The Gender Politics of Demilitarisation: Examining DDR from the Perspective of Female (Ex)-Combatants
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen Mary University of London
Department Name: Politics
Abstract
What is the relationship between gender, agency and international security? Do contemporary security practices provide 'gender security' in (post)conflict settings? How and why do the gendered subjects of (in)security demonstrate agency and resistance in response to peace and security interventions?
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) stresses the importance of integrating women and gender issues into matters of international peace and security. Yet many argue that international security interventions still fail to address the gender-specific concerns of women in conflict settings, and overlook the agency of women in war and peace. Disarmament, Demobilisation & Reintegration (DDR) programmes exemplify these issues. By eradicating weapons, disbanding armed groups and reintegrating ex-combatants, DDR seeks to secure durable peace. Mainstreaming gender concerns into DDR has potential to achieve positive change. Recognising women as agents not victims of war can help build a gender-just peace. Yet women are often excluded from or marginalised by DDR programs that neglect their interests, rights and needs.
To confront these challenges, the proposed project will develop an innovative approach to gender and security. The aims of this approach are to:
1. Develop a novel theoretical framework for understanding how gendered agency emerges and is deployed in relation to international security interventions;
2. Examine how women situated in (post)conflict settings demonstrate agency and resistance in response to security interventions;
3. Identify how 'gender' shapes international security discourses and practices;
4. Assess the extent to which 'gender security' is achieved in key sites of international intervention; and
5. Build a robust methodology and methods for mapping and analysing 'gender security' in (post)conflict environments.
To achieve these aims, the project will undertake a qualitative study of DDR policies and programmes in post-conflict BiH. The study will focus in particular on 'gender security' policies and practices relating to DDR via qualitative analysis of policy documents and interviews with implementers and beneficiaries. In particular, it will explore: the wartime roles of female (ex)combatants/women associated with fighting forces (WAFFs); their motivations for participating in the war effort; their positive and negative experiences of mobilisation; and long-term impact of participation in armed forces. The project will also analyse the gendered nature and impact of DDR policies and practices via an exploration of: women's participation and representation in the planning and design of DDR programmes; whether and how a gender perspective was incorporated into the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of DDR programming.
Overall, the study would make a major contribution to: current and future security policymaking and practice; understandings of the role of women as potential/actual agents of security; literatures on security studies, peace and conflict studies, and political sociology; methodologies within the disciplines of international relations and sociology that integrate feminist theory and empirical research and overcome divisions between scholars and practitioners; and finally, emerging debates in policymaking and academic circles regarding the importance of 'gender security'.
The project involves diverse forms of knowledge exchange with potential beneficiaries and users. Policymakers and practitioners from international organisations, security institutions and civil society will be engaged throughout the project via targeted briefings and consultation meetings, and policy report. The wider public will be engaged via a workshop and book launch in central London.
Ultimately, the study aims to transform understandings of 'gender security' by placing the concept of 'gendered agency' at the centre rather than margins of security discourse/practice.
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) stresses the importance of integrating women and gender issues into matters of international peace and security. Yet many argue that international security interventions still fail to address the gender-specific concerns of women in conflict settings, and overlook the agency of women in war and peace. Disarmament, Demobilisation & Reintegration (DDR) programmes exemplify these issues. By eradicating weapons, disbanding armed groups and reintegrating ex-combatants, DDR seeks to secure durable peace. Mainstreaming gender concerns into DDR has potential to achieve positive change. Recognising women as agents not victims of war can help build a gender-just peace. Yet women are often excluded from or marginalised by DDR programs that neglect their interests, rights and needs.
To confront these challenges, the proposed project will develop an innovative approach to gender and security. The aims of this approach are to:
1. Develop a novel theoretical framework for understanding how gendered agency emerges and is deployed in relation to international security interventions;
2. Examine how women situated in (post)conflict settings demonstrate agency and resistance in response to security interventions;
3. Identify how 'gender' shapes international security discourses and practices;
4. Assess the extent to which 'gender security' is achieved in key sites of international intervention; and
5. Build a robust methodology and methods for mapping and analysing 'gender security' in (post)conflict environments.
To achieve these aims, the project will undertake a qualitative study of DDR policies and programmes in post-conflict BiH. The study will focus in particular on 'gender security' policies and practices relating to DDR via qualitative analysis of policy documents and interviews with implementers and beneficiaries. In particular, it will explore: the wartime roles of female (ex)combatants/women associated with fighting forces (WAFFs); their motivations for participating in the war effort; their positive and negative experiences of mobilisation; and long-term impact of participation in armed forces. The project will also analyse the gendered nature and impact of DDR policies and practices via an exploration of: women's participation and representation in the planning and design of DDR programmes; whether and how a gender perspective was incorporated into the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of DDR programming.
Overall, the study would make a major contribution to: current and future security policymaking and practice; understandings of the role of women as potential/actual agents of security; literatures on security studies, peace and conflict studies, and political sociology; methodologies within the disciplines of international relations and sociology that integrate feminist theory and empirical research and overcome divisions between scholars and practitioners; and finally, emerging debates in policymaking and academic circles regarding the importance of 'gender security'.
The project involves diverse forms of knowledge exchange with potential beneficiaries and users. Policymakers and practitioners from international organisations, security institutions and civil society will be engaged throughout the project via targeted briefings and consultation meetings, and policy report. The wider public will be engaged via a workshop and book launch in central London.
Ultimately, the study aims to transform understandings of 'gender security' by placing the concept of 'gendered agency' at the centre rather than margins of security discourse/practice.
Planned Impact
The project engages with a wide range of beneficiaries working on gender and security issues.
The principal non-academic beneficiaries will be organisations working in humanitarian and security sectors, particularly those working in (post-)conflict settings, of which I have an extensive network of contacts to draw on to achieve non-academic impact.
Key beneficiaries include:
1. International and regional organisations
The UN Security Council has adopted a series of resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) which call for: the equal participation of women in decision-making, a gender perspective to be incorporated into peace operations, and the gendered impact of conflict to be addressed. International and regional organisations working in Bosnia (e.g. UN agencies, NATO, and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) are responding by undertaking similar commitments to advance the WPS agenda through their organisational structures, policies and programmes. The project will enable them to better assess the impact of these initiatives, and will provide suggestions for 'best practice' handling of gender security issues. This will improve the way organisations engage with women as security actors, leading to improved security outcomes. There is potential for global impact as Bosnia and Western Balkans region is often viewed as a testing ground for international intervention, with lessons learned there being drawn on to direct policymaking and programming in other post-conflict countries (e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan).
2. Domestic security institutions (e.g. Ministries of Defence and Security, Gender Equality Agencies)
Domestic institutions in BiH are working to increase the participation of women in security interventions and integrate gender equality into security policies and practices. Many have initiated projects to empower women and build local capacities and expertise. The study will help domestic institutions map, monitor and evaluate gender security initiatives by providing a robust toolset to: identify and assess the gender security concerns and needs of conflict-affected groups; detect and respond to gaps in existing security provision; and develop best practices for achieving gender security. This will enable positive security to be achieved for both women and men in (post-)conflict areas.
3. International and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) dealing with gender, peace and security issues
Beneficiaries include NGOs who: a) undertake research on gender, peace and security issues (e.g. International Alert, SEESAC, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces); b) provide support to survivors of war-related and gender-based violence (e.g. Medica Mondiale); and c) advocate on behalf of war affected women (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Track Impunity Always)
By informing and influencing policymakers and practitioners working across these three groups of institutions, the research will impact upon: a) the formulation of effective policies in the area of 'gender security', and enhancement of existing policies to improve their effectiveness; b) conversion of evidence based policy into practice; and c) transformation of organisational structures, culture and practices.
4. Research Participants
Participants themselves are also likely beneficiaries. A final report of research findings will be disseminated to policymakers, practitioners and researchers in Bosnia and the UK. An accessible summary of key findings will also be prepared for research participants and non-academic users. The dissemination of project results to participants is potentially a source of empowerment, enabling participants to compare and contrast their experiences and concerns with others across the country. Non-academic outputs will be agreed upon via dialogue with participants and are likely to include book and/or website featuring individual stories of WAFFs.
The principal non-academic beneficiaries will be organisations working in humanitarian and security sectors, particularly those working in (post-)conflict settings, of which I have an extensive network of contacts to draw on to achieve non-academic impact.
Key beneficiaries include:
1. International and regional organisations
The UN Security Council has adopted a series of resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) which call for: the equal participation of women in decision-making, a gender perspective to be incorporated into peace operations, and the gendered impact of conflict to be addressed. International and regional organisations working in Bosnia (e.g. UN agencies, NATO, and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) are responding by undertaking similar commitments to advance the WPS agenda through their organisational structures, policies and programmes. The project will enable them to better assess the impact of these initiatives, and will provide suggestions for 'best practice' handling of gender security issues. This will improve the way organisations engage with women as security actors, leading to improved security outcomes. There is potential for global impact as Bosnia and Western Balkans region is often viewed as a testing ground for international intervention, with lessons learned there being drawn on to direct policymaking and programming in other post-conflict countries (e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan).
2. Domestic security institutions (e.g. Ministries of Defence and Security, Gender Equality Agencies)
Domestic institutions in BiH are working to increase the participation of women in security interventions and integrate gender equality into security policies and practices. Many have initiated projects to empower women and build local capacities and expertise. The study will help domestic institutions map, monitor and evaluate gender security initiatives by providing a robust toolset to: identify and assess the gender security concerns and needs of conflict-affected groups; detect and respond to gaps in existing security provision; and develop best practices for achieving gender security. This will enable positive security to be achieved for both women and men in (post-)conflict areas.
3. International and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) dealing with gender, peace and security issues
Beneficiaries include NGOs who: a) undertake research on gender, peace and security issues (e.g. International Alert, SEESAC, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces); b) provide support to survivors of war-related and gender-based violence (e.g. Medica Mondiale); and c) advocate on behalf of war affected women (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Track Impunity Always)
By informing and influencing policymakers and practitioners working across these three groups of institutions, the research will impact upon: a) the formulation of effective policies in the area of 'gender security', and enhancement of existing policies to improve their effectiveness; b) conversion of evidence based policy into practice; and c) transformation of organisational structures, culture and practices.
4. Research Participants
Participants themselves are also likely beneficiaries. A final report of research findings will be disseminated to policymakers, practitioners and researchers in Bosnia and the UK. An accessible summary of key findings will also be prepared for research participants and non-academic users. The dissemination of project results to participants is potentially a source of empowerment, enabling participants to compare and contrast their experiences and concerns with others across the country. Non-academic outputs will be agreed upon via dialogue with participants and are likely to include book and/or website featuring individual stories of WAFFs.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Maria O'Reilly (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Campbell K
(2019)
Understanding Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and the 'Everyday' Experience of Conflict Through Witness Testimonies
in Cooperation and Conflict
McLeod L
(2019)
Critical peace and conflict studies: feminist interventions
in Peacebuilding
O'Reilly M
(2019)
Handbook on Intervention and Statebuilding
| Description | This research has offered at least five key contributions to Peace & Conflict Studies, in conceptual, methodological and empirical domains. First, the research has advanced an innovative conceptual framework for understanding "gendered agency" in situations of war and peace. This draws on relational understandings of autonomy within feminist moral philosophy, and incorporates a feminist poststructuralist framework, to understand how gendered agency emerges, is enabled and/or constrained in relation to war and peacebuilding interventions. In contrast to essentialist portrayals of women as passive victims of war or heroic peacebuilders, women are conceptualised as gendered agents who deploy different modes and degrees of agency depending on the circumstances. Second, the research has provided new empirical insights into the gendered logic and impact of the war and of post-conflict peace and security interventions. In contrast to dominant stereotypes of women as passive and peace-loving, the research has highlighted the gendered modes of agency women demonstrate in war and peace, by actively participating in fighting forces, and has documented their diverse roles and motivations for enlisting in armed groups. This is the first systematic study of women's participation in all three of the main armed forces which fought the 1992-95 war in BiH. In contrast to dominant depictions of the BiH conflict, the research demonstrated that war-fighting was not an exclusively male endeavour. The study used extensive original fieldwork to document the mobilisation of women into armed groups, the combat and support functions they performed, the positive and negative impacts of women's war participation, and post-war experiences of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR). Third, the research has provided new empirical insights into the gendered logic and impact of the war and of international peace and security interventions. This research highlights the failures of internationally supported DDR programmes to respond adequately to the gendered impact of conflict on female and male beneficiaries. Early DDR programmes implemented to assist demobilised soldiers were "gender-blind" in their design, implementation and evaluation, with no attempt to discern and address the gender-specific interests and needs of female and male military personnel. Later DDR schemes directed increased attention to the needs of female beneficiaries. However, by constructing female beneficiaries in protectionist terms as a specifically "vulnerable" group in need of assistance, and by emphasising their roles as mothers and housewives, they may (unintentionally) reinforce gender stereotypes of women as lacking in agency and/or reinforce traditional gendered divisions of labour that subordinate women. This connects to the fourth key finding, that gender security has largely failed to be achieved in BiH, a key site of international peace and security intervention. Fifth, the research has developed and deployed a robust methodology and methods for mapping and analysing 'gender security' in contexts of international intervention. Key "gender security" policies and activities of international, regional and state institutions working in BiH were mapped via a desk-based literature review, and via semi-structured interviews with fifteen key informants working in international and domestic institutions in the areas of defence, security and gender equality. Semi-structured interviews explored key DDR policies and programmes implemented in Bosnia since the end of the war. They were also used to gain an insight into the (potential) connections between DDR and wider goals of gender justice and equality, by exploring the extent to which policymakers and practitioners addressed the interests and needs of female (ex-)combatants and women associated with fighting forces (WAFFs). Official discourses on "gender security" were identified and critiqued through feminist discourse analysis of key policies, reports, statements and personal interviews on "gender security". Finally, narrative interviews were conducted with over sixty female (ex-)combatants and WAFFs from all three of the main armed forces (ARBiH, HVO, and VRS) that fought the 1992-95 conflict in Bosnia. These interviews explored: women's wartime roles in the armed forces (both combat and support); their diverse motivations for enlisting; the long-term impact of their war participation (positive and negative); and post-war experiences of demobilisation and reintegration. |
| Exploitation Route | It is expected that the key findings of this project will benefit the following institutions and groups: 1) International and regional organisations working in Bosnia (such as UN agencies, NATO, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe). These organisations have committed themselves to advancing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 including through policies and programmes in security and justice sectors. 2) BiH's state-level Ministry of Defence and the Gender Equality Agency, who are working a) to increase the participation of women in defence and security institutions and b) to integrate gender equality into defence and security policies and practices. 3) International and local NGOs working on gender, peacebuilding and security issues are also likely to benefit from this research, since it highlights gaps in gender security provision, which many of these organisations are looking to address through their work. 4) Veterans' groups and organisations who are active in and affected by a) campaigns to improve the distribution of socio-economic support to demobilised soldiers, and b) remembrance and commemoration processes in BiH. 5) Elected representatives and political parties who are responsible for policy-making and impacting public discourse about addressing legacies of conflict. 6) Media organisations including print, digital, and visual media sources at local, national and regional level. 7) Professionals involved in remembrance and commemoration activities from cultural sector including curators of museums, galleries and public spaces; artists; literary writers, etc. 8) Broader civil society and individuals affected by legacies of conflict in BiH. 9) Research participants are also key beneficiaries. The dissemination of my findings to participants is potentially a source of empowerment, enabling participants to compare and contrast their experiences and concerns with others across Bosnia. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Security and Diplomacy |
| Description | The project has worked with female war veterans and peacebuilding practitioners in Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve future Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes. DDR programmes seek to secure durable peace in countries transitioning from violent conflict. However, women are often excluded from or marginalised by DDR programmes that neglect their interests, rights and needs. Despite the increased focus on the needs of female beneficiaries that has evolved over the past 10 years, women in DDR programmes tend to be perceived as a vulnerable group in need of assistance rather than being viewed as active participants in conflict and peacebuilding. For almost two decades, the role of women associated with fighting forces has been overlooked by existing accounts of the Bosnian conflict and ensuing peacebuilding efforts. To redress this imbalance, Dr Maria O'Reilly from Leeds Beckett University conducted interviews with over 60 women associated with wartime fighting forces, providing a new historical record that can be used to inform present-day peacebuilding initiatives. O'Reilly's fieldwork found that, in contrast to dominant stereotypes of women as passive and peace-loving, many women actively participated in the fighting forces and shed light on their diverse roles and motivations for enlisting in the armed groups. The women interviewed reported increased understanding and knowledge of female contributions to the fighting forces, and many also acknowledged the significance of their experiences which had previously been forgotten or neglected by standard accounts of the conflict. As one reflected, "only now do I realise how brave we women fighters were during the previous war and how much motivation and strength we had" (anonymous participant). To ensure that the findings could also be of use to international and local NGOs working in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the involvement of practitioners, activists and peacebuilding organisations was built in to the project design. Practitioners were involved and consulted throughout the project with regular reviews of progress and findings ensuring that the recommendations for improving future DDR initiatives reflect the needs of entire communities, challenging the gender bias that can characterise DDR programmes. The project has also garnered interest from other international organisations, including OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) who invited O'Reilly to speak to policymakers, academics and international donors at a workshop on Gender and Extremism. The project's unique insight into the women's motivations for enlisting in armed groups during the Bosnian conflict highlights the continued relevance of this research to present-day discussions of extremism. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Citation in report prepared for the UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID) |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in systematic reviews |
| Impact | O'Reilly's (2016) research on gender justice and the Women's Court for the former Yugoslavia was included as key expert analysis in a report produced for UK Department of International Development (DfID) "Gender and Conflict in the Western Balkans". DfID's report stated that O'Reilly's (2016) work provides "important evidence" of the need to tackle gender inequality in the Western Balkans. DfID's report in turn informed the decision by UN Country Teams in BiH, Montenegro and Serbia to identify gender equality as a key objective in a recent project to foster dialogue and social cohesion in the region (Dialogue for the Future). O'Reilly's (2016) research on the marginalisation of women from peacebuilding interventions thereby informed the UN's decision to target women as key stakeholders in the Dialogue for the Future project. Due to this decision, in 2019 fifty women across the Western Balkans directly benefitted from the UN project through skills training in social cohesion and several women's organisations received funding for cross-border dialogue activities. |
| URL | https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b9bb0bced915d6f1c574968/K4D_HDR_Gender_and_conflict_... |
| Description | Development of New Postgraduate Module on Gender and International Relations |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | https://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/internationalrelations_ma/ |
| Description | Education of Postgraduate students at Durham University, Goldsmiths University of London and Leeds Beckett University |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Written evidence submitted to UK International Development Committee |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| URL | https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/42841/pdf/ |
| Description | International Studies Association - Travel Bursary |
| Amount | $800 (USD) |
| Organisation | International Studies Association (ISA) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 04/2018 |
| End | 04/2018 |
| Description | AHRC Research Network |
| Organisation | Imperial War Museum |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Dr. Maria O'Reilly was invited to take part in the AHRC Research Network on United Nations Television in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (PI: Dr Catherine Baker and CO-I Suzanne Bardgett). A knowledge exchange workshop was held at the Imperial War Museum on 13 September 2019 - this workshop focused on United Nations Television and the Media in Former Yugoslavia: Lessons for Peacebuilders. Workshop guests included former UNTV filmmakers, journalists, museum curators, and peacebuilding researchers. At this workshop, Maria O'Reilly participated in a roundtable on 'Everyday encounters: language and gender', together with Dr Catherine Baker (University of Hull), Prof. Hilary Footitt (University of Reading) and Suzanne Bardgett (Imperial War Museum). In the roundtable, Dr. O'Reilly provided an analysis of the UNTV film 'Female Patrol', highlighting its significance in documenting the role and experience of a female peacekeeper who served in Bosnia & Herzegovina. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The AHRC network was established by Dr. Catherine Baker (PI, University of Hull) and Suzanne Bardgett (Co-I, Imperial War Museum). This network brings together historians, film scholars, museum professionals, migration researchers, peacebuilding experts, journalists, filmmakers, and survivors of displacement and genocide to re-examine the work of United Nations Television (UNTV) in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) during the Yugoslav Wars. Dr. Catherine Baker and Suzanne Bardgett co-organised the September 2019 workshop. IWM provided participants with access to UNTV films. |
| Impact | No outcomes yet. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | AHRC Research Network |
| Organisation | University of Hull |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Dr. Maria O'Reilly was invited to take part in the AHRC Research Network on United Nations Television in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (PI: Dr Catherine Baker and CO-I Suzanne Bardgett). A knowledge exchange workshop was held at the Imperial War Museum on 13 September 2019 - this workshop focused on United Nations Television and the Media in Former Yugoslavia: Lessons for Peacebuilders. Workshop guests included former UNTV filmmakers, journalists, museum curators, and peacebuilding researchers. At this workshop, Maria O'Reilly participated in a roundtable on 'Everyday encounters: language and gender', together with Dr Catherine Baker (University of Hull), Prof. Hilary Footitt (University of Reading) and Suzanne Bardgett (Imperial War Museum). In the roundtable, Dr. O'Reilly provided an analysis of the UNTV film 'Female Patrol', highlighting its significance in documenting the role and experience of a female peacekeeper who served in Bosnia & Herzegovina. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The AHRC network was established by Dr. Catherine Baker (PI, University of Hull) and Suzanne Bardgett (Co-I, Imperial War Museum). This network brings together historians, film scholars, museum professionals, migration researchers, peacebuilding experts, journalists, filmmakers, and survivors of displacement and genocide to re-examine the work of United Nations Television (UNTV) in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) during the Yugoslav Wars. Dr. Catherine Baker and Suzanne Bardgett co-organised the September 2019 workshop. IWM provided participants with access to UNTV films. |
| Impact | No outcomes yet. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Feminist Peace Research Network (FPRN) |
| Organisation | Lund University |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Feminist Peace Research Network (FPRN) is a networking project for feminist peace researchers and activists. The project is coordinated by Tampere Peace Research Institute Tapri at the University of Tampere (Finland), in collaboration with Lund University (Sweden), and University of Tromsø (Norway). It is funded by the Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NOS-HS). Three workshops were organized by the network in Tampere (June 2016), Lund (May 2017), and Tromsø (December 2017). I contributed my expertise in gender, conflict, and peacebuilding, by presenting a research paper at the Lund workshop. I also contributed to the further developmment of the network by securing (together with Dr. Laura McLeod, University of Manchester) a Special Issue with the journal Peacebuilding on the theme of "Critical Peace and Conflict Studies: Feminist Interventions". This Special Issue, which is scheduled for publication in 2019, features co-authored papers from a number of FPRN writing teams. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Three workshops were organized by Tampere Peace Research Institute Tapri at the University of Tampere (Finland), in collaboration with Lund University (Sweden), and University of Tromsø (Norway). These took place in 2016-2017 in Tampere, Lund, and Tromsø. The workshop series strengthened the links between feminist peace movements and researchers, by inviting both practitioners and activists to join an emerging global network of Feminist Peace Research. These events brought together feminist peace scholars, practitioners and activists from across the world, and from across a variety of scholarly disciplines. |
| Impact | Please see above - I have secured (together with Dr. Laura McLeod, University of Manchester) a Special Issue with the journal Peacebuilding on the theme of "Critical Peace and Conflict Studies: Feminist Interventions". This Special Issue, which is scheduled for publication in 2019, features co-authored papers from a number of FPRN writing teams. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Feminist Peace Research Network (FPRN) |
| Organisation | University of Tampere |
| Country | Finland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Feminist Peace Research Network (FPRN) is a networking project for feminist peace researchers and activists. The project is coordinated by Tampere Peace Research Institute Tapri at the University of Tampere (Finland), in collaboration with Lund University (Sweden), and University of Tromsø (Norway). It is funded by the Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NOS-HS). Three workshops were organized by the network in Tampere (June 2016), Lund (May 2017), and Tromsø (December 2017). I contributed my expertise in gender, conflict, and peacebuilding, by presenting a research paper at the Lund workshop. I also contributed to the further developmment of the network by securing (together with Dr. Laura McLeod, University of Manchester) a Special Issue with the journal Peacebuilding on the theme of "Critical Peace and Conflict Studies: Feminist Interventions". This Special Issue, which is scheduled for publication in 2019, features co-authored papers from a number of FPRN writing teams. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Three workshops were organized by Tampere Peace Research Institute Tapri at the University of Tampere (Finland), in collaboration with Lund University (Sweden), and University of Tromsø (Norway). These took place in 2016-2017 in Tampere, Lund, and Tromsø. The workshop series strengthened the links between feminist peace movements and researchers, by inviting both practitioners and activists to join an emerging global network of Feminist Peace Research. These events brought together feminist peace scholars, practitioners and activists from across the world, and from across a variety of scholarly disciplines. |
| Impact | Please see above - I have secured (together with Dr. Laura McLeod, University of Manchester) a Special Issue with the journal Peacebuilding on the theme of "Critical Peace and Conflict Studies: Feminist Interventions". This Special Issue, which is scheduled for publication in 2019, features co-authored papers from a number of FPRN writing teams. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Feminist Peace Research Network (FPRN) |
| Organisation | University of Tromso |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Feminist Peace Research Network (FPRN) is a networking project for feminist peace researchers and activists. The project is coordinated by Tampere Peace Research Institute Tapri at the University of Tampere (Finland), in collaboration with Lund University (Sweden), and University of Tromsø (Norway). It is funded by the Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NOS-HS). Three workshops were organized by the network in Tampere (June 2016), Lund (May 2017), and Tromsø (December 2017). I contributed my expertise in gender, conflict, and peacebuilding, by presenting a research paper at the Lund workshop. I also contributed to the further developmment of the network by securing (together with Dr. Laura McLeod, University of Manchester) a Special Issue with the journal Peacebuilding on the theme of "Critical Peace and Conflict Studies: Feminist Interventions". This Special Issue, which is scheduled for publication in 2019, features co-authored papers from a number of FPRN writing teams. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Three workshops were organized by Tampere Peace Research Institute Tapri at the University of Tampere (Finland), in collaboration with Lund University (Sweden), and University of Tromsø (Norway). These took place in 2016-2017 in Tampere, Lund, and Tromsø. The workshop series strengthened the links between feminist peace movements and researchers, by inviting both practitioners and activists to join an emerging global network of Feminist Peace Research. These events brought together feminist peace scholars, practitioners and activists from across the world, and from across a variety of scholarly disciplines. |
| Impact | Please see above - I have secured (together with Dr. Laura McLeod, University of Manchester) a Special Issue with the journal Peacebuilding on the theme of "Critical Peace and Conflict Studies: Feminist Interventions". This Special Issue, which is scheduled for publication in 2019, features co-authored papers from a number of FPRN writing teams. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Book Launch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | An audience of 40 undergraduate and postgraduate students and members of the public attended my talk in November 2017 at Leeds Beckett university, launching my monograph "Gendered Agency in War and Peace". The event sparked questions and discussions afterwards, regarding the gendered nature and impact of the conflict in Bosnia, and the potential uses of information technology to respond to the gendered legacies of the war. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/events/submitted-events/annual-festival-of-politics-and-international-... |
| Description | Commentary on WILPF website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | In February 2022 I was invited to provide a commentary on the following essay: Gorana Mlinarevic and Nela Porobic, 2021. "The Peace that is not: 25 Years of Experimenting With Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Feminist Critique of Neoliberal Approaches to Peacebuilding". Geneva: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) The commentary will shortly be published on WILPF's website (https://www.wilpf.org/). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.wilpf.org |
| Description | Interview for Newsweek, weekly magazine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was interviewed by journalist Cassandra Vinograd for her article "Why Women Fight to Kill in the World's Most Forgotten Crisis". I provided insights into women's diverse roles and motivations for joining fighting forces in contemporary conflicts, and the gender impact of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programmes. The article was published in the magazine Newsweek in December 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.newsweek.com/2017/12/22/women-fight-kill-world-forgotten-crisis-746178.html |
| Description | Knowledge Exchange Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dr. Maria O'Reilly was invited to take part in the AHRC Research Network on United Nations Television in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (PI: Dr Catherine Baker and Co-I Suzanne Bardgett). A knowledge exchange workshop was held at the Imperial War Museum on 13 September 2019 - this workshop focused on United Nations Television and the Media in Former Yugoslavia: Lessons for Peacebuilders. Workshop guests included six practitioners (namely former UNTV filmmakers, journalists, museum curators), and six peacebuilding researchers. At this workshop, Maria O'Reilly participated in a roundtable on 'Everyday encounters: language and gender', together with Dr Catherine Baker (University of Hull), Prof. Hilary Footitt (University of Reading) and Suzanne Bardgett (Imperial War Museum). In the roundtable, Dr. O'Reilly provided an analysis of the UNTV film 'Female Patrol', highlighting its significance in documenting the role and experience of a female peacekeeper who served in Bosnia & Herzegovina |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FT000406%2F1 |
| Description | Outreach & Widening Participation Activity - Politics & International Relations Summer School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The Politics & International Relations Group at Leeds Beckett University ran a summer school in July 2018. This was a free two-day event for high school students who are interested in politics and international relations and considering studying these and related subjects at university. The aims of the event were: - to examine a range of contemporary issues and debates, and introduce high school students to a variety of approaches to the study of politics, international relations and related subjects - to give high school students an insight into what it's like to study these subjects at university - to boost students' knowledge, understanding and critical thinking for A level, including Government and Politics, History and Sociology - enable students to enhance your UCAS personal statement - provide two days of stimulating discussion and debate concerning issues that matter As part of this event, I delivered a workshop on "Experiencing War". The session focused on questions of how do we understand war? Whose lives and stories should we focus on, to help us comprehend the nature and meaning of armed conflict? Conventional histories of war often provide 'top-down' analyses, which concentrate on the decisions made by political leaders, or focus on the strategies and tactics used by military officials. Examining the behaviour of these elite individuals and groups, we are told, is essential for understanding the causes and consequences of armed conflict. The session challenged traditional studies of war - by beginning not with states, militaries, their battle plans or weaponry, but instead exploring war from the 'bottom-up'. It highlighted personal experiences of children who have lived through war, and examined how these insights can help us to better understand the everyday realities of armed conflict. The session explored the impact of war on young people, and also examined the creative ways that young people often respond to cope with and confront the challenging circumstances of everyday life in conflict settings. Approximately 40 high school students attended the session, which prompted many questions and discussion afterwards of how war is experienced by ordinary people, particularly children and other actors who are often left out of official histories of conflict. This session (and other sessions in the summer school) boosted interest in politics, international relations, and peace & conflict studies, with several students inquiring about taking up these subjects at university. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://leedspage.wordpress.com/2018/07/06/1780/ |
| Description | Presentation at Gender and New Wars Workshop, held at the Centre for Women, Peace and Security, London School of Economics, 9-10 March 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 40 participants (from higher education institutions and practitioners working on gender, war and peace issues) attended a workshop organised by the Centre for Women, Peace and Security, on the topic Gender and New Wars, held at London School of Economics in March 2017. My research presentation highlighted women's motivations for joining fighting forces during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, the roles taken up by female combatants, and their wartime experiences within the ranks. I received positive feedback following the presentation, and was invited to submit an abstract to the organisers for a journal Special Issue on Gender and New Wars. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.lse.ac.uk/women-peace-security |
| Description | Radio Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In February 2019, I was interviewed for a national radio station on the topic of whether EU nationals who fought with Islamic State should be allowed to return |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Workshop Participation(Belgrade, Serbia) - Gender and Extremism in the Western Balkans - organised by Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Preventing and countering violent extremism is increasingly prioritised by policymakers and international donors across the globe and in the Western Balkans region. Yet, there is a need for better research and analysis, particularly on the gendered nature and impact of violent extremism, and of prevention activities. In response, the OSCE Mission to Serbia, together with local partners, held a workshop on 7 and 8 March 2019 to discuss the issues of extremism and gender through a broad and interdisciplinary lens. I contributed to the discussion by presenting research on women's roles in the 1992-95 war in Bosnia & Herzegovina, and their potential to contribute to peacebuilding initiatives |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |