Madeleine Hughes

Queen's University Belfast Postgraduate Award in Global Security and Borders, Queen's University Belfast - International Relations

Madeleine’s journey to the Global Security and Borders programme at Queen’s began as an undergraduate at Boston College. There, she became dedicated to absorbing the stories of marginalised women across the city of Boston, serving as a resident advocate at a shelter for women and children and then organising a leadership camp for homeless girls. She also participated in a Prison Arts Collaborative that facilitated an art-therapy group for inmates at a Massachusetts women’s prison. These experiences deeply influenced her thesis that investigated the dynamics of public policy on homelessness that erase the struggles of impoverished women. At Queen’s, she hopes to foster her interest in women’s advocacy through a completely different lens – immigration policy and violence against female refugees. Madeleine is so grateful for the opportunity to live in Belfast – a city that is a living reminder that the borders that divide us can also be bridged. Her experience at Queen’s will allow her to translate her learning into a career dedicated to women’s rights in government or with a non-profit making sure that the voices of all women, not just those in power, are heard.