Sabrina White

Profile

I am an ESRC-funded PhD student who is researching accountability to victims of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (SEA) perpetrated by United Nations Peacekeeping troops and related personnel. This research also involves a collaborative partnership with the United Nations Association UK (UNA-UK), more specifically on their Mission Justice campaign for peacekeeping abuses.

United Nations responses to these abuses have been extensively criticised for failing to prevent further cases, prosecute perpetrators, and account to victims. Legal prosecution is an important element of accounting to victims, but this PhD research is interested in other ways that the United Nations might account to victims, specifically through its remedial action strategy and its new victim-centred approach. Remedial action refers to a set of projects and activities which are intended to support victims, which include victim assistance and support mechanisms, projects funded through the Victims’ Trust Fund, paternity claims and community-based complaints networks.  This project is especially interested in the experiences and perspectives of different international, national and local organizations in delivering remedial action activities and the victim-centred approach over time. It seeks to understand the ideas underpinning its development, the changes in practices and the implications for justice for victims. It ultimately aims to make a contribution to policy work on SEA accountability.

Research interests

Peacekeeping, sexual and gender-based violence, gender justice, feminist theory

Qualifications

• MA Social Research, Interdisciplinary
• MA International Relations
• BM Music Performance