Nicole Westmarland

Nicole Westmarland (born 1977) is a British academic and activist in the area of violence against women. She is currently a professor at the University of Durham, where she researches rape, domestic violence and prostitution. With Geetanjali Gangoli, she has edited two books: ''International Approaches to Rape'', and ''International Approaches to Prostitution: Law and Policy in Europe and Asia''. Originally a taxi driver, Westmarland’s first publication focused upon security issues for female taxi drivers, following her finding that female drivers were significantly more likely to face sexual harassment from customers than their male counterparts.

Alongside her academic work, Westmarland is often in the news as a commentator on violence against women. She has appeared on BBC Radio 4's ''Woman's Hour'' and written articles for ''The Telegraph'', ''The Guardian'' and the ''New Statesman''. In 2007 Westmarland organised the 1st North East Conference on Sexual Violence, which brought together professionals from across various statutory and charity organisations to share knowledge and develop best practice in responding to sexual violence. The conference now runs annually in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Westmarland has sat on both governmental and non-governmental advisory panels, and chaired for five years. Provided by Wikipedia