Annika Rudman, Professor of Gender Studies
Annika Rudman was born and raised in Borås, but has family ties to Värmland as her father and grandparents come from Höljes in northern Värmland. She has a law degree and a master’s degree in human rights from Lund University.
After completing her studies in Lund, she moved to Gothenburg where she completed her PhD at the School of Global Studies with a thesis on women’s property rights in southern Africa. As of April 2023, she works as a professor at Karlstad University.
"The common denominator of my research is a keen interest in the role that gender, or social gender, plays in relation to law, society, politics, culture and human behaviour. With a focus on legal issues related to sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender roles, sexual orientation, class, ethnicity and culture, often in combination, I produce both basic and applied research. I study issues such as domestic violence, property rights, laws on abortion, medical law and social law and how these laws affect women depending on their gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, class, ethnicity and culture."
Annika Rudman has also done a lot of research on the criminalisation and decriminalisation of same-sex relationships and how this affects freedom of expression and the right of association.
"For the past few years, I have lived in South Africa and had the opportunity to conduct research in countries such as Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi. Right now, I am working on several large projects, one of which concerns freedom of speech and the right of association for LGBTQ+ organisations in Ghana, Kenya, Botswana and Angola. My research is primarily aimed at legislators at both national and international levels, but also law officials such as judges in regional and international human rights courts. I hope that it can help make the law more accessible and clarify shortcomings in legal tools and processes from a gender perspective – highlighting that legislation and policy can play an important role in efforts towards equality and change."
Her husband, two sons and the family’s faithful dog Duke accompany her in the move from the university in Stellenbosch, South Africa, to Karlstad. In her spare time, Annika Rudman collects African textiles, enjoys tending to her garden and listening to true crime podcasts.