Title: "Negotiating Legitimacy: A Comprehensive Exploration of How Agikuyu Couples in Nairobi Strategically Navigate Union Formation Across Cultural, Religious, and State Dimensions Amidst the Diverse and Contrasting Landscapes."
PhD Supervisor: Yvan Droz
Shelmith's research delves into the dynamics of family formation in East Africa, with a keen focus on the intricate web of conjugality. Specifically, she examines how couples in Nairobi negotiate complexities arising from variations in moral values and obligations across various institutions, including customary, religious, and state structures in order to achieve legitimacy.
Shelmith is an anthropologist specializing in medical and social anthropology. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nairobi, focusing on "One Health" (global health), women's empowerment in agriculture, and community-based development in relation to the vaccine value chain analysis as a Graduate Research Assistant. Before her current role at the Geneva Graduate Institute, she served as a Research Officer at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in Nairobi, where her work covered sexual and reproductive health, including research on abortion, contraception, and infanticide in Africa.