Research Interests

• Gender, women and politics,
• Race, ethnicity and politics
• Intersectionality
• Parliaments and political representation
• Women's movements and feminism
• Media and politics
• Quantitative and qualitative research methods

Qualifications

• PhD Political Science, University College London
• MA Gender Studies, University College London
• MA Scandinavian Studies and Art History, University of Edinburgh

Previous Positions

• Goldsmiths University, Associate Lecturer: Feminist Politics (Spring Term)
• University of Bristol, Associate Lecturer: Gender and Politics (Autumn Term)
• UCL Institute of Education, Research Associate: Transnational Feminist Activism on Gender and Education
• London School of Economics, Research Assistant: Gender, Inequality and Power Commission
• Rutgers University, Visiting Scholar: Center for American Women and Politics
• Bournemouth University, Research Assistant: Women and the UK 2015 General Election
• Mannheim Centre for European Social Research, Research Assistant: Euromanifestos Project
• University College London, Teaching Fellow: Qualitative Methods
• University College London, Teaching Fellow: Quantitative Methods

Roles and Responsibilities

• Alumni and Employability Officer

Overview

I use intersectionality as a theoretical framework to investigate how women's political representation varies along racial, religious, class and partisan lines. Currently, I am analysing women's substantive representation in the UK parliament. My PhD analysed the combined effects of political candidates’ race and gender campaign on media coverage in the US and UK. The thesis was awarded the 2019 Joni Lovenduski Prize. Relevant publications are detailed below. I also consult on the advancement of women’s interests through civil society and development programming, and have been funded by UNESCO, Australian Aid,  Developmental Leadership Program and Pacific Leadership Program.

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

2017 “Intersectionality and Press Coverage of Political Campaigns: Representations of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Female Candidates at the UK 2010 General Election”, International Journal of Press/Politics, volume 22, issue 01, pp. 43-66, (impact factor: 2.468, ranked 31 /169 in Political Science)

2016 “Seeing Double: Race, Gender and Coverage of Minority Women’s Campaigns for the US House of Representatives”, Politics & Gender, volume 12, issue 02, pp. 317-343, (impact factor: 1.641, ranked 59/169 in Political Science)

2016 "Are you tough enough?’ Performing Gender in the UK Leadership Debates 2015”, Media, Culture & Society (with Emily Harmer & Heather Savigny), volume 39, issue 07, (impact factor: 1.305, ranked 43/84 in Communication)

Book Chapters

2016 “Media Framing of Black Women’s Campaigns for the US House of Representatives in 2012” in Distinct Identities: Minority Women in US Politics, Eds. Nadia E. Brown & Sarah Allen Gershon, London: Routledge

2014 “The 2009 British MPs' Expenses Scandal: Origins, Evolution and Consequences” (with Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson), in The Political Costs of the 2009 British MPs’ Expenses Scandal, Ed. Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson, London: Palgrave Macmillan

Policy Reports and Technical Papers

2018 Accountability for Gender Equality: Background paper prepared for the 2018 Global Education Monitoring Report Gender Review (with Elaine Unterhalter and Alice North), UNESCO

2018 From Silos to Synergy: Learning from Politically Informed, Gender Aware Programs (with Helen Derbyshire, Sam Gibson, David Hudson and Chris Roche), Developmental Leadership Program

2016 Lessons Learned on Thinking and Working Politically for the Ratification of CEDAW in Tonga (with Jennifer vanHeerde–Hudson), Australian Aid / Pacific Leadership Program

2015 Contributor: Confronting Gender Inequality: Findings from the LSE Commission on Gender, Inequality and Power (Co-directors: Nicola Lacey and Diane Perrons), London School of Economics

2014 Contributor: Education Beyond the Straight and Narrow, National Union of Students

Undergraduate Teaching

• POL2113 : Sex, Gender and Power (Module Leader)

• POL1047 : Power, Participation and Democracy: Comparative Perspectives

Prizes

• 2016 Departmental Teaching Award, UCL

• Ward O. Intersectionality and Press Coverage of Political Campaigns: Representations of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Female Candidates at the UK 2010 General Election. International Journal of Press/Politics 2017, 22(1), 43-66.
• Harmer E, Savigny H, Ward O. 'Are you tough enough?' Performing gender in the UK leadership debates 2015. Media, Culture & Society 2017, 39(7), 960-975.
• Ward O. Media Framing of Black Women’s Campaigns for the US House of Representatives. In: Nadia E. Brown, Sarah Allen Gershon, ed. Distinct Identities: Minority Women in US Politics. London: Routledge, 2016, pp.153-170.
• Ward O. Seeing Double: Race, Gender, and Coverage of Minority Women's Campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives. Politics & Gender 2016, 12(2), 317-343.
• vanHeerde-Hudson J, Ward O. The 2009 British MPs' Expenses Scandal: Origins, Evolution and Consequences. In: Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson, ed. The Political Costs of the 2009 British MPs’ Expenses Scandal. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, pp.1-26.