Doctoral dissertation explores women’s roles in peacebuilding
Women play a crucial role in peacebuilding in conflict affected societies, particularly through grassroot and civil society movements such as mediation and activism. However, they are rarely included in official peace negotiation teams. Julia Vassileva, a doctoral candidate at the School of Governance, Law and Society at Tallinn University, studied why women are still underrepresented in peace processes.
Julia Vassileva explored the role of women in peace processes in the post-Soviet space. Drawing from her extensive fieldwork related to Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia, she examines the barriers women face to meaningfully participate in peace negotiations in these conflict-ridden regions. Her thesis aims to offer insights into the ongoing peace initiatives, the importance of women’s inclusion for more sustainable peace outcomes, and to provide a unique perspective on how conflict and negotiation dynamics shape the peacebuilding landscape. Vassileva’s research emphasizes the need for a shift in how peace processes are designed and highlights how the inclusion of women helps to achieve more balanced and long-lasting peace solutions.
This research is particularly relevant in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, where for example women have played a vital role in civil society movements, advocating for peace. Similarly, in Georgia, women have engaged in cross-border dialogue efforts, working to mediate conflicts in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In Armenia, women’s involvement has been crucial in addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with many female activists pushing for reconciliation and advocating for the inclusion of women's perspectives in formal peace talks.
Despite women leading many grassroots and civil society level initiatives, they remain underrepresented in official negotiations. Vassileva’s study findings emphasize the need for continued efforts to understand the reasons for the lack of inclusion in all stages of the peace process. In addition, her thesis opens up a discussion around women’s leadership and empowerment in conflict resolution globally. By addressing the barriers women face in peace negotiations, her work offers important insights for future peace processes, not only in the post-Soviet region but also in broader international contexts.
Julia Vassileva from the School of Governance, Law and Society defends the doctoral thesis "The Inclusion of Women in Peace Processes in the Post-Soviet Space: The Cases of Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia" on 16 May. Thesis supervisor is Tiina Pajuste, Professor at Tallinn University, opponents are Beth Fisher-Yoshida, Professor at Columbia University, and Richard Caplan, Professor at the University of Oxford.