Researching Consultancy
Where Stories Ignite Movements
Introduction
My research explores the intersection of power, oppression, resilience, and the feminine body. Trained as a political scientist and conflict researcher, I bring a dual background in quantitative and qualitative methodologies — combining systemic analysis with embodied insight.
Over the past decade, I’ve worked on projects commissioned by organizations including Amnesty International, USAID, International IDEA, and the European Commission. My work has been recognized with major grants, academic awards, and media attention from outlets such as CNN, BBC, Reuters, NRC, De Volkskrant, De Correspondent, Zembla, and Eén Vandaag.
Whether in fragile states, health care systems, or political institutions, I look at how power moves through bodies and structures — and how the creation of resilient and vibrant societies starts with taking people’s lived experiences seriously.
Research Portfolio
Nomi.nu
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A creative campaign on reproductive health, autonomy, and the body — funded by the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industry. Nomi bridges research, design, and activism to reimagine healthcare systems and restore dignity to reproductive health.
Customary Actors in
uncustomary settings
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A multi-country project on legitimacy and governance in fragile contexts. I coordinated this $750,000 USAID-funded program, exploring how resilience and authority are negotiated outside colonial frameworks — pointing to the relevance of precolonial wisdom in today’s governance.
Detained & Departed
This Amnesty International investigation exposed how Venezuelan refugees in Curaçao are denied asylum procedures, detained in degrading conditions, and deported in violation of international law. By documenting personal testimonies and systemic failures, the research revealed how colonial legacies and governance gaps intersect with human vulnerability.
Reforming the rules of the game
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An award-winning study of political party regulation in Latin America. This work – based on over 200 interviews with politicians – highlights how Western models of democracy often reproduce systemic exclusion and fail to address social demands for change in a meaningful manner.
Publications
Organized by type, my writing spans academic journals, long-form journalism, research reports, and public commentary.
Academic Articles
Multiple peer-reviewed articles on legitimacy, governance, and power in healthcare (incl. Molenaar & Huijskes, forthcoming in Tijdschrift voor Obstetrie en Gynaecologie).
Long-Form Journalism
Power in Healthcare series (De Correspondent) — multi-article exploration of how healthcare institutions regulate bodies and perpetuate inequality.
Reports
Commissioned research for Amnesty International, USAID, International IDEA, and the European Commission — addressing issues of democracy, legitimacy, and systemic oppression.
Blogs &
Op-Eds
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Structural contributor to Clingendael Institute blogs and op-eds.
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Contributor to the KNAW’s Faces of Science blog, bringing research insights to wider audiences.
For Inquiries
I am currently open to new consultancy opportunities and research collaborations.
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