Jodie Weatherston

Jodie Weatherston is a Lecturer in Social Studies at the University of Sunderland, where she has been since 2019. She teaches modules across undergraduate and postgraduate social sciences programs, focusing on areas such as human rights, gender diversity, and social inequalities. Her research interests include international development, sexual violence, forced child marriage, female genital mutilation, modern slavery, and conflict studies. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Sociology, an MSc in International Development, and a PGCE in Higher Education.

Dr. Weatherston is actively involved in the Third Sector, serving as a Trustee for ReportOUT, a human rights organization documenting LGBTQ+ experiences globally. She has led research projects in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Ethiopia, Mongolia, and Belize. Her voluntary work includes roles with Street Child Nepal, Team Kenya, and various charities focused on marginalized communities.

Her research spans topics such as Ugandan SOGIESC rights, child marriage in Nepal, FGM in Kenya, and gender inequality in education. She has also spoken at the World Pride Human Rights Conference (2021) on human rights abuses against sexual minorities in Uganda.

• Received the Ede and Ravenscroft Award (2018) and SuPA Award (2019) for academic and extracurricular excellence.
• Supervises students on modules like Sociology Dissertation and Social, Personal and Professional Development Skills.
• Engages in community outreach, fundraising, and international development work through NGOs.