Abstract:

Peace agreements aim to end conflict and foster stability, yet over 40% fail within the first five years, revealing shortcomings in the liberal peacebuilding model. While some attribute these failures to state-building deficiencies, others critique the liberal peace paradigm itself. Recent discussions also highlight the rise of authoritarian powers that favor illiberal peace strategies. Most debates focus on global and national frameworks, neglecting the grassroots efforts of feminist peacebuilders who continue to advocate for peace despite broader failures. This presentation challenges conventional narratives by showcasing how women leverage their experiences and expertise to create inclusive, resilient, and demilitarized pathways to peace. It emphasizes the importance of listening to women, whose knowledge can enrich peace efforts and address power dynamics, exploring their responses to returning violence and repression post-agreement. This presentation challenges the liberal peace model and the concept of feminist peace, which, despite overlaps, offers distinct insights. Finally, it proposes avenues for future research on feminist peacebuilding in fragile contexts.

Speaker Bio:

Miriam Anderson is Associate Professor of Global Politics at Toronto Metropolitan University and Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Women, Peace and Security at the London School of Economics and Political Science (2022-2026). She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (Politics and International Studies) and both an MA (Political Science) and a BA (International Relations) from the University of British Columbia. Dr. Anderson researches non-state actors in international security, specializing in women’s participation in peace processes and in post-war politics. She has conducted fieldwork in Burundi, Kenya, Northern Ireland and Rwanda. Dr. Anderson is the author of Windows of Opportunity: How Women Seize Peace Negotiations (Oxford University Press, 2016) and co-editor of Transnational Actors in War and Peace: Militants, Activists, and Corporations in World Politics (Georgetown University Press, 2017). Her work has also been published in various edited volumes and journals, including International Studies Review, Global Studies Quarterly, Politics & Gender, and International Negotiation. She has held visiting scholar positions at the Centre for Women, Peace and Security (LSE); Institute for African Studies (Elliot School for International Affairs, George Washington University); Institute of Development Policy and Management, (University of Antwerp); and at the School of International and Public Affairs (Columbia University).

Zoom Information:

Webinar Link
ID:  696 2129 2935
Passcode:  608003