Travel and Learning Award for Dr Annick Masselot
Supporting Annick Masselot to travel to Australia to examine how legal frameworks address violence against women in disaster contexts.
Borrin Foundation Travel and Learning Award
Annick’s plan
Professor Masselot will use the Borrin Foundation Travel and Learning Award to undertake a research visit to the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women at Monash University in Melbourne. Her research focuses on a critical gap in New Zealand law: the lack of legal recognition and response to the increase in violence against women during and after disasters. By examining Australia’s legal and policy approaches, including gender-responsive disaster management frameworks and violence prevention strategies, she aims to identify lessons that can be adapted for Aotearoa New Zealand. During the visit, she will collaborate with leading researchers and practitioners, explore how these frameworks operate in practice, and build international partnerships that strengthen future research and policy development. The findings will inform recommendations for law reform, helping to better integrate disaster management and family violence responses so that women are better protected during times of crisis.
About Annick
Dr Annick Masselot is a Professor of Law at the University of Canterbury, with an internationally recognised research profile in gender equality, women’s rights, employment law, and social justice. Her work combines legal scholarship with policy impact. She has advised a number of organisations including the International Labour Organization, the New Zealand Parliament, and the European Commission. Professor Masselot has contributed to significant law reform initiatives, including New Zealand’s surrogacy law review and European pay transparency measures. More recently, she has focused on the intersection of gender equality and disaster law, examining how crises and disasters affect women, families, paid work, and unpaid care. As an Associate Investigator with QuakeCoRE and a member of the Institute for Law, Emergencies and Disasters (LEAD), she is committed to developing legal frameworks that are more inclusive, resilient, and responsive to the needs of vulnerable communities. Her research is driven by a strong belief that law can be a powerful tool for advancing justice and creating meaningful social change.
Grant Amount
$10,000 in 2026 to support travel
“This opportunity will help transform research into meaningful legal change, ensuring that women’s safety is no longer overlooked in disaster responses and that Aotearoa New Zealand is better prepared to protect those most at risk.”