Doctoral candidates from all over the world attended PRIO's PhD-level course on Gender, Peace and Conflict. Photo: PRIO/ Vera Lind
Doctoral candidates from all over the world attended PRIO's PhD-level course on Gender, Peace and Conflict. Photo: PRIO/ Vera Lind

This course presented theories and approaches to the of study of the gendered dimensions of peace and conflict, with a particular focus on the gendered aspects of all the phases of conflict cycles (before, during, and after) – from conflict risk to conflict prevention and resolution. The course addressed thematic issues such as international normative frameworks on women, peace and security, sexual violence in armed conflict and children born of war, masculinities and participation in violence, conflict mediation and peace agreements, international peace operations and transitional justice. It offered participants the opportunity to engage in discussions with both scholars and Norwegian diplomats working directly with issues related to peace and conflict.

The course is organized on a semi-regular basis and is led by Deputy Director Torunn L. Tryggestad (PRIO), Research Director Louise Olsson (PRIO), and Research Professor Inger Skjelsbæk (PRIO). Course lecturers included Special Representative for Women, Peace, and Security Signe Gilen (Norwegian MFA), Doctoral Researcher Bintu Zahara Sakor (PRIO), Dr. Norman Mukasa (PRIO Global Fellow), Professor Ismene Gizelis (Department of Government, University of Essex), Senior Advisor Rita Sandberg (Section for Latin America and the Caribbean, Norwegian MFA), Hajer Sharief (Founder, Together We Build It, Libya) and professor Erik Melander (Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University.

This course co-funded by the Section for Peace and Reconciliation at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NORHED II project: Partnership for Peace: Better Higher Education for Resilient Societies, and the Research School on Peace and Conflict, for a global network on Peace and Conflict and Human Rights research. Course attendees included doctoral candidates from five of our partner universities: African School of Economics (Benin), Birzeit University (Palestine), Makerere University (Uganda), Mekelle University (Ethiopia) and Universidad de los Andes (Colombia).