Carolien Aantjes

Dr. Carolien Aantjes is a senior researcher at the Accessibility of Law research group under the Business, Finance & Law knowledge center at Inholland University of Applied Sciences since March 2024. She concurrently holds roles at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and VU Amsterdam. Her work focuses on sexual and reproductive health rights, governance, and legal protections for vulnerable groups such as women, LGBTI individuals, and sex workers.

Education & Qualifications: Higher professional education in Nursing and Tropical Medicine, Master's in Public Health (VU Amsterdam), and a PhD in Public Health from VU University Amsterdam (2015).

Research Interests: Explores intersections of law, policy, and health equity through interdisciplinary collaborations. Key themes include government accountability, justice systems, local democracy, and HIV/AIDS stigma reduction. Her work emphasizes participatory approaches with marginalized communities.

Professional Experience: Over 20 years of international experience including HIV/AIDS program development in Namibia, public health advisory roles with Dutch development organizations, and academic leadership in global health education. She has coordinated research master's programs and supervised PhD students.