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Melissa Johnston is a Lecturer in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland and Deputy Director of the Rotary Peace Centre. She holds a PhD in Politics from Murdoch University and was awarded a prestigious Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (2022-2025) for her project on Brideprice, Conflict and Violence Against Women in Southeast Asia.
Her research focuses on two interconnected areas: the role of misogyny and violence against women in violent extremism and populism, and the political economy of post-conflict rebuilding. Her groundbreaking work demonstrates that support for violence against women is the best predictor of support for violent extremism—a finding cited multiple times by the UN Secretary General in 2019 and 2020. Her second research stream examines how gender programming by international development agencies is shaped by power relations between men and women, particularly in Timor-Leste where brideprice practices influence both class formation and gender injustices.
Dr. Johnston's recent publications reveal a clear trend toward analyzing the material basis of gender-based violence in conflict settings, with increasing focus on Southeast Asia (particularly Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste), the intersection of brideprice systems with conflict dynamics, and theoretical development of feminist political economy frameworks. Her work bridges empirical research with policy impact, particularly through her DECRA project and collaborations with international organizations.
- Winner of the 2019 Australian Political Studies Association thesis prize
- Winner of the 2024 BISA IPEG book prize for 'Rebuilding Patriarchy'
- Winner of the 2021 Australian International Political Economy Network best journal article prize
- Discovery Early Career Researcher Award recipient (2022-2025)
- Research cited in UN Secretary General Reports and international policy statements
Dr. Johnston actively supervises PhD students working on Indonesia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste, with current projects examining jihadist recruitment of children, matrilineal societies in borderlands, and investment de-risking in Indonesia. She has secured significant funding including a Global Affairs Canada grant for 'Supporting Democratic Action in Myanmar' (2024-2026) and her ARC DECRA project (2022-2025). Her research has direct policy applications, particularly through her role at the Rotary Peace Centre where she oversees the Applied Field Experience and academic mentorship for Rotary Peace Fellows.
