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Donna Pankhurst

Emeritus Professor - FOMLSS

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School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Mgmt, Law & Social Sciences
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Donna Pankhurst

Biography

Donna began academic life focussing on land and gender issues in Africa, completing a PhD at the University of Liverpool on Zimbabwe, and going on to teach Development Studies. Since being in Peace Studies she has focussed on post-conflict peacebuilding issues, with a particular interest in gender (both male and female) in teaching and research.

She teaches at all levels (4-7) and has supervised more than twenty PhD students to completion.

Her current research project is called, 'Soldiers After Wars'. Phase One focuses on the response to, and treatment of, military veterans in the UK and USA with a view to evaluating global 'best practice' and leading to Phase 2 with a more international focus.
A sub-theme also generates a critical evaluation of common explanations for veterans / ex-combatants committing crimes of violence against women in greater numbers than civilian populations.

Research

Donna Pankhursts main area of research interest is gender issues in conflict and post-conflict settings. Such issues include men's experiences, and issues of masculinity and violence, as well as the post-conflict experiences of women. She is part of a network of scholars who work in these areas. Her research history concentrated more on land issues in Southern Africa (particularly Zimbabwe and Namibia) and post-conflict politics in other countries in East and West Africa. She has also worked with a number of NGOs and international organisations as advisor and consultant. Donna Pankhursts main area of research interest is gender issues in conflict and post-conflict settings. Such issues include men's experiences, and issues of masculinity and violence, as well as the post-conflict experiences of women. She is part of a network of scholars who work in these areas. Her research history concentrated more on land issues in Southern Africa (particularly Zimbabwe and Namibia) and post-conflict politics in other countries in East and West Africa. She has also worked with a number of NGOs and international organisations as advisor and consultant.

Donna is currently developing research on how gender roles and identities change in conflict and post-conflict settings, with a particular focus on attitudes to inter-personal violences. There are three strands to this future work:

  1. Ex-Army Servicemen in the UK: The experiences and perceptions of men who have seen active service in the British army and then tried to re-engage in civilian life. 
  2. International Policies on Male Ex-Combatants: The policy and methodological lessons from the UK research which can be applied to international organisations and other contexts, particularly in Africa. 
  3. Male Ex-Combatants in African Locations: parallel research in African settings with ex-combatants, especially at sites of ‘traditional conflict resolution’ and memorialisation.

 

Teaching

Donna’s main teaching areas are development studies, gender issues and conflict / peacebuilding with a specialism in Africa. She has over twenty five years of experience of teaching at undergraduate and masters levels.

Donna has supervised over twenty PhD students to completion, many of which focussed on Africa. She continues to supervise on topics related to peacebuilding and gender. She has examined over thirty PhD theses.

Professional activities

  • University of Liverpool - PhD

  • University of Manchester - Lecturer (1 August 1988)
  • University of Leeds - Research Fellow (6 January 1986)

Publications

  • Introduction: Gendered War and Peace

    DONNA PANKHURST (2012) Gendered Peace. Women's Struggles for post-war Justice and Reconciliation. Routledge and UNRISD.

  • ‘Sexual Violence in War’

    DONNA PANKHURST (2010) Shepherd, Laura J (ed), Gender Matters in Global Politics. A Feminist Introduction to International Relations. Routledge.

  • ‘Gendered Peace’

    DONNA PANKHURST (2008) Pugh, M. et al, Whose peace? Critical perspectives on the Political Economy of Peacebuilding. . Palgrave Macmillan.

  • ‘The Sex War and Other Wars: Towards a Feminist Approach to Peacebuilding

    DONNA PANKHURST (2004) H.Afshar & D.Eade (eds), Development, Women and War,. OXFAM.

  • ‘Women and Politics in Africa: The Case of Uganda

    DONNA PANKHURST (2003) Ross, K (ed), Women, Politics, and Change. Oxford University Press.

  • Making a Difference? The Inclusion of Gender into Institutional Conflict Management Policies

    DONNA PANKHURST (2002) Braig Marianne & Wölte (eds), Common Ground or Mutual Exclusion. Women’s Movements & International Relations,. Zed Press.

  • ‘Unravelling Reconciliation and Justice? Land and the Potential for Conflict in Namibia

    DONNA PANKHURST (2000)

  • ‘Gender, Armed Conflict and the Search for Peace’, chapter 3, Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World, Report for United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) A decade after the UN conference at Beijing

    DONNA PANKHURST (2005) United National Research Institute for Social Development.