Shaimaa Abdelkarim

Dr. Shaimaa Abdelkarim is an Assistant Professor in postcolonial legal theory and critical race studies at Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on decolonizing human rights discourse, colonialism, and resistance, with a psycho-social approach. She holds a PhD from the University of Leicester (2021), an LLM from the American University in Cairo (2016), and an LLB from Cairo University (2013).

• Education: PhD (Leicester), LLM (AUC), LLB (Cairo University)

Her research explores alternatives to human rights practices, law and abolitionist praxis, and the intersection of law with gender/sexuality through a black feminist lens. Key projects include examining the League of Nations’ impact on postcolonial Egyptian identity and critiquing global health governance during the pandemic. She has held fellowships at Melbourne Law School and Warwick Law School.

Notable contributions include analyzing carcerality beyond rights frameworks and subaltern subjectivity in human rights practices. She is active in TWAIL and IGLP networks and frequently presents at conferences like the London Conference in Critical Thought.

• Awards: Kathleen Fitzpatrick Visiting Fellowship (2019)

She supervises doctoral candidates in TWAIL, postcolonial law and development, and critical human rights. Current projects investigate black and Islamic feminist thought challenging gender securitization in human rights.