Laura J. Shepherd

1/x For no particular reason, a thread of books to remind you that gender matters to international security. #polisky

@oraszekely.bsky.social, Jessica, and I wrote Insurgent Women to highlight the involvement of women in multiple conflicts.

press.georgetown.edu/Book/Insurge...

Delighted to collaborate with the always brilliant @doris-asante.bsky.social on this essay on WPS NAPs as we approach the 25th anniversary of the adoption of UNSCR 1325. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Telling Stories of International Relations Abstract. This is a lightly edited version of the presidential address I delivered at the sixty-fifth annual convention of the International Studies Associ

Just found out - via an email from a colleague 🙃 - that my 2024 ISA presidential address has finally been published in @isq-jrnl.bsky.social. It brings together many strands of enquiry and reflections spanning nearly two decades of my career. Oh, and it's open access academic.oup.com/isq/article/...

TikTok tradwives: femininity, reproduction, and social media In recent years, social media platforms have seen a growing promotion of the Tradwife’s lifestyle, where cis women embrace patriarchal gender norms and identities such as the stay-at-home mother an...

Incredibly impressed by Kate Scott and Lindsay Day, two brilliant PhD students at USYD who have published this excellent paper on TikTok tradwives and online anti-feminist movements www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10..... Such a pleasure to work with and learn from such smart humans!

Joint Statement by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK:

"the war in Gaza must end now."

Absolutely dystopian juxtaposition from the Guardian front page. Difficult to understand how anyone of decency and conscience can defend this government at this point. Just sheer moral degeneracy to arm a state that does this and arrest people for objecting. Wtf are we doing as a country?

“latest shooting of gazans seeking food”

all that is darkness abolish ice abolish slavery abolish prisons abolish borders abolish colonialism abolish our addiction to punishing everyone who needs healing solstice come solstice go solstice come solstice go

“abolish ice
abolish slavery
abolish prisons
abolish borders
abolish colonialism
abolish our addiction to punishing everyone who needs healing”

-adrienne maree brown, abolition spell, fables and spells

Fellow profs, do you have a plan for how you will protect your students in this climate?

Yes! Will miss you too, and all the great conversations I am sure you will have. Would be lovely to convene elsewhere as well - perhaps through a virtual event, or just a Zoom chat...

Boundaries I've set in my life since learning I'm autistic: - I wear clothes that prioriise sensory comfort - I don't force eye contact, small talk, or neurotypical social norms that drain me - I prioritise rest before I'm at breaking point - I allow myself to stim without shame - I advocate for accommodations instead of trying to "push through" - I no longer force myself to attend social events out of guilt or obligation - I prioritise downtime between activities - I say no to plans or events that don't meet my sensory needs

I saw this on LinkedIn and it feels particularly relevant today, as the question of how to exist in a disabling world (and show up in the workplace) as an autistic woman is uppermost in my mind. I do all of these things and the world (/workplace) is still pretty exhausting a lot of the time

Ah sorry dear one, I won't be at ISA next year... Hope to continue the conversation in any case

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing

A Profession, If You Can Keep It Imagined meritocracies mean little to extractive institutions.

"But let’s be clear: this 'burnout' that secure scholars are feeling is phantom pain where their colleagues should be . . . You are suffering from the effects of intentional systemic understaffing."

Me too... I described the feeling I had after reading it as "empty and joyful at once". It has stayed with me

So delighted to see this important article published! The first of many from Charlotte's excellent research, I am sure. Congratulations @charlottecarney.bsky.social

Woohoo! Many congratulations, you wonderful, clever humans! So delighted to see this article in the world. Well done to you both 🥳

I agree with this advice: articles need to be more assertive, with less hedging and paying homage to the extensive scholarship on XYZ. In a thesis, you've got 80,000 words to make your point and an article usually offers a tenth of that, so you also need to be concise. A tight structure helps too.

Feminist Peace In Question Our final piece in the symposium on Governing the Feminist Peace is a reply from our authors to the contributions by Nicole, Mohamed, Helen, and Laura. It is customary to begin such closing essays …

Delighted to share the closing post that @paulcinnamon.bsky.social and I wrote to round out the symposium! "Feminist Peace in Question" is our attempt to respond to the reviews we've shared here: thedisorderofthings.com/2025/04/11/f.... Huge thanks again to Meera Sabaratnam for coordinating.

I loved speaking to @ntinatzouvala.bsky.social and @pagingdrpaige.bsky.social about queer approaches to international law in this episode of #CalledToTheBar! Check it out at the link below 👇

Women, Peace, and Security as Argument and Tension Today’s piece for our symposium on Governing the Feminist Peace is from Laura Sjoberg. Laura is Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and Kloppenburg Official Fello…

The final essay/ review is up! "Women, Peace, and Security as Argument and Tension" by the brilliant Laura Sjoberg is a thoughtful and generous engagement with the broader contribution of our book: thedisorderofthings.com/2025/04/09/w...

These gender studies lectures are just writing themselves

I was going to say this is a vibe but this is a whole way of life honestly

I've made my submission to the review of the ARC grant system. Have you?

5 more days, people.

Such a beautiful garden it is too. Very happy to have it, and you, in the conversation...

Ecotones And Borderlands Of The Feminist Peace The next contribution to our symposium on Governing the Feminist Peace comes from Helen Berents. Helen is Senior Lecturer in International Relations in the School of Government and International Re…

Today's blog post is from my dear friend, colleague, and marvellous co-conspirator @hmberents.bsky.social. Helen writes on "Ecotones And Borderlands Of The Feminist Peace" (@rkrystalli.bsky.social I think you will like this one!): thedisorderofthings.com/2025/04/07/e...

Governing the Feminist Peace to Deflect from Decolonial Peace in Africa This third contribution to our symposium on Governing the Feminist Peace comes from Mohamed Sesay. Mohamed is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the African Studies Program in the Department of…

Next up: "Governing the Feminist Peace to Deflect from Decolonial Peace in Africa" by the brilliant Mohamed Sesay thedisorderofthings.com/2025/04/04/g...

Governing the Feminist Peace: From Institutionalism to Ecology This second contribution to our symposium on Governing the Feminist Peace comes from Nicole George at the University of Queensland. Nicole is Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at th…

Threading the rest of the forum here! The always insightful Nicole George on "Governing the Feminist Peace: From Institutionalism to Ecology" thedisorderofthings.com/2025/04/02/g...

"I have lost faith that I could walk the streets without being abducted" is about as damning a review of the current state of US student visa system as you're ever going to see

Why We Wrote Governing The Feminist Peace This is the first post in a new book symposium, on Paul Kirby and Laura J. Shepherd’s Governing the Feminist Peace, which was published in 2024 by Columbia University Press. Laura is Professo…

This week and next, a symposium on @drljshepherd.bsky.social and my GOVERNING THE FEMINIST PEACE over at a critical IR group blog that's not quite dead yet.

Please 'enjoy'.

thedisorderofthings.com/2025/03/31/w...