Research Network on Women Peace and Security Supports Feminist Approaches to Peace and Security in a World in Crisis

Faculty of Social Sciences
School of International Development and Global Studies
Funding
Professors
Research
Military personnel in camouflage uniforms walk away, each carrying backpacks with Canadian flags attached.
Credits: Cplc Jennifer Kusche
Professor Rebecca Tiessen, a leading researcher at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Social Sciences and Director of the University of Ottawa Gender, Peace and Security Collaboratory (uOGPS), has been named co-director of the national Research Network on Women Peace and Security (RN-WPS). This network has recently secured $750,000 in funding over three years from the Department of National Defence (DND) through the Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) Program. This significant grant will support innovative research on feminist approaches to peace and security during a time of growing violence, conflicts and backlash around the world.

Rebecca Tiessen is a Full Professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her extensive background includes a previous position at the Royal Military College of Canada, where she held the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Global Studies. Professor Tiessen's research interests span a wide range of crucial topics, including feminist foreign policy, gender equality and development, human security, and the impact of Canadians working internationally. Her work has primarily focused on countries in sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrating a deep commitment to addressing global challenges.

The newly funded Research Network on Women Peace and Security (RN-WPS), co-directed by Professor Tiessen, aims to mobilize Canadian-based expertise on issues related to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. This bilingual research network will explore the intersections of militarism, (in)security, settler-colonialism, gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability. The network's core objectives include knowledge innovation on pressing global issues, fostering the next generation of feminist scholarship, and facilitating knowledge exchanges between academics, policymakers, civil society organizations, and community-based groups.

Learn more about it on Collabzium.