Postdoc Position: Human Rights in the Menstrual Movement (ERC-funded PERIODS project)

Do you agree that menstruation is about so much more than blood? Are you interested in linking menstruation to broader questions of gender justice and social mobilization? Then this Postdoc position might be the right fit for you.

The position is part of the ERC-funded PERIODS project on Human Rights in the Menstrual Movement led by Dr. Inga Winkler. You will play a key role in the project by taking the lead on one of the case studies, contributing to the conceptual research for the overall project, and supporting the setup and management of the project.

Your duties and responsibilities include:

• Carry out conceptual research on menstruation, stigma and human rights
• Take the lead on original research on trans- and non-binary menstruators and their role in the menstrual movement (data collection, data analysis, writing and publication)
• Support the setup and management of the overall project including data management and ethical clearance
• Be involved in the daily supervision of PhD students
• Support all other activities as relevant during each stage of the project
• Fully integrate and participate in the activities of the LAW group

Your team
You will work closely with the team on the PERIODS project, which, apart from your position, includes the principal investigator (PI), several PhD candidates who work on case studies in India, South Africa and Hungary, and a research assistant. In addition, the PI’s research group also includes other researchers who center menstruation in their work within the broader context of public health and human rights.

About the project
The PERIODS project is funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant and runs from 2025 to 2030. It explores the promises, pitfalls, and renewed potential of human rights in the menstrual movement. PERIODS has two central objectives: first, to develop a thick and nuanced understanding of human rights in the menstrual movement, and second to generate empirical insights from a young, translocal, global South-driven movement for the reconceptualization of human rights based on social practice. The project centers the social practice of human rights in the menstrual movement by drawing on the articulations of lived experiences of people who menstruate, and on the perspectives of movement leaders. It combines empirical research using in-depth interviews, focus groups, qualitative surveys, and document analysis with conceptual work grounded in human rights. Theoretically, the project is rooted in the critical engagement with human rights and a re-envisioning of human rights ‘from below’. It considers the practice of human rights in the menstrual movement as constitutive of what matters for the realization and conceptualization of human rights.

To meet the requirements of the role, you will bring:

• Excellent organizational and management skills that enable you to balance different tasks and priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team in a dynamic, interdisciplinary and intercultural research environment.
• Outstanding communication skills that enable you to work in an intercultural setting across timezones and geographies.
• Advanced skills in research, analysis, critical thinking, and writing.

You must also have

• A PhD in the social sciences related to questions of human rights, gender, and/or social movements.
• Interest in conceptual work focused on stigma, marginalization, gender, and human rights.
• Training in qualitative empirical research methods and/or socio-legal studies, ideally working with groups facing marginalization.
• Familiarity with developments in the field of human rights and critiques of human rights.

In our international working environment, communication on the project team takes place entirely in English. This requires about language level C1 .

You will work here
The project is led by Dr. Inga Winkler, an Associate Professor in Human Rights. It is embedded in the Law Group chaired by Prof. Louis Kotzé. The Law Group is a vibrant, dynamic, intercultural research community that is closely integrated into the Department of Social Sciences, has a critical, socio-legal orientation and stresses interdisciplinary research. The current position is open to candidates with or without a background in law.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a competitive salary. Depending on your experience, we offer a gross salary of between € 3.378,- and € 5.331,- for a full-time working week of 38 hours, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale 10). As for your contract, we initially offer a one-year contract that can be extended – if possible within organizational circumstances – based on good performance.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

You will work in one of the world’s most sustainable and innovative universities, with an award-winning international and open working environment. For 20 consecutive years, the university has been voted the "best university" in the Netherlands.

Coming from abroad
The themes we deal with at Wageningen University & Research are globally relevant and we employ people from all over the world. The University therefore, has a large international community and much to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands, our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support employees coming from abroad. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about, for example, housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

For more information about the position, please contact Inga Winkler, Associate Professor in Human Rights and PI of the PERIODS project, via email: inga.winkler@wur.nl

Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Rutger Voorrips, Corporate Recruiter, via rutger.voorrips@wur.nl.

Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

Please submit the following documents:
1) Curriculum Vitae.
2) Motivation / cover letter detailing your qualifications and interest.
3) Article-length writing sample (max. 10,000 words).
4) Contact information for 2 references (who can be contacted upon shortlisting).

You can apply until the 26th of May 2025. The first interviews are scheduled on the 17th and 18th of June.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using THIS LINK.

Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.