Annie Banda

Annie is a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies, interested in domestic violence among Sub-Saharan African immigrants in the US.

Annie aims to explore how national and global policies that empower women in host nations may instigate intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in Sub-Saharan African immigrant families leading to family disintegration. Annie hypothesizes that cultural differences in the host nation against native culture give women more voice than in their country of origin, resulting in family conflict. Considering the sensitivity of IPV, Annie employs critical qualitative inquiry to investigate the association of national and global policies with IPV in Sub-Saharan African immigrants in the host nation. The research aims to task policymakers in the host nation to consider integrating other cultures in drawing policies that affect Sub–Saharan African immigrants as they negotiate their identity in host nations. Annie's professional interest is to advocate for vulnerable women exposed to domestic violence through counseling and promotion of women’s rights.

Annie hold a masters in Journalism and Mass Communication from ISU, and her masters' thesis focused on the “Media influence on migration expectations: Experiences of Sub-Saharan Black African students.”