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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 aimed 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.
This article was originally published on the EurekAlert webpage, sent to us by Tallinn University.
If this glimpse into women and history has you rewriting the past in bold, don’t close the book yet! Flip to our next article and read about How truly bitter was life for single mothers in the past?
