Biography
Laura Rahm is a Political Sociologist and an Associate Researcher at the Centre for Population and Development in Paris. Previously, she was a Jean Monnet Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the EUI. She also served as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Research Fellow, leading the GlobalKnoT project (Knowledge Transfer in Global Gender Programmes), in collaboration with the Central European University, the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, and the European University Institute’s School of Transnational Governance. Prior to that, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Barcelona, working on the ERC-funded Europe Abortion Access Project.
Rahm’s research focuses on global governance and gender studies. She has worked extensively on knowledge transfer, sustainable development, and public policies related to gender, population and health. Her work has been published in Population and Development Review, Critique Internationale, Men and Masculinities Journal, PLOS One, and BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health. Her first book, Gender-Biased Sex Selection in South Korea, India, and Vietnam: Assessing the Influence of Public Policy, appeared with Springer in 2019. Her second book, Ending Gender-Based Violence: The Global Governance of Harmful Practices, will be published by Bristol University Press in 2025/26.
In addition to her monographs, Rahm has contributed to several book chapters, including “Gender Equality Beyond 2030: Rethinking Progress in a Post-SDG World” (forthcoming with Cambridge University Press) and SDG 5: Beyond Data Availability for Empowering Policy Action on Gender Equality (Edward Elgar). Moreover, she has served as a Reference Group member to the UN system-wide Evaluation Synthesis on Gender Equality (Sustainable Development Goal 5) and worked with international organisations, including UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, the World Bank, the European Union, and the German International Development Cooperation (GIZ) - focusing on monitoring and evaluation of policies, programs, and partnerships.
Rahm holds a PhD in Political Demography and Sociology from Sorbonne University in Paris, where she lectured on Population and Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As a Policy Leader Fellow, she will implement a project titled “Reimagining Accountability: A Forward-Thinking Framework for Measuring Gender Equality.” This project addresses critical shortcomings in current Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems, including data gaps, insufficient intersectional approaches, and the absence of foresight to anticipate future challenges. Building on findings from the UN system-wide evaluation synthesis she supported, the aim is to design an innovative Global M&E Framework that applies a gender lens across all 17 SDGs, integrates intersectional perspectives, and embeds strategic foresight. Outputs will include a refined M&E framework, practical case studies, and storytelling initiatives conducted during the 70th Commission on the Status of Women in New York (March 2026). These deliverables will provide actionable insights for policymakers and strengthen accountability mechanisms in the post-2030 agenda.