Hello
We are the GAIN Centre at the University of Southampton. We are an interdisciplinary community of scholars studying gender and inequalities at Southampton. We work with relevant local, national and international organisations to undertake research of real-world value.
GAIN develops Southampton’s reputation for studying gender and inequalities by connecting and strengthening networks internally, between colleagues, and externally with a range of partner organisations. GAIN provides a supportive research environment, regularly hosting seminars and workshops which bring together disciplines.
Who are we?
Professor Elizabeth Evans – GAIN Co-Director
Elizabeth’s work explores the relationships between social movements, political parties and political representation. Her work has received funding from ESRC, British Academy, Government Equalities Office, and the ISRF. She won the 2022 Political Studies Association Joni Lovenduski Prize. She’s the author of three books, and co-edited Confronting Privileges: Intersectionality in Feminist and Queer Movements with Eléonore Lépinard (2020). Her latest book, Disability and Political Representation with Stefanie Reher, is published by Oxford University Press (2024). She’s published over 30 articles in a wide range of international peer reviewed journals. Elizabeth is a co-founding Editor of the European Journal of Politics and Gender, she was Editor in Chief of Politics, former convenor of the ECPR’s group on Politics and Gender, ECPG, and the PSA’s Women and Politics Group. She is Co-Director of the Gender and Inequalities Centre (GAIN).
Dr Jessica C Smith – GAIN Co-Director
Jessica Smith is a Lecturer in Politics within the Department of Politics and International Relations. She studies the sources and consequences of bias in our political systems, from what voters think to how our institutions operate. Her work centres on gender, electoral politics, representation and political leadership with a focus on British politics. Jessica is the convenor of the Political Studies Women and Politics Group and is the Department’s Athena Swan representative.
Dr Emilia Y Belknap – GAIN Assistant Director
Dr Emilia Belknap is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in political science, focusing on gender, political behaviour, and constitutional change, particularly within the context of Scotland and the UK. Dr Belknap is proficient in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Her work has been published in notable publications, including British Politics and Political Insight. Previously, Dr Belknap was engaged in two multi-national research projects representing the UK team, the Push*Back*Lash project and the CCINDLE project, where she investigated the backlash against gender equality and its impact on European democracy. She now joins the PAIR department as a Research Fellow to work on research that creates valuable insights into the intersections of gender, power, and politics. She is now the Assistant Director to the Gender and Inequalities (GAIN) Centre at the University of Southampton and on the Steering Committee for the ECPR Standing Group on Public Opinion and Voting Behaviour in a Comparative Perspective.