Women and Gender Network

Chairs:

 

ESSHC 2027: Women as peacekeepers and peacebuilders 

The 16th European Social Science History Conference will be held in 2027 in Lyon, France. The deadline for the CfP is 15 April 2026. 

WOMEN AND GENDER Network

Call for papers: 

WOMEN AS PEACEKEEPERS AND PEACEBUILDERS 

The Women and Gender Network of the European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC) invites paper and panel proposals for the upcoming conference, focusing on the theme: Women as peacekeepers and peacebuilders.

Across time and cultures, women have played vital—yet often overlooked—roles in preventing conflict, sustaining peace, and rebuilding societies in the aftermath of violence. From grassroots activists and community mediators to diplomats, soldiers, and international policy-makers, women have shaped peace processes in diverse and innovative ways. This track seeks to explore these contributions through interdisciplinary research spanning history, gender studies, political science, anthropology, sociology, development studies, and related fields.

We welcome papers that engage with (but are not limited to) the following themes:

  • Historical case studies of women’s involvement in peace negotiations, ceasefire processes, and reconstruction efforts
  • Women’s roles in local or indigenous conflict-resolution mechanisms
  • Gendered dimensions of diplomacy, peacekeeping missions, and humanitarian intervention
  • Gendered constructions of ‘peace’ and peaceful societies
  • Feminist peace activism and transnational women’s networks
  • Women’s community leadership before, during, or after armed conflict
  • Barriers and opportunities facing women in peacekeeping forces and security institutions
  • Women, men and ‘keeping the peace’
  • Memory, trauma, and the gendered experiences of rebuilding after war
  • Intersections of race, class, sexuality, and coloniality in women’s peacebuilding work
  • Methodological approaches to researching gender and peace
  • Comparative or longitudinal analyses of women’s roles in conflict and post-conflict contexts

The Women and Gender network encourages global and comparative perspectives.

Submission Guidelines

We invite several types of contributions:

  • Individual papers
  • Panels (3–4 papers + chair/commentator)
  • Roundtables

Please submit an abstract of 200–400 words (for papers) or a panel description of 300–600 words, including participant details and institutional affiliations.

How to Submit

Submit proposals through the ESSHC online submission system:

Best wishes,

Katie Barclay, Taanya Kapoor, Marianna Muravyeva, and Mari Välimäki

Co-chairs Women and Gender Network