Profile

Charlotte Baker is Professor of French and Critical Disability Studies in the School of Global Affairs. She is currently Faculty Associate Dean for Engagement, Co-Lead of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Health Research Hub and Associate Director of Engagement for the Lancaster University Africa Research Hub. She was previously Principal of Lonsdale College and Faculty Associate Dean for Postgraduate Research.

Charlotte's research focuses on disability and stigma in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular interest in the genetic condition albinism. She has published widely on the socio-cultural realities of living with albinism, cultural representations of albinism, and human rights abuses against people with albinism.

Charlotte currently leads the AHRC GCRF Disability and Inclusion in Africa project (2020-2024) with Dr Elvis Imafidon (CI, SOAS, University of London), Prof. Emelda Ngufor Samba (University of Yaounde, Cameroon), and Prof. Kobus Moolman (University of the Western Cape, South Africa). DISABILITY & INCLUSION NETWORK AFRICA (dia-network.org) She previously led the Albinism in Africa project (Wellcome Trust, 2014-2016).

Charlotte is also interested in Francophone and Anglophone African literatures and has published on translation, the African dictator-novel and literary representations of disability.

Charlotte's collaboration with UN Independent Expert Ikponwosa Ero, Gary Foxcroft (Director of WHRIN), and other stakeholders led to the passing of UN Resolution 47/8 on the Elimination of Harmful Practices related to Accusations of Witchcraft and Ritual Attacks in July 2021. Charlotte is a member of the UK National Working Group on Abuse linked to Accusations of Witchcraft and Spirit Possesssion, and Co-Director of The International Network Against Accusations of Witchcraft and Associated Harmful Practices (TINAAWAHP) International Network Against Witchcraft Accusation and Associated Harmful Practices (theinternationalnetwork.org)

She currently serves as Honorary Secretary of the Society for Francophone Postcolonial Studies, an Editorial Board member for the Liverpool University Press Francophone Postcolonial Studies series, an Editorial Board member of the Bulletin of French Studies and a member of the Advisory Committee for the iNGO Standing Voice.

Research Grants

25 May 24: Award from the FASS Impact Fund to ensure the impact of a schools resource on albnism in Sierra Leone.

10 Feb 24: Yves Hervouet Fund for Anglo French Relations to host a Research Fellow in the Department of Languages and Cultures

1 Feb 24: Cross-University Catalyst Fund for Health-focused engagement activities (co-applicant with the Health@Lancaster leadership team)

20 Jan 24: Lancaster University ODA ISPF Fund for a project ‘Enhancing the Social and Educational Inclusion of Persons with Albinism in Sierra Leone’

20 Nov 23: Yves Hervouet Fund for Anglo French Relations to bring an invited speaker to the ‘Witchcraft and Human Rights, past, present, future: Implementing Resolution 47/8’ conference in September 2024

18 Nov 23: FASS Research Fund for a project on albinism in rural Malawi in partnership with the University of Livingstonia

June 2023: AHRC Follow-on Funding for Engagement and Impact 'Alternative Explanations for Disability: Inspiring patient-centered care among healthcare practitioners through the arts'

March 2023: FASS Policy Fund ‘Informing Policy for the Alternative Care of Children with Albinism Vulnerable to Attacks’

February 2023: FASS Research Fund application for a project on albinism in West Africa with Sierra Leone Albinism Association and Medical Assistance Sierra Leone

February 2023: Joy Welch Fund for a project on autism in Kenya with Advantage Africa and Kenyan Autistic Society

February 2023: AHRC Impact Acceleration Account - Stimulating positive action in response to the UN Resolution on the Elimination of Harmful Practices related to Accusations of Witchcraft and Ritual Attacks

October 2022: ESRC Impact Acceleration Account award for a project on albinism in Sierra Leone with Sierra Leone Albinism Association and Medical Assistance Sierra Leone

January 2020: UKRI Quality Research - Strategic Priorities Fund (QR-SPF): Promoting Effective Policy Making to Prevent Harmful Practices related to Beliefs in Witchcraft

December 2019: AHRC Global Challenges Networking Grant: Disability and Inclusion in Africa

July 2019: FASS Impact Funding to further disseminate education pack on albinism in Tanzania

June 2019: ESRC Impact Acceleration Account Funding for fieldwork on albinism in Malawi

April 2019: Lancaster University Impact Funding for data collection towards a UN Resolution

Feb 2018: Lancaster University Impact Funding for a Photographic exhibition at the UN headquarters in Geneva

September 2017: Lancaster University Impact Funding to translate education pack on albinism into Swahili

Feb 2017: Global Challenges Kick Starter Funding for a project on Arts for Social Change in Africa

Feb 2017: Lancaster University Impact Funding to develop an education pack on albinism for Tanzania

Feb 2017: FASS Impact and Knowledge Exchange Grant to bring delegates to the UN Expert Meeting in September 2017

Aug 2016: Lancaster University Impact Funding to plan a UN Expert Meeting at the UN in Geneva Jan 2016: FASS Student Engagement Funding for “Translation Lancaster”, a postgraduate conference, masterclass, careers and networking eventSept 2015: FASS Impact and Knowledge Exchange Grant to collaborate with Standing Voice on a Wellcome Trust Collaborative Grant ApplicationNovember 2015: Wellcome Trust Medical Humanities International Small Grant, 'Changing Perceptions of Albinism in Africa'

May 2014: Knowledge Exchange Fellowship, Lancaster University, '21st Century Perspectives on Albinism in Africa'

Oct 2013: Yves Hervouet Fund for Anglo-French Relations (with Delphine Grass). 'Multilingual French Identities conference'

May 2013: Wellcome Trust Medical History and Humanities Small Grant - 'Exploring Interdisciplinary Approaches to Albinism'

May 2011: Society for French Studies (with Greg Kerr). Minorités en vue colloquium

January 2009: Lancaster University Small Grants Scheme, 'Albinism in Apartheid South Africa pilot study'.

Membership of Associations

Society for Francophone Postcolonial Studies (President 2015-2018; Vice President 2018-) www.sfps.ac.uk

Centre for Transcultural Writing and Research (Co-Director 2015-2018) http://www.transculturalwriting.com

African Literature Association

African Studies Association UK

Royal African Society

Society for French Studies

Career Details

Charlotte Baker is Professor of French and Critical Disability Studies in the School of Global Affairs and Associate Dean for Engagement for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She was previously Deputy Head of the Department of Languages and Cultures (2018-2021), Principal of Lonsdale College from 2015-17 and Associate Dean for Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities from 2017-2019.

Charlotte joined the Department of Languages and Cultures at Lancaster University in 2007 having completed her doctoral studies at Nottingham University. After graduating with her BA degree, Charlotte worked for two years in Corporate Finance at the First National Bank of Chicago in London. During her doctoral studies, she worked as a lectrice at Universite Lyon III and taught French language and culture at the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham.

PhD Supervision Interests

Charlotte Baker is happy to discuss PhD proposals relating to: - Critical Disability Studies - Disability in African contexts - African literatures (Francophone and Anglophone) - Intersections between the arts and human rights, disability and the body - Accusations of witchcraft, ritual attacks and harmful practices Charlotte particularly welcomes projects taking a comparative or interdisciplinary approach.