Dr Jennifer Howe completed her PhD in War Studies at King’s College London (passed with no corrections). She currently teaches at Imperial College London (MSc Behavioural Science and Security), the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, and the Department of War Studies.

Alongside her PhD, Dr Howe worked as a researcher in a wide variety of professional contexts, including at the House of Lords, for American and British think tanks, and in open-source intelligence. After completing an MA in Politics and International Relations at Durham University (with distinction), she began working for the US-based Pacific Forum as a research fellow. Her fellowship was funded by the US Department of Defence.

Dr Howe has presented her research to various stakeholders, including the US State Department (as an “Emerging Thought Leader”) and at the ASEAN Regional Forum (organised by USIP & sponsored by the US, the EU, and Singapore). Some of her publications are featured in the Homeland Security Digital Library.

Her main areas of focus include armed conflict, atrocity violence, and Women, Peace and Security.

Research Interests

• Perpetrator studies
• Women, Peace and Security
• Genocide Studies
• Extremism
• Conflict in Southeast Asia

Thesis

Women Cadres of the Khmer Rouge, 1975-1979: Understanding women’s participation in collective violence

Eyewitness accounts and other historical documents show that women contributed to the Cambodian genocide as members of the Khmer Rouge. These women have received almost no scholarly attention, which is a missed opportunity to learn more about the dynamics of mass violence. This thesis asks, “how and why did women participate in the Cambodian genocide?,” a question that considers the types of roles women performed in the genocide and their motives for participating. This thesis highlights the diversity of women’s experiences amid mass violence and provides new perspectives on individual motives for engaging in atrocities. In addition, it reconsiders “perpetration,” particularly in relation to existing perpetrator typologies that are based on men. In fulfilling these goals, the thesis contributes to the literature on women’s involvement in political violence, perpetrator studies, and scholarship on the intersection of gender and genocide. It most directly contributes to the small body of available research on women perpetrators of other genocides and mass atrocities, which has focused almost exclusively on the Holocaust and Rwanda. Through this knowledge, the thesis will contribute to more informed prevention, response, and reconciliation strategies.

Supervisors

• Dr Rebekka Friedman
• Professor Rachel Kerr

Publications

• Howe, J. (2022). Progress and Challenges to Implementing Women, Peace and Security in Southeast Asia. Issues & Insights, 22(1).
• Howe, J. & Belsey Priebe, M. Women, Peace and Security Under a Biden-Harris Administration(Part Three: Relief and Recovery). Pacific Forum, PacNet #18, April 2, 2021.
• Belsey Priebe, M. & Howe, J. What the Biden-Harris Administration Means for WPS in the Indo-Pacific Region. Issues & Insights, Vol. 21 WP 4, March 2021.
• Howe, J. Conflict and Coronavirus: How Covid-19 is Impacting Southeast Asia’s Conflicts. Issues & Insights, Vol. 20 WP4, September 2020.
• Howe, J. The Impact of Covid-19 on Women in Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific. Pacific Forum, Covid-19 Research & Perspectives, June 2020.

Jennifer Howe PURE profile