Amelia Watkins-Smith
Thesis Title: A Perfect Storm: Bride Trafficking from Myanmar to China
The trafficking of women and girls from Myanmar to China for the purposes of forced marriage and forced childbearing is a serious and under-researched social problem. It occurs as a result of a high demand for women and girls for forced marriage in China, and a high supply of vulnerable women and girls in Myanmar.
This thesis will make an empirical contribution to understanding of this problem. Research is specifically interested in typologies of bride trafficking, how the practice is changing, and how so-called 'husbands' perceive the practice. It is expected that findings will also speak to broader conceptual debates regarding modern slavery, human trafficking, forced marriage, and bride trafficking. Primary research will be conducted online in collaboration with partner NGOs Freedom Fund and Eden.
Note that this abstract is written at the end of year 1 of PhD research, so findings are not yet available.
Biography
Amelia Watkins-Smith is based the Rights Lab, University of Nottingham.
Amelia holds an MA in Social Science Research (Distinction), MA in Slavery and Liberation (Distinction), and BA in Social Policy and Sociology (First Class) from the University of Nottingham. She graduated top of her year at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Amelia has consistently worked as a research associate alongside her studies, where she has produced several peer-reviewed publications, and was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s medal for her work engaging the local community.
Amelia is passionate about tackling gender-based violence. She has previously worked for an anti-sex trafficking NGO in Myanmar, and currently volunteers with an NGO supporting sex workers in Nottingham. She is also keenly interested in policy and has experience working on national policy agendas at the UK Government Open Innovation Team and the Centre for Social Justice.
Publications
Choi-Fitzpatrick, A. and Watkins-Smith, A. (2021) 'Agency Continuum? A Non-Binary Approach to Agency Among Human Rights Victims and Violators', Human Rights Quarterly, 43(4), pp.714-735
Watkins-Smith, A. (2022) 'A Feminist Analysis of the Trafficking of Women and Girls into China for the Purpose of Forced Marriage and Childbearing', Journal of Modern Slavery, 7(2), pp.58-81
Watkins-Smith, A. and Gardner, A. 'Understanding the contribution of faith to resilience against modern slavery and human trafficking' (under review)
University of Nottingham (2021) 'The Slavery-Free Campus: A blueprint for university action against modern slavery' - Amelia Watkins-Smith as lead author. Published here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/beacons-of-excellence/rights-lab/resources/reports-and-briefings/2021/july/the-slavery-free-campus.pdf
Public Engagement
Amelia directed the Rights Lab’s Reading Programme (2018-19), engaging over 2,000 people in learning activities about modern slavery. The recommendations from following research report were adopted by the University of Nottingham. Amelia then briefed the UK Modern Slavery Training Delivery Group (Cabinet Office) on the work, delivered workshops to practitioners at the University of Wales modern slavery conference, and advised the West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network on their implementation of the blueprint. Amelia has also delivered several papers at academic conferences.
Other Research Interests
Gender-based violence, feminism, human rights, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, human trafficking, modern slavery
Political Science & International Relations
University of Nottingham
2020 Cohort , 1+3
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-watkins-smith
Supervisory Team
Prof Kevin Bales
Dr Helen McCabe