Jenny Parkes

Professor Jenny Parkes serves as Professor of Education, Gender and International Development at University College London's Institute of Education within the Department of Education, Practice and Society. She co-leads the Centre for Education and International Development (CEID) and conducts globally recognized research on violence, gender inequalities, and education systems across Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.

Her academic credentials include a PhD in Education (2005), MSc in Professional Educational Psychology (1989), and BSc in Psychology (1983) from the University of London and Bristol. Postgraduate qualifications comprise a PGCE in Primary Education (2004) and Professional Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2007).

Parkes' research program centers on school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) prevention, examining intersections between climate change, conflict, and child protection. Her work emphasizes innovative partnerships with UN agencies, governments, and NGOs across nine African nations, focusing on how educational institutions can mitigate violence and promote gender equity. Current projects investigate climate-violence linkages and longitudinal impacts of school-based interventions like the Good School Toolkit.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals three dominant trends: 1) Climate change as an emerging driver of violence against children, 2) School systems as critical intervention points for SRGBV prevention, and 3) Compounded vulnerabilities among adolescent girls facing intersecting risks of violence, unintended pregnancy, and mental health challenges. Her methodological innovations include remote research techniques developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She actively supervises 11 doctoral candidates across diverse topics including policy enactment in Côte d'Ivoire, gender subjectivities in prison education, and forced marriage in UK schools. Her completed PhDs (7 since 2013) have produced influential work on teacher sexual violence in Uganda and educational capabilities of Somali refugee youth. Parkes teaches core modules for the MA Education, Gender and International Development program while securing substantial research funding for multi-country studies.

As CEID co-leader, Parkes directs a collaborative research hub focused on education in conflict-affected and resource-constrained settings. The center facilitates knowledge exchange between academics, policymakers, and practitioners to advance Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5, and 16 through evidence-based interventions.