Peer Reviewed Publications
2022. "Blue First and Foremost: The Limited Impact of Female Descriptive Representation on Sex Crimes Arrests" with Anna Gunderson. Perspectives on Politics. 2022. Access it here
The degree to which female political actors influence policy is hotly debated in political science. However, relatively little research considers how women's representation in the police influences policing outcomes. We argue that increasing women's representation should be associated with increases in rape report rates but should not be associated with changes in rape arrest rates. We expect public perceptions of female police to affect victims' willingness to report and cooperate with the police, but the masculine, hierarchical, and complex nature of police investigations of rape will make it difficult for those report increases to translate into increases in arrests for those crimes. We leverage unique police administrative data from 1987 to 2016 and find that while women's representation is associated with increased rape report rates, there is no relationship with rape arrest rates, highlighting an important justice gap. Our paper has implications not only for the study of female representation and representative bureaucracy, but also provides insights into how descriptive representation may be limited by institutional culture, norms, practices, and procedures.
2021. "Women and Peacemaking/Peacekeeping" with Sabrina Karim, Kyle Beardsley, Tessa Devereaux Evans, and Angie Torres-Beltran. In Oxford Bibliographies in International Relations. Ed. Patrick James. New York: Oxford University Press. Access it here.
Peacemaking and peacekeeping are most often used in the context of a negative definition of peace—the absence of or relative reduction of violent conflict. Studies of peacemaking thus typically describe and analyze the means by which periods of armed conflict move toward periods with less armed conflict, such as through negotiation, mediation, bargaining, confidence building, disengagement, etc. Studies of peacekeeping similarly describe and analyze the means by which relatively low levels of armed conflict can be maintained and relapses of violent episodes can be prevented. In addition, peacekeeping typically refers specifically to the use of third-party enforcement as a means to stabilize tenuous but relatively peaceful security environments. Peacekeeping in this context involves the deployment of third-party military personnel. “Multidimensional peacekeeping” missions also include military, police, and civilian “peacebuilding” elements that focus on cultivating the development of political and economic institutions and advising transitional justice processes, as well as disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration activities. The study of gender and the study of armed conflict (and the resolution thereof) intersect on a number of dimensions. Gender perspectives have been used to advance our understanding of the occurrence of war, patterns of violence, the efficacy of peace processes, and the legacies of violence in post-conflict periods. We not only cover works directly related to women and peacemaking and peacekeeping but we also contextualize this literature within the broader literature on gender and war, sexual violence in conflict, women and peacemaking, women and peace building, masculinities in peacekeeping operations, the inclusion of women in national-security sectors, sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping operations, and gender mainstreaming. In doing so, we provide a more thorough understanding of the role women play in post-conflict settings. Moreover, by considering the role gender plays in peacemaking and peacebuilding, the literature is better able to speak beyond a negative definition of peace and to incorporate more-positive conceptions of peace that prioritize gender equality, consideration of the victims of violence, social justice, and other issues fundamental to a high quality of peace.
2019. "When Civilians are Attacked: State Gender Equality and Terrorist Targeting." Journal of Conflict Resolution
Replication material can be found here. Access article here
While scholars consistently demonstrate a strong negative relationship between gender equality and violence, the effect of women's rights on the quality of terrorism and the type of victims targeted remains unexplored.This paper examines how gender equality influences the strategic targeting decisions of terrorist groups. As gender equality increases, the costs to terrorists of attacking civilians increases relatively more than attacks against government-oriented targets, which deters terrorists from selecting targets with high civilian casualties. Using data on domestic terrorism between 1970 and 2007 from the Global Terrorism Database and a sub-national examination of the effects of a randomly implemented political gender quota in India on local terrorism, this study demonstrates that as gender equality increases, the ratio of civilian-oriented to government-oriented attacks decreases. Overall, this study refines our understanding of terrorists' strategic targeting and identifies heterogeneity in the Women, Peace, and Security theory based on target type.
2019. ""Deepening the Conversation: Feminism, International Policing, and the WPS Agenda." International Peacekeeping. With Natalie Florea Hudson. Access article here
Scholarship on international police reform and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) has flourished in the last decade and the potential for engagement across these two bodies of literature is promising. Given the increased use of police personnel in international peace missions and emphasis on gender mainstreaming policies, the need for assessing the impact of these two trends has never been greater. Thus, this paper seeks to bridge gaps between the mainstream policing scholarship and feminist scholars focused on post-conflict peacebuilding police reforms. We explore how feminist scholars can engage with policing literature’s technocratic language and `in the field’ experience as well as how policing scholars can interact with feminist scholars to transform traditional approaches to security in the context of the WPS Agenda. We demonstrate the benefits of increased dialogue and interaction by highlighting the common and diverging challenges in both fields in three areas: the design, implementation, and evaluation. Finally, to illustrate the dynamic intersection of these areas of study and practice, we examine the transnational policing efforts to gender mainstream the Liberian National Police (LNP) in the context of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
2018. "The Internationalization of Security Sector Gender Reform in Conflict and Post-Conflict Countries." Conflict Management and Peace Science. With Sabrina Karim. Replication material and article can be found here
With the passing of several UN Security Council Resolutions related to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS), gender balancing security sector reforms (SSR)---or policies that ensure the equal participation of women in the security sector---have received increased global attention over the past two decades. However, to date, there is no explanation for variation in their adoption. This paper examines the internationalization of SSR gender reform, arguing that the presence of a peacekeeping mission within a conflict or post-conflict country affects the state's resources and political will to adopt gender balancing reforms. We explore the effect of multidimensional peacekeeping using an original database on SSR in conflict and post-conflict countries, the Security Sector Reform Dataset (SSRD), from 1989 to 2012. We find that peacekeeping missions increase the probability that a state adopts gender balancing reforms in SSR. As the first cross-national quantitative examination of gender balancing reforms, these findings also shed light on the conditions under which states adopt security sector reforms more generally. A draft of the working-paper version can be found here.
The degree to which female political actors influence policy is hotly debated in political science. However, relatively little research considers how women's representation in the police influences policing outcomes. We argue that increasing women's representation should be associated with increases in rape report rates but should not be associated with changes in rape arrest rates. We expect public perceptions of female police to affect victims' willingness to report and cooperate with the police, but the masculine, hierarchical, and complex nature of police investigations of rape will make it difficult for those report increases to translate into increases in arrests for those crimes. We leverage unique police administrative data from 1987 to 2016 and find that while women's representation is associated with increased rape report rates, there is no relationship with rape arrest rates, highlighting an important justice gap. Our paper has implications not only for the study of female representation and representative bureaucracy, but also provides insights into how descriptive representation may be limited by institutional culture, norms, practices, and procedures.
2021. "Women and Peacemaking/Peacekeeping" with Sabrina Karim, Kyle Beardsley, Tessa Devereaux Evans, and Angie Torres-Beltran. In Oxford Bibliographies in International Relations. Ed. Patrick James. New York: Oxford University Press. Access it here.
Peacemaking and peacekeeping are most often used in the context of a negative definition of peace—the absence of or relative reduction of violent conflict. Studies of peacemaking thus typically describe and analyze the means by which periods of armed conflict move toward periods with less armed conflict, such as through negotiation, mediation, bargaining, confidence building, disengagement, etc. Studies of peacekeeping similarly describe and analyze the means by which relatively low levels of armed conflict can be maintained and relapses of violent episodes can be prevented. In addition, peacekeeping typically refers specifically to the use of third-party enforcement as a means to stabilize tenuous but relatively peaceful security environments. Peacekeeping in this context involves the deployment of third-party military personnel. “Multidimensional peacekeeping” missions also include military, police, and civilian “peacebuilding” elements that focus on cultivating the development of political and economic institutions and advising transitional justice processes, as well as disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration activities. The study of gender and the study of armed conflict (and the resolution thereof) intersect on a number of dimensions. Gender perspectives have been used to advance our understanding of the occurrence of war, patterns of violence, the efficacy of peace processes, and the legacies of violence in post-conflict periods. We not only cover works directly related to women and peacemaking and peacekeeping but we also contextualize this literature within the broader literature on gender and war, sexual violence in conflict, women and peacemaking, women and peace building, masculinities in peacekeeping operations, the inclusion of women in national-security sectors, sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping operations, and gender mainstreaming. In doing so, we provide a more thorough understanding of the role women play in post-conflict settings. Moreover, by considering the role gender plays in peacemaking and peacebuilding, the literature is better able to speak beyond a negative definition of peace and to incorporate more-positive conceptions of peace that prioritize gender equality, consideration of the victims of violence, social justice, and other issues fundamental to a high quality of peace.
2019. "When Civilians are Attacked: State Gender Equality and Terrorist Targeting." Journal of Conflict Resolution
Replication material can be found here. Access article here
While scholars consistently demonstrate a strong negative relationship between gender equality and violence, the effect of women's rights on the quality of terrorism and the type of victims targeted remains unexplored.This paper examines how gender equality influences the strategic targeting decisions of terrorist groups. As gender equality increases, the costs to terrorists of attacking civilians increases relatively more than attacks against government-oriented targets, which deters terrorists from selecting targets with high civilian casualties. Using data on domestic terrorism between 1970 and 2007 from the Global Terrorism Database and a sub-national examination of the effects of a randomly implemented political gender quota in India on local terrorism, this study demonstrates that as gender equality increases, the ratio of civilian-oriented to government-oriented attacks decreases. Overall, this study refines our understanding of terrorists' strategic targeting and identifies heterogeneity in the Women, Peace, and Security theory based on target type.
2019. ""Deepening the Conversation: Feminism, International Policing, and the WPS Agenda." International Peacekeeping. With Natalie Florea Hudson. Access article here
Scholarship on international police reform and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) has flourished in the last decade and the potential for engagement across these two bodies of literature is promising. Given the increased use of police personnel in international peace missions and emphasis on gender mainstreaming policies, the need for assessing the impact of these two trends has never been greater. Thus, this paper seeks to bridge gaps between the mainstream policing scholarship and feminist scholars focused on post-conflict peacebuilding police reforms. We explore how feminist scholars can engage with policing literature’s technocratic language and `in the field’ experience as well as how policing scholars can interact with feminist scholars to transform traditional approaches to security in the context of the WPS Agenda. We demonstrate the benefits of increased dialogue and interaction by highlighting the common and diverging challenges in both fields in three areas: the design, implementation, and evaluation. Finally, to illustrate the dynamic intersection of these areas of study and practice, we examine the transnational policing efforts to gender mainstream the Liberian National Police (LNP) in the context of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
2018. "The Internationalization of Security Sector Gender Reform in Conflict and Post-Conflict Countries." Conflict Management and Peace Science. With Sabrina Karim. Replication material and article can be found here
With the passing of several UN Security Council Resolutions related to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS), gender balancing security sector reforms (SSR)---or policies that ensure the equal participation of women in the security sector---have received increased global attention over the past two decades. However, to date, there is no explanation for variation in their adoption. This paper examines the internationalization of SSR gender reform, arguing that the presence of a peacekeeping mission within a conflict or post-conflict country affects the state's resources and political will to adopt gender balancing reforms. We explore the effect of multidimensional peacekeeping using an original database on SSR in conflict and post-conflict countries, the Security Sector Reform Dataset (SSRD), from 1989 to 2012. We find that peacekeeping missions increase the probability that a state adopts gender balancing reforms in SSR. As the first cross-national quantitative examination of gender balancing reforms, these findings also shed light on the conditions under which states adopt security sector reforms more generally. A draft of the working-paper version can be found here.
Working Papers
"One Step Forward, One Step Back: The Micro-level Impacts of Conflict on Women's Security" Conditionally Accepted
"Putting A Fresh Face Forward: Does the Gender of a Police Chief Affect Public Perceptions?'' (with Anna Gunderson) Revised and Resubmitted
"Banning Sex: Who pays the Price? The Effects of Zero-Tolerance Policies on Female Peacekeepers'' (with Radwa Saad and Sabrina Karim) Under Review
"Beyond Bullets: Civilian Peacekeepers and Peacekeeping Effectiveness'' (with Dani Villa)
"Beyond the Boy's Club: Women's Leadership and Police Behavior" (With Anna Gunderson)
"The Commando Effect: The Impact of Gender on Misconduct among Security Force Personnel using Experimental Survey Evidence from Four Countries" (with Sabrina Karim and Lindsey Pruett)
"Protectors or Perpetrators: Gendered Security Sector Reform and the Prevention of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence."
"Biasing Peace: Is there Discrimination in Preferences for Peacekeeping Deployment Selection?'' (with Sabrina Karim, Priscilla Torres, and Sara Fox)
Bringing Peace Home: Peace Operations as a Socializing Factor for Restraint'' (with Roya Izadi, Cameron Mailhot, Lindsey Pruett, Mike Kriner, and Sabrina Karim)
"The Legacy of Female Combatants: Exposure of Female Combatants and Women's Electoral Success in Uganda'' (with Elizabeth Brannon)
"Man (and Woman) of War? The Gendered Dimensions of Civilian Targeting and Support for Counterterrorism"
Works in Progress
"Institutional Changes to the Security Sector Dataset'' (with Sabrina Karim, Roya Izadi, and Ruby French)
"Beyond Add Women and Stir: Gendered Dynamics of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Peacekeeping" (with Angie Torres-Beltran)
"Reinforcing the State to Build Peace: The Local Statebuilding Effect of UN Peace Operations'' (with Caroline Brandt and Susanna Campbell)
"Public Perceptions of Female Peacekeepers: Experimental Evidence from South Africa and India''
"One Step Forward, One Step Back: The Micro-level Impacts of Conflict on Women's Security" Conditionally Accepted
"Putting A Fresh Face Forward: Does the Gender of a Police Chief Affect Public Perceptions?'' (with Anna Gunderson) Revised and Resubmitted
"Banning Sex: Who pays the Price? The Effects of Zero-Tolerance Policies on Female Peacekeepers'' (with Radwa Saad and Sabrina Karim) Under Review
"Beyond Bullets: Civilian Peacekeepers and Peacekeeping Effectiveness'' (with Dani Villa)
"Beyond the Boy's Club: Women's Leadership and Police Behavior" (With Anna Gunderson)
"The Commando Effect: The Impact of Gender on Misconduct among Security Force Personnel using Experimental Survey Evidence from Four Countries" (with Sabrina Karim and Lindsey Pruett)
"Protectors or Perpetrators: Gendered Security Sector Reform and the Prevention of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence."
"Biasing Peace: Is there Discrimination in Preferences for Peacekeeping Deployment Selection?'' (with Sabrina Karim, Priscilla Torres, and Sara Fox)
Bringing Peace Home: Peace Operations as a Socializing Factor for Restraint'' (with Roya Izadi, Cameron Mailhot, Lindsey Pruett, Mike Kriner, and Sabrina Karim)
"The Legacy of Female Combatants: Exposure of Female Combatants and Women's Electoral Success in Uganda'' (with Elizabeth Brannon)
"Man (and Woman) of War? The Gendered Dimensions of Civilian Targeting and Support for Counterterrorism"
Works in Progress
"Institutional Changes to the Security Sector Dataset'' (with Sabrina Karim, Roya Izadi, and Ruby French)
"Beyond Add Women and Stir: Gendered Dynamics of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Peacekeeping" (with Angie Torres-Beltran)
"Reinforcing the State to Build Peace: The Local Statebuilding Effect of UN Peace Operations'' (with Caroline Brandt and Susanna Campbell)
"Public Perceptions of Female Peacekeepers: Experimental Evidence from South Africa and India''
Other Projects
"The Practices of Gender in International Security Organizations." With Natalie Florea Hudson. Book Chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Gender and Security.
"The Impact of Women Peacekeepers on Public Support for Peacekeeping in Troop-Contributing Countries.'' 2022. Issue Brief. International Peace Institute. Access it here.
"Zambia Police Report - MOWIP Report 2020'' (with Sabrina Karim, Solène Brabant, Ingrid Munch, Callum Watson, Boniface Cheembe) 2022. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here.
"National Police of Uruguay - MOWIP Report 2020-2021'' (with Sara Fox, Radwa Hesham Saad, Roya Izadidastgerdi, Sabrina Karim, Michael Kriner, Cameron Mailhot, Lindsey Pruett Priscilla Torres, Solène Brabant, Ingrid Munch, Kim Piaget, Camille Risler) 2022. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here.
"Uruguay Armed Forces Report 2020'' (with Sabrina Karim, with assistance from Solène Brabant, Ingrid Munch, Kim Piaget, Camille Risler, and Callum Watson) 2021. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here
"Ghana Armed Forces Report 2020'' (with Sabrina Karim, with assistance from Heather Huhtanen, Solène Brabant, Ingrid Munch, Callum Watson, Fiifi Edu-Afful, Adelaide Otoo, and Joana Osei-Tutu) 2021. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here
"Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) Methodology'' (with Sabrina Karim (lead author) Lèa Lehouck, Solène Brabant, Callum Watson, and Ingrid Munch) 2020. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here
"The Elusive Peace: Ending Sexual Violence during and after Conflict" With Pearl Atuhaire, Nicole Gerring, Mirgul Kuhns, and Grace Ndirangu,. United States Institute of Peace. Special Report. Access it here.
"The Impact of Women Peacekeepers on Public Support for Peacekeeping in Troop-Contributing Countries.'' 2022. Issue Brief. International Peace Institute. Access it here.
"Zambia Police Report - MOWIP Report 2020'' (with Sabrina Karim, Solène Brabant, Ingrid Munch, Callum Watson, Boniface Cheembe) 2022. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here.
"National Police of Uruguay - MOWIP Report 2020-2021'' (with Sara Fox, Radwa Hesham Saad, Roya Izadidastgerdi, Sabrina Karim, Michael Kriner, Cameron Mailhot, Lindsey Pruett Priscilla Torres, Solène Brabant, Ingrid Munch, Kim Piaget, Camille Risler) 2022. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here.
"Uruguay Armed Forces Report 2020'' (with Sabrina Karim, with assistance from Solène Brabant, Ingrid Munch, Kim Piaget, Camille Risler, and Callum Watson) 2021. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here
"Ghana Armed Forces Report 2020'' (with Sabrina Karim, with assistance from Heather Huhtanen, Solène Brabant, Ingrid Munch, Callum Watson, Fiifi Edu-Afful, Adelaide Otoo, and Joana Osei-Tutu) 2021. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here
"Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) Methodology'' (with Sabrina Karim (lead author) Lèa Lehouck, Solène Brabant, Callum Watson, and Ingrid Munch) 2020. Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Access it here
"The Elusive Peace: Ending Sexual Violence during and after Conflict" With Pearl Atuhaire, Nicole Gerring, Mirgul Kuhns, and Grace Ndirangu,. United States Institute of Peace. Special Report. Access it here.