Colonialism is a major driver of gender-based violence (GBV) today. Former colonies often experience higher rates of intimate partner violence. Research increasingly links political conflict and GBV, indicating that colonial and imperialist interventions contribute directly to systemic violence against marginalized communities like Palestine, Haiti, the DRC, Kashmir, West Papua, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Sudan.  In this episode, moderated by Global Dev 4 Palestine, several experts get together to discuss how colonization and GBV are intricately linked. 

Experts, in order of appearance:

Dr Michelle Lokot is a practitioner, Assistant Professor, and Co-Director of the Health in Humanitarian Crises Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, specialising in feminist research, gender-based violence (GBV) and qualitative research methods.

Xian Warner is the Research and Partnerships Manager at The Equality Institute with 17 years of experience conducting research on prevalence, perpetration, and prevention of violence against women across the Asia-Pacific region.

Safia Elhillo is a Sudanese-American author and poet and winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, California Book Award, Arab American Book Award, and the Brunel International African Poetry Prize.

Hala Hanina is a Gazan social and political activist and PhD researcher in politics and sociology, with experience leading campaigns against domestic violence with community and government participation in Gaza.

Dr Elizabeth Louis is a Black Haitian-American Licensed Clinical Psychologist dedicated to global mental health, supporting ethnic/racial minority well-being, and addressing stigma, health disparities through culturally tailored training.

Esther Haluk is a West Papuan poet and feminist human rights defender focused on Indigenous women's rights, environmental protection, and socio-political and economic issues, and strong engagement with faith-based organizations.

This episode was developed with funding from the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) and Coalition of Feminists for Social Change (COFEM).