Laura Franco Cian
About me
Psychologist with a PhD in Gender Studies, with extensive experience in teaching and research. My work focuses on community development and the analysis of gender-based and institutional violence from a gender studies perspective, using participatory and feminist methodologies.
I am a Colombian psychologist with a PhD in Gender Studies. Born and educated in Colombia, I completed my undergraduate training there before moving to Europe, where I lived for several years in Italy and Spain. During this period, I pursued postgraduate studies that deepened my commitment to feminist theory, gender studies, and critical social research.
After returning to Colombia, I worked extensively with women survivors of sexual violence and acid attacks, combining direct professional practice with sustained work in teaching and academic research. My career has been marked by a strong socio‑critical perspective, with a particular interest in community development, gender‑based and institutional violence, and the use of participatory and feminist methodologies. Alongside my academic and professional work, I am also the mother of two young daughters, ages one and three, an experience that continues to shape my ethical, political, and personal commitments.