Human rights, equality and freedom from abuse are the central themes in my professional career.

I am the Head of Research at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales.

I previously worked at the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Great Britain and led the work on the ‘Is Britain Fairer?’ review to Parliament and the Measurement Framework for Equality and Human Rights. My previous career also included stints at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, International Council on Security and Development and IHS Jane’s.

I founded the Researching Security network while doing a PhD on human rights, security and organised crime in Rio de Janeiro and have never looked back since – the support  and advise from the other fellows has been invaluable and I encourage everyone who is interested to join us!

Publications and blogs

• ‘A Day in the Life: Verena Braehler, Principal Researcher, Equality and Human Rights Commission’, Government Social Research (September 2017)
• (Contributor) Being disabled in Britain: a journey less equal, Equality and Human Rights Commission (April 2017)
• Behind the scenes: monitoring equality and human rights, Equality and Human Rights Commission (January 2017)
• (Contributor) Is Britain Fairer? factsheets, Equality and Human Rights Commission (December 2016)
• When prejudice turns into discrimination and unlawful behaviour, Equality and Human Rights Commission (July 2016)
• Equality review identifies data gaps as key challenge, Research Matters magazine, Social Research Association, with co-author Hazel Wardrop (March 2016)
• Most disadvantaged people fall further behind, Equality and Human Rights Commission (March 2016)
• (Contributor) Is England Fairer? State of equality and human rights 2016, Equality and Human Rights Commission (March 2016)
• Departments need to deal with their data gaps if government is serious about tackling inequality, Civil Service World (October 2015)
• (Contributor) Is Britain Fairer? The state of equality and human rights 2015, Equality and Human Rights Commission (October 2014)
• Is Britain Fairer? evidence paper series: Life domain, Equality and Human Rights Commission (October 2014)
• Is Britain Fairer? evidence paper series: Physical security domain, Equality and Human Rights Commission, with co-authors Janna Miletzki & Hazel Wardrop (October 2014)
• Inequality of security: Exploring violent pluralism and territory in six neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (PhD thesis), University College London (October 2014)
• Olympian challenge. Brazil’s event security preparations, Jane’s Intelligence Review (May 2013)
• Capital gains. Brazil fears resurgence of PCC, Jane’s Intelligence Review (January 2013)
• Rios Kampf gegen Drogenkartelle und Armut, Handelsblatt (August 2012)
• Rio+20: where are the favelados?, Latin American Bureau, with co-author Felicitas Röhrig (June 2012)
• Rio de Janeiro: the ‘pacification’ of the favelas, Latin American Bureau
• In der Abseitsfalle, Kulturaustausch, with co-author Solveig Flörke (Jan 2012)
• Para entender o processo de pacificação das favelas do Rio, Para Entender Direito,  (16 December 2011)
• Rio’s Slum Faces Challenges After Pacification. Interview on CNN International,  (15 November 2011)
• São Paulo: The world’s biggest helicopter fleet, Latin American Bureau, with co-author Solveig Flörke (2 September 2011)

Contact

• Twitter: @vbraeh