Awino Okech

Professor Awino Okech is a leading scholar in feminist and security studies at SOAS University of London's Department of Politics and International Studies. With a BA from the University of Nairobi and PhD from the University of Cape Town, her work critically examines the intersections of gender, sexuality, conflict, and security in African contexts. She directs the Feminist Centre for Racial Justice, pioneering research on racial imaginaries from majority-world perspectives.

Her research interests focus on:

• Transnational feminist movements and solidarity networks
• Decolonial approaches to security and conflict resolution
• The political economy of gender-based violence
• Queer political subjectivities in postcolonial states
• Digital feminist counterpublics and mobilization strategies

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on African feminisms, with recent work analyzing:

• Pandemic-era movement building and mutual aid networks
• Femicide and digital counterpublics in Kenya/South Africa
• Neoliberal co-optation of feminist discourse
• Decolonial methodologies in fieldwork ethics

Currently advising doctoral candidate Tanvi Kanchan on queer digital politics in India. Directs collaborative projects building transnational feminist networks across Africa.