Dr Sahla Aroussi

Profile

Responsibilities

• Deputy Director of the Leeds Social Sciences Institute

Research interests

As a feminist researcher, I am profoundly engaged in the study of gender, violence, and international security. My research encompasses a range of topics, such as violence against women including in armed conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, the UN framework on 'Women, Peace, and Security,' transitional justice, and women’s participation in peacemaking and peacebuilding. I place particular emphasis on the influence of gender norms and dynamics within these areas and processes. My work is characterised by its innovation and interdisciplinary approach, and driven by a steadfast commitment to achieving real-world impact. I am passionate about employing participatory methodologies in my research, including art-based methods, and I am enthusiastic about exploring and experimenting with novel methods and approaches.

I have conducted numerous studies on the implementation of the 'Women, Peace, and Security' agenda, with a particular focus on peace settlements in the African context. My monograph, entitled Women, Peace, and Security: Repositioning Gender in Peace Agreements (2015), evaluates how gender issues are negotiated and implemented in peace settlements globally. I am deeply committed to ending gender-based violence and achieving gender justice. Additionally, I have led several studies on transitional justice and violence against women, including research with survivors of wartime rape in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. This research primarily addresses the question of how justice can be realized for survivors of sexual violence in the context of violent conflict. In recent years, I have also been conducting research on gender and violent extremism, critically engaging with this concept from a feminist perspective.

Beyond academic studies, I have also undertaken research for UN bodies and international organizations. In 2021, I conducted a consultancy for UN Women on Women, Peace and Security and Transitional Justice in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2019-2020, I served as the Lead Consultant on a UN ESCWA project titled Women in the Judiciary of Arab States: Removing Barriers, Increasing Numbers. This report provides a regional overview of women's presence in the judiciary within Arab states, identifies barriers to their inclusion, and offers evidence-based policy recommendations to enhance women's representation in the judiciary, emphasizing the replication of successful practices from across the region.

I am enthusiastic about supervising PhD students whose research interests align with topics such as gender, violence, and security, with a particular focus on gender-based and sexual violence; gender issues and women's participation in conflicts and peace processes; transitional justice; and the UN framework on women, peace, and security. Additionally, I am keen to supervise projects that employ arts-based and co-creative methodologies, as well as decolonial approaches.

Current research:

Project title: INCLUDE – Innovative Co-Creation for GBV Research to Uplift Diverse Experiences

This project is funded by the AHRC programme on Developing Innovative Approaches to Gender-Based Violence. It explores violence against women with disabilities in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Utilizing co-creation and arts-based approaches such as body mapping, PhotoVoICE 2.0, Clay Embodiment, and Rivers of Life, the project aims to better understand and address the needs of women with disabilities who have experienced violence. The research is conducted in collaboration with the South African Medical Research Council and organizations for persons with disabilities in South Africa, ensuring that women with disabilities are at the heart of this study.

Other recent research projects:

• Gender and Resistance to Violent Extremism in Kenya (January 2019 - January 2021): Funded by a British Academy Tackling UK International Challenges Award, this research examined how men and women in Kenya resist violent extremism in their daily lives. The project employed gender and intersectionality lenses, as well as body mapping as a co-creative and arts-based method, to explore local community resistance to violent extremism.
• The Global Network on Gender and Responding to Violent Extremism (December 2019 - December 2021): Supported by a Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)/UKRI research award, this network united academics and practitioners worldwide to discuss, exchange knowledge and expertise, highlight best practices, and promote critical thinking on violent extremism from a gender perspective.

• Performing Violence, Engendering Change: Developing Arts-Based Approaches to Peacebuilding (June 2020 - April 2021): Led by Daniele Rugo of Brunel University in collaboration with Kirsten Ainley from the London School of Economics, this project connected artists and researchers from ODA recipient countries across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. It integrated three GCRF and British Academy-funded projects: the impact of the Lebanese civil war on infrastructure (Rugo), gender and resistance to violent extremism in Kenya (Aroussi), and the relationship between transitional justice and development in conflict-affected societies, including gender justice and insecurities (Ainley). The project examined the role and value of arts as a method of intervention in conflict and peacebuilding across contexts.

• INCLUDE – Innovative Co-Creation for GBV Research to Uplift Diverse Experiences

Qualifications

• PhD in Politics
• LLM
• MA
• Maîtrise

Professional memberships

• BISA
• ISA

Student education

I am currently supervising the following PhD students:

• Karini Saghdejian: War experiences of women in conflict zones: How Nagorno Karabakh women build resilience through everyday routine activities and cultural practices.
• Mohamed Abdi Mohamood: Hybrid Peace building in Somalia
• Patricia Tshomba: Exploring women’s agency and action in urban agriculture in the Democratic Republic of Congo.