Bio
Vickie Knox works as a senior research consultant and teaches on MA Refugee Protection and Forced Migration, University of London. Her specialist area of research is how gang violence, organised crime and corruption contribute to displacement in Central America and Mexico. She recently conducted research for the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, investigating internal displacement and forced migration caused by widespread violence in El Salvador and Honduras.
Vickie was awarded PhD in Human Rights by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, from where she previously graduated with MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights. Her doctoral research explored the links between organised crime and migration in Mesoamerica, in the context of the emerging protection crisis in the region. Her thesis analysed how violent criminal groups drive migrations, are a threat during during migratory transit and control people smuggling operations.
Vickie has previously worked on equality and discrimination and on reproductive rights and access to abortion, with a particular focus on Latin America, and was a co-director of the Central America Woman's Network. She has considerable experience in communications and campaigns and has held senior roles in advocacy organisations including Amnesty International and International Alert, and worked as an independent consultant for several years. She also holds degrees from Queen Mary University of London and University of Brighton, and her other research interests include international human rights law, equality and discrimination, and reproductive rights.