Dr Susan Waigwa PhD, MPH, RSW

Dr Susan Waigwa

Department of Linguistics and Communication
Research Fellow

Contact details

Email
s.m.waigwa@bham.ac.uk
Address
Department of Linguistics and Communication
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT

Susan is a registered social worker.  Since joining academia, she has worked and developed public health research expertise especially in women’s health.  Susan has addressed issues around reproductive health, childbirth, violence against women and girls including domestic abuse and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

 

Qualifications

  • PhD in Public Health, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, 2021
  • Social Work England, Registered Social Worker, 2016
  • MBA in Public Health, Coventry University, 2014
  • Diploma in medical and health counselling, Kenya Institute of social work and ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø development, 2011 
  • BA in Social Work and Social Administration, Kampala International University, 2010

Biography

Susan is a registered social worker and a public health researcher. Since joining academia, she has developed public health research interests, especially in women’s health. Susan has worked around issues relating to reproductive health including childbirth and menopause; violence against women and girls (VAWG) including domestic abuse and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and forced marriage.

In Susan’s research training and practice in the UK, she has specialised in working with minority groups within societies. This was fuelled by her previous experience in social work practice with marginalised communities including destitute children in one of the slums in Nairobi as well as impoverished patients at Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya.

Susan completed her Masters in Public Health at Coventry University, UK. She then completed her PhD at the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø where she continued to work as a researcher until she joined the University of Liverpool early 2024. Before joining Liverpool, she also worked with Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid as a health advocate and supported women who had been subjected to various forms of VAWG.

Susan returned to the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø in 2025.

Research

Research interests: Susan's research interests are mainly in the field of Women’s Health under the umbrella of Public Health.

Current projects: Susan is currently working on ‘Language used in Education about FGM’ and ‘menopause and ethnicity’.

Previous research projects: Susan worked on childbirth related perineal trauma; scoping of language and female genital mutilation/cutting; prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting and forced marriage; health education interventions and female genital mutilation/cutting.

Publications

  • Waigwa, S., Briggs, P., Pickard, S., Amini, E. and Wilkinson, J., 2025. Tales from the photovoice clinic: Menopause experiences of Black and Chinese women in the United Kingdom. Post Reproductive Health, p.20533691251346293.
  • Jones, L., Delicate, A., Waigwa, S., Morton, V.H., Morris, R.K., Whitehurst, J. and Hillman, S., 2025. Exploring views and experiences of childbirth-related perineal trauma: a qualitative study protocol for developing a wound management tool and care pathway. BMJ open, 15(4), p.e088248.
  • Waigwa, S., Bradbury-Jones, C., Doos, L. and Taylor, J., 2024. Six aspects of female genital mutilation education (SAFE) model: findings from a qualitative study. BMJ open, 14(5), p.e077838.
  • Littlemore, J., & Waigwa, S. (2023). .
  • Waigwa, S., 2021. Health education interventions and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in Birmingham, UK: a mixed method inquiry (Doctoral dissertation, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø).
  • Waigwa, S., Doos, L., Bradbury-Jones, C. and Taylor, J., 2018. Effectiveness of health education as an intervention designed to prevent female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C): a systematic review. Reproductive health, 15, pp.1-14.

Commissioned report

  • Seymour, R, Bradbury-Jones, C, Waigwa, S, Walker, S, McCabe, H & Severn, K 2023, Improving Prevalence Estimates of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and Forced Marriage: Final Report. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.