معرفی
Cecilia Strand is an Associate Professor at the Department of Informatics and Media, Uppsala University, Sweden. Her academic work bridges the fields of digital communication, gender studies, and human rights advocacy, with a specialized focus on LGBTQ+ communities in challenging political contexts.
Dr. Strand's research interests prominently feature LGBTQ+ rights and digital activism, particularly in African contexts with emphasis on Uganda. Her work examines how sexual minorities navigate visibility in repressive environments, the role of development cooperation in activism, and the impact of social media on rights advocacy. More recently, her research has expanded to include gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, collaborating with Swedish women's shelters on interventions for survivors. Her scholarly approach consistently integrates post-colonial perspectives with contemporary digital communication theories.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a clear trajectory focusing on the intersection of digital spaces and LGBTQ+ rights in contexts of state-sanctioned homophobia. Her work demonstrates increasing sophistication in examining power dynamics between international donors and local activists, the strategic use of visibility by marginalized communities, and the evolving narratives surrounding sexual minority rights across different media platforms. The geographical focus remains primarily on East Africa, particularly Uganda, with growing comparative work including Russia.
Dr. Strand has secured significant research funding, including projects from the Swedish Research Council (2021-2024) studying social media as spaces for activism in Uganda and Russia, and a FORTE-funded project (running until 2026) developing interventions for intimate partner violence survivors in collaboration with Swedish women's shelters. Her work with the UNDP-hosted Global Commission on HIV and the Law demonstrates her commitment to practical applications of academic research in human rights contexts.
