African Academy for Migration Research

Margaret is a Sessional lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and holds a PhD in International Relations from the same University. Her research interests are on Human rights, Migration, gender, and international security. Her doctoral dissertation focused on international migration regimes, specifically the global dynamics associated with refugee governance from an African standpoint by exploring the livelihood situations of Somali women refugees in Nairobi, Kenya. She also holds a Masters degree in International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a First-Class Honours from Moi University, Kenya. Initially, she taught various courses in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Moi University ranging from national politics, international relations, gender, human rights, security, and international migration. Her exemplary academic performance has earned her prestigious fellowships such as the Women in International Security 2021, Andrew Mellon Governing Intimacies Project 2019, Academy for African Urban Diversity Fellowship 2018, Erasmus Mundus International Credit Mobility Fellowship 2018, and a three times recipient of the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Research Fellowships. She is a versatile, early career researcher and author with skills in execution of academic and policy research projects as well as leadership experience ranging from civil society to academic spheres. Margaret is also a research affiliate with the Refugee Law Initiative, University of London where she doubles as a reviewer of the RLI Working Paper Series

Over the past five years, my research interests have focused on migration governance and security, academic achievement and motivation, and research methodologies. I investigate the intersection of gender and security, and its implication on refugee rights and safety. I was particularly interested in the global dynamics associated with refugee governance from an African standpoint by focusing on the re-conceptualisation of security which allows for the inclusion of voices of migrants that are conventionally excluded by a state centric perspective. More importantly, my research was guided by the principal that socio-cultural and historical context are important in the study of phenomenon. To this end, I used both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in my research.
Having recently completed my doctorate degree, I am in the process of transitioning to post-doctoral research. Over the next few years, I plan to continue my efforts to contribute to the research and scholarship on the politics of the refugee rights and safety with the emerging body of work on digital humanitarianism by exploring digitisation of humanitarian assistance with an overarching focus on the safety, rights and inclusivity of refugees and asylum seekers. In particular, I will expand the work of my doctoral dissertation in two interrelated ways: 1) by examining ways in migrants, narrate, construct, and make sense of digital humanitarianism. A secondary goal of this research is to investigate how digital tools and access to them affect mobility decisions, economic participation, and levels of social cohesion and formulation of policy responses.; and 2) by examining more explicitly the impact of digital humanitarianism on migrants safety, rights, and inclusivity. An important goal of this research is to contribute to the development of appropriate and sensitive programming and policies that improve the outcomes of refugees and asylum seekers. In moving forward, my research will enhance will be relevant for a broader field of International Relations and digital researchers interested in the politics of migration, digitisation, and governance.

Monyani, M (2021) “USA-Africa Cooperation in Advancing Women, Peace and Security in Africa” in Wekesa, B (Ed) Africa’s Policy towards the US: The Biden Era, Good Governance Africa. Pp 121-136, ISBN: 978-0-620-97729-6

Monyani, M (2021-Accepted for Publication) “Regimes of Othering: Lived Experiences of Urban Somali Refugee Women in Kenya” Praxis

Ajisafe, Dickson, Ojo, Tinuade Adekunbi, & Monyani, Margaret. (2021, July 6). The Impacts of social media on Nigerian Youth #EndSARS# Protests. 2nd International Conference on Information-communication technologies enhanced Social Sciences and Humanities 2021 (ICTeSSH 2021), virtual. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5074961

Monyani M (2020) “Regional Migration Regimes and Border Security in the Horn of Africa” in Kamel L (Ed) Youth and Africa, Rome, Nuova Cultura, 2020, 119 : ill. (IAI Research Studies; 3),pp:17-32, ISBN 978-88-3365-307-5 Available at https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iairs_3.pdf