Filiz Kahraman

Filiz Kahraman is an Assistant Professor in Political Science at the University of Toronto, affiliated with the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies and Trinity College. Her research focuses on law, social movements, and international institutions, particularly examining labor activism’s use of human rights frameworks and the impact of international law on marginalized groups. She holds a PhD in Political Science and previously served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgetown University’s Mortara Center for International Studies.

Her work bridges comparative law, European politics, and transnational advocacy, with notable contributions analyzing Turkey’s democratic backsliding, the role of the European Court of Human Rights, and labor rights mobilization. Kahraman’s commentary on human rights and political crises in Europe and Turkey appears in The Washington Post, openDemocracy, and other outlets. She has received grants from the National Science Foundation and SSHRC, and her book manuscript explores labor activists’ strategic engagement with human rights law in Europe.

Awards include the Lynne Rienner Publishers Award for Best Dissertation (2019). Her research highlights intersections between legal systems, political power, and grassroots movements, emphasizing the transformative potential—and limitations—of international institutions in safeguarding rights amid authoritarian challenges.