK governance and productivity, spatial inequality policies, and post-Brexit policy trends

Her work explores how policies shape voter behavior, particularly among women, and evaluates institutional governance frameworks. Recent projects include collaborations with GM4Women2028 on regional women’s political engagement and The Productivity Institute on spatial inequality policies.

**Awards:**

• McDougall Trust Prize (2021)
• John Peterson Prize for Best Article in British Journal of Politics and International Relations (2020)

**Supervision & Grants:**

• Co-Investigator on ESRC-funded project 'Surveying Women in Greater Manchester'
• PhD supervisees: Andrew Allen (environmental NGOs and policy) and Alex Woodward (political engagement and trust)

**Key Collaborations:** Works with GM4Women2028 and The Productivity Institute to bridge academic research with policy impact.