Leith Lorraine Dunn is a Jamaican sociologist, writer and academic. She taught at the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...

where she focused on gender and human rights, as well as acting for a consultant to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and the Caribbean Community. In 2020, she was presented the ''Award for Excellence'' by Jamaica's National Family Planning Board.

Education

Dunn has a bachelor's degree in languages and social sciences, and a master's degree in sociology from the

. She has a PhD in sociology and economics from

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

, and was an honorary research fellow at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

Career

Dunn taught courses on

disaster risk management Disaster risk reduction aims to make Disaster, disasters less likely to happen. The approach, also called DRR or disaster risk management, also aims to make disasters less damaging when they do occur. DRR aims to make communities stronger and better ...

, gender and climate change at the

(UWI), where she also focused on gender equity in governance and leadership, human trafficking, human rights, trade and tourism, labour, and health. She was the head of UWI's Mona Unit. In 2020, Dunn was awarded the inaugural Jamaican National Family Planning Board's ''Award for Excellence''. She has also worked for

Christian Aid Christian Aid is a relief and development charity of 41 Christian (Protestant and Orthodox) churches in Great Britain and Ireland, and works to support sustainable development, eradicate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster rel ...

; the Commonwealth Observer Group as an election monitor in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, and Malawi; and as a consultant to both the

United Nations Population Fund The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a United Nations System, UN agency aimed at improving reproductive health, reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, incr ...

and the Caribbean Community. Dunn's chapter in the 2016 book ''Men, Masculinities and Disaster'' pointed out how poverty, sexuality, ability were factors increasing the risk to men from climate change.

Selected publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Leith Jamaican sociologists Jamaican women sociologists Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Jamaican academics 21st-century Jamaican women writers 21st-century Jamaican writers Jamaican feminists Alumni of the London School of Economics University of the West Indies alumni Academic staff of the University of the West Indies Jamaican human rights activists Jamaican women activists