Holly Porter

Dr. Holly Porter is an Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the Department of Politics and International Studies and the Centre for Gender Studies. As Deputy Director of the Centre for Gender Studies, she leads the MPhil and PhD programs in Multi-disciplinary Gender Studies, teaching courses on Gender Theory, Politics and Gender, and Gender Research Methodology. Her work spans Africa, focusing on gender, sexual violence, transitional justice, and post-conflict social harmony.

• Education: PhD in Anthropology from the London School of Economics
• Positions: Former Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at University of Antwerp/Gent University

Research Focus: Porter examines how gender, violence, and local justice systems intersect in post-conflict societies. Her work emphasizes northern Uganda, with additional fieldwork in South Sudan, Bosnia, Azerbaijan, and Palestine. Key themes include trauma narratives, community reconciliation, and critiques of humanitarian frameworks that reduce women to victims.

Scientific Contributions: Her research spans publications on rape in war, displacement dynamics, and protest repertoires in authoritarian regimes. Awards include a finalist position for the 2018 Herskovitz Book Prize for her monograph After Rape: Violence, Justice and Social Harmony in Uganda.

Grants & Recognition: Held prestigious fellowships including a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship. Her work has been published in leading journals like Journal of Refugee Studies and Development and Change.