Pip McKnight

School of Social Policy
Research and Impact Fellow

Contact details

Email: p.mcknight@bham.ac.uk
Twitter: @pipmck

Address: School of Social Policy
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Pip McKnight is a Research and Impact Fellow in the Institute for Research into Superdiversity where she is working on the reach and influence of the SEREDA project, led by Professor Jenny Phillimore. A registered midwife, Pip’s background supporting pregnant asylum seekers led her research interests in forced migration, gender and reproductive health. She is also skilled in facilitating lived experience participation in research and policy change.

Qualifications

MA in Migration, Superdiversity and Social Policy, University of Birmingham, 2019
BSc in Midwifery, Birmingham City University, 2014
BA Philosophy and Literature, Warwick University, 2000

Biography

Pip came to University of Birmingham in 2017 on an NIHR Clinical Academic Fellowship, completing her Masters in Migration, Policy and Superdiversity with a focus on pregnancy in the UK asylum system. She went on to lead maternity service improvement and policy change, advising the Home Office, Royal College of Midwives and Clinical Commissioning Groups on reproductive health inequalities and immigration control. As Head of Policy and Advocacy at Refugee Women Connect, Pip oversaw a programme of lived experience advocacy and community research and was a founding partner in Liverpool’s Best for Baby Improvement Collaborative.

Pip is currently working with NGOs, politicians and policy makers concerned with forced migration and SGBV to use the findings from SEREDA to improve policy and services for survivors.

Teaching

Pip is a part time lecturer in Midwifery at Coventry and Birmingham City University

Research

Research interests

Migration, forced migration, health inequalities, sexual and gender-based violence, maternity

Current projects

SEREDA

Other activities

Registered Midwife, Nursing and Midwifery Council
NIHR Pre-Doctoral Fellow
Trustee, Baby Aid Birmingham

Publications

Journals

Phillimore, J. Pertek, S., Akyuz, S., Darkal, H., Hourani, J., McKnight, P., Ozcurumez, S., Taal, S. (2021) “We are Forgotten”: Forced Migration, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, and Coronavirus Disease-2019. Violence Against Women.

P McKnight, L Goodwin, S Kenyon;. (2019) A systematic review of asylum-seeking women's views and experiences of UK maternity care Midwifery 77, 16-23

Working papers, reports and briefings

McKnight, P and Phillimore, J. (2022) Forced migration and sexual and gender-based violence: Findings from the SEREDA project in Scotland. Policy brief. University of Birmingham.

McKnight, P and Maleke, Z. (2022) Guidance on how to create your own safe space. Report. UNHCR/Refugee Women Connect.

Pertek, S., Phillimore, J. and McKnight, P. (2020) Forced Migration, SGBV and COVID-19: The furthest behind – forced migrant survivors of violence. Policy Brief. University of Birmingham

Pertek, S., Phillimore, J., McKnight, P., Akyüz, S., Bradby, H., Coles, A., Darkal, H., Elfeky, R., Goodson, L., Hourani, J., McSherry, B., Ozcurumez, S., Taal, S., Thomas, S., Vaughan, C. and Zobli, S. (2020) Forced Migration, SGBV and COVID-19: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the forced migrant survivors of SGBV. Research Report. University of Birmingham.

McKnight, P and Coles, A (2020) Gendered Considerations in the asylum system during Covid-19: Guidance for organisations supporting asylum seeking and refugee women. Report. Refugee Women Connect

Coles, A., Dudhia, P., McKnight, P., and Mponela, L. (2020) Hear Us: the experiences of refugee and asylum-seeking women during the pandemic. Report. Sisters Not Strangers Coalition.

View all publications in research portal