Beverley Chalmers
Ontario, Canada
Dr. Chalmers' research specializes in examining the birth experiences of women in difficult religious, social, political and economic situations. These settings reveal challenging circumstances ranging from political and economic repression in Apartheid South Africa, and in the former Soviet Union, religiously inspired cruelty of female genital mutilation, and over-medicalization of birth in the technologically developed world. None of these, however, comes anywhere close to matching the horrors experienced by those whom the Nazi regime targeted for reproductive and sexual manipulation, and, in the case of Jewish women and babies, extermination. She is an internationally renowned academic with over 280 publications and over 445 conference presentations and addresses to her credit. She has two doctoral degrees: a Doctorate of Science in Medicine (DSc (Med)) and a PhD in Psychology. Her most recent book, "Birth, Sex and Abuse: Women's Voices under Nazi Rule" (2015) has been awarded eight international book awards. These include A Jewish Book Award for Women's Studies (USA), a Vine Award for Canadian Jewish Literature in History, a Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Holocaust Studies, a CHOICE 'Outstanding Academic Title' Award, an International Book Award for History, and a Montaigne Medal for thought provoking books.