SPAIS Lunchtime Talks are a chance to hear SPAIS lecturers and researchers offer their take on some of the big issues of the day. Talks will draw on their research and expertise, inviting us to think critically about events and ideas shaping popular discourse on politics and international relations today. Talks will last approximately 25 minutes, followed by a Q&A session. 

In this talk, Dr Peace Medie will explore the relationship between the UN and women’s movements in post-conflict responses to sexual violence. The UN has promoted the establishment of specialized criminal justice mechanisms, such as specialized police and gendarmerie units, to respond to post-conflict sexual violence. However, countries have differed in how they have established these units. Drawing on over 300 interviews in Liberia and CÔte d’Ivoire, this talk analyses how factors such as the strength of the women’s movement affect the establishment of these specialized units and the performance of personnel.