We invite you to join us for a panel discussion and the launch of 'Queering the Women, Peace and Security Agenda: A practice-based toolkit'. Panelists will reflect on why it matters to queer the Women, Peace and Security agenda and how the toolkit can be used by feminist and LGBTQ+ organizations working in peace and security. The toolkit draws on insights from Colombia Diversa, the leading organization in the defense of the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans people in Colombia, to provide a guide to queering Women, Peace and Security in practice. The discussion will offer a unique opportunity prioritize the insights and experiences of lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (LBTQ) women in peacebuilding.

Light refreshments will be served following the panel.

Speakers include:

• Dr. Jamie J. Hagen, Queen’s University Belfast, co-director of the Centre for Gender in Politics
• Dr. Anupama Ranawana, Christian Aid UK, Thematic researcher
• María Susana Peralta Ramón, Colombia Diversa, Lawyer and Writer

Moderator:

Eva Tabbasam, Director of Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) UK

About the speakers:

• Dr. Jamie J. Hagen (she/her) is a Lecturer in International Relations at Queen’s University Belfast where she is founding co-director of the Centre for Gender in Politics. Her work sits at the intersection of gender, security studies and queer theory. Jamie brings a feminist, anti-racist approach to her work, bridging gaps between academic, policy and activist spaces. She is lead researcher on a British Academy Innovation Fellowship (2022-2023) focusing on improving engagement with lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer women in Women, Peace and Security Programming. She has published in journals including International Affairs, Peace Review and Critical Studies on Security. She is co-editor of the forthcoming edited volume Queer Conflict Research: New Approaches to the Study of Political Violence (BUP).
• Dr. Anupama Ranawana (she/her) is a research consultant for Christian Aid. She also works for the University of St Andrews and Queens Foundation (Durham Common Awards scheme) in research and teaching capacities. She has a long history of working in feminist peacebuilding and transitional justice, primarily through International Non Governmental Organisations.
• María Susana Peralta Ramón (she/her) is a lawyer and literature scholar who holds a Master’s in Law and teaches Law at Los Andes University. Since 2019 she has worked at Colombia Diversa’s peace and transitional justice team. She is a feminist lesbian interested in peacebuilding efforts that include LGBTQ+ persons fully.
• Eva Tabbasam (she/her) is Director at GAPS UK, a network of development, human rights, humanitarian and peacebuilding INGOs. She has vast experience in humanitarian, development, and Women, Peace and Security policy, advocacy, and programming. She has worked across Europe and the Middle East, focusing on youth participation, women’s rights, gender, and refugee law. Previously, Eva has worked for and with civil society and women’s rights organisations, humanitarian and development INGOs, as well as the UK civil service. She holds a MSc in Women, Peace and Security from the London School of Economics, where she specialised in the interaction between the UK’s preventing counter-extremism policy and WPS.

About the toolkit:

This toolkit draws on insights from an LGBTQ organizations working in the context of peace and security, Colombia Diversa, to provide a guide as to how to queer women, peace and security frameworks. Based on their work in the Colombian peace process and supporting LGBTQ individuals through transformative justice practices, the insights offer a way to improving engagement with lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LBTQ) women in WPS Programming. The three main section provides guidance 1) queering the pillars of WPS, 2) feminist and LGBTQ collaborations, and 3) queering WPS National Action Plan.

This event will be in-person and live-streamed. 

The toolkit was developed in partnership with Colombia Diversa and Christian Aid and is part of British Academy Innovation Fellowship funded project.

For further information, please contact Anupama Ranawana, ARanawana@christian-aid.org

To attend in person, please sign up here.