Emily Clifford
College: College of Social Sciences and International Studies
Discipline: Strategy and Security Institute
Department: College of Social Sciences and International Studies
I am a PhD candidate at the Strategy and Security Institute, currently undertaking an ESRC funded studentship with the South West Doctoral Training Partnership.
Feminist theory has been central to my academic career so far. My undergraduate dissertation was entitled ‘“Open for Business” – at what cost? Maternal Healthcare and Development Practices in Somaliland’, connecting feminism, neoliberalism, human development, and women-centred care to propose that neoliberal development sacrifices Somaliland’s social equity, protections, and caregiving to free-market logic.
I am currently exploring feminist critical military studies, negotiating the connections between militarisation, masculinisation and gender-based violence in conflict zones, with particular focus on the Sahel. I aim to use this base to critically assess French counterterror policies in the region.
I am a south-coaster through and through, first coming to Exeter from Bournemouth in 2014 when I began a four-year BA in International Relations. A year studying abroad at Sciences Po in Paris in 2016-2017 motivated me to begin learning French, sharpened my interest in 'françafrique', and gave me a mild pain au chocolat addiction.
Post PhD, I hope to continue working in the field of sexual violence in conflict, promoting gender-sensitive approaches to peace, conflict and security through academia and advocacy.
