Herjeet Marway

I am a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, and work broadly in the area of feminist philosophy, philosophy of race, and global justice. This includes having research interests in bioethics, relational autonomy, and racism. I have previously served as founding Chairperson of the Ethics Committee of Surrogacy UK, and as a member of the Ethics Committee of Birmingham Children's Hospital. Before returning to academia, I worked as a consultant in industry.

My research broadly addresses the theme of difficult choices in oppressive contexts, from a feminist and critical race perspective. I am interested in structural barriers that constrain particular groups, as well as the parameters of agency, such as resistance to oppression, within such contexts. As a philosopher who works in global ethics, I am drawn to applied ethics issues that extend beyond the nation state, that require a cross-disciplinary approach, and that particularly affect marginalised groups. More specifically, my research interests are threefold:

• Relational autonomy. I work on feminist conceptions of autonomy that are relational and intersectional, and apply these to (e.g.) women involved in violent groups and surrogates in order to better understand their agency.
• Global bioethics. I explore the ethics of a range of issues within bioethics, including global surrogacy contracts, reproductive justice, the commodification of bodies, genetic selection for non-disease traits such as skin colour, and healthcare provision. 
• Global gender and race justice. I work on transnational feminisms and decolonialism, and about global issues where gender and race intersect, including, most recently, reparations, oppression, and identity.