Why this PhD?

It’s hard to put into words why we choose to do a PhD. It depends on the discipline, context, interests and ambitions. Many have also suggested that it takes a bit of madness to step in this adventure. For me, it’s all about the fun and the possibilities, and mostly about the lessons and learning.

I started my PhD in Global Public Health in 2020 with one idea in mind: to build on the knowledge that came out of my master’s project. The goal? To understand how the structures of our societies influence our sexual and reproductive health and rights. I wanted to go further, dig a little deeper and explore why we have, or don’t have, agency when it comes to our sexualities and reproduction.

Are we all vulnerable to the same structures? How are our vulnerabilities shaped by the distribution of power in societies? In what ways do our vulnerabilities influence our sexual and reproductive health and rights? How do we appropriate power and gain agency?

After many years working with adolescents and youth, I wanted to answer these questions more specifically in relation to their realities. And while exploring structural vulnerabilities, it made sense to amplify the voices and perspectives of adolescents considered to be the most vulnerable. That’s what brought me here, to this PhD, with a strong desire to work with youth from slums in one of the biggest megacities in the world, to see how we can, together, identify ways to improve their sexual and reproductive health and rights.