Elizabeth McGuinness

Elizabeth (she/her) is an advocate and researcher at the intersections of human rights, mental health, gender, violence, disability, sexuality, and stigma. She is also a prior activist for sexual and reproductive health rights on the Island of Ireland, and current mental health peer-provider with an e-health intervention. This is in tandem to six-years’ of professional experience along the research-policy-programme-design pipeline at regional and international levels. Following obtaining a M.A. in Human Rights from the European Inter-University Centre in 2016, her focus was placed on intimate-partner violence, non-partner sexual violence and violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. Since gaining a M.Sc. in Global Mental Health joint between LSHTM and King’s College London in 2021, her work has veered more towards rights-based transformation of mental health systems, as well as in scaling of psychological interventions demonstrating efficacy for for violence survivors. The range of organisations Elizabeth has held staff or consultant roles within include the ICRC, WHO, UNHCR, King’s College London, and the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance.

Elizabeth is currently part of the European Sex Work Research Network (ESWORN), as well as the WHO Expert Working Group on Measurement of Violence Against Women with Disabilities. Above all, she is passionate about transfusing the lived experience of her communities (as well as those whose struggles are interwoven) within epidemiological evidence, towards overhaul of carceral systems.