Sahla Aroussi
Biographic Data
| ID | 4097087 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sahla Aroussi |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sahla |
| FAMILY NAME | Aroussi |
| SIGNATURE | AROUSSI S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Coventry University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5220-5214 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 64 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Beyond Securitisation
While dominant global policy frameworks and scholarship often understand violent extremism through securitised and state-centric lenses, this article offers a bottom-up reconceptualisation using a peace studies and gendered approach. Drawing on empirical data from Kenya, the study complicates current understandings by framing violent extremism as a continuum of direct, structural, and cultural violence rooted in everyday grassroots experiences. U…
Mapping the margins
This article explores violent extremism (VE) through an embodied, bottom-up lens, using body-mapping with Muslim women in Kenya. Drawing on two selected body maps, we critically interrogate the use of VE is as a framework for analysing the harm experienced by women. Our participants used the terminology of VE to refer to not only Al-Shabaab–related violence but also gender-based violence, gang violence, and state violence. These insights highligh…
“…I feel like I am just staying here waiting for death”
Refugees and migrants with advanced illness frequently face fragmented and inconsistent access to health services. Structural barriers delay symptom management, undermine continuity of care, and limit access to palliative support. A clearer understanding of their lived experiences is essential to inform equitable health system responses and inclusive models of care. This study explored the lived experiences of individuals with advanced illness in…
Seeing bodies in social sciences research
While violence is often targeted at and experienced by bodies with different identities or appearance, studies of violence in social sciences research often neglect the body as a data source and site of analysis. This article makes an original contribution to the literature on visual methods in general and arts-based approaches specifically, by focusing on the understudied and underutilised method of body mapping. It is novel in developing techni…
Lived realities and local meaning-making in defining violent extremism in Kenya
Violent extremism is an ambiguous and politically loaded concept, and – at the national level – the parameters used to define it are usually framed by the state, powerful ruling elites, and members of the international community, either directly or indirectly through donor-funded projects. Although different types of violent extremism and extremist movements exist in Kenya, donors and the state often focus on religiously-inspired groups such as A…
Strange Bedfellows
In October 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2242 calling on member states to work toward the greater integration of the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda with efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism. While the rapprochement between counterterrorism and WPS may appear to be a step forward, particularly for those seeking to increase women's participation in areas traditionally dominated by men, it is als…
Researching wartime rape in Eastern Congo
This article examines why survivors of rape in conflict take part in academic research and the impact that participating in sexual violence studies has on them. The research is based on 76 qualitative interviews conducted with survivors of sexual violence in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The study established that survivors of rape were driven to participate in the research mainly because of their need to speak out and share t…
Perceptions of Justice and Hierarchies of Rape
Based on extensive fieldwork in South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this article considers the question of justice for survivors of sexual violence from the ground up. It argues that survivors of rape by armed groups or civilians in the DRC primarily conceive of justice as economic assistance and have limited interest in the prosecution of perpetrators. Such emphasis on economic assistance cannot be separated from the re…
Rape loot pillage
In Rape loot pillage, Sara Meger offers a feminist political economy perspective on sexual violence in conflict. Meger's book is skilfully written and very well argued. Although other feminist scholars have also discussed securitization, Meger's analysis goes deeper, by drawing on the Marxist concept of ‘commodity fetishism’ to explain the ‘“fetishization” of sexual violence in international relations’ (p. 17). Meger argues that ‘fetishization’ h…
Women, Peace, and Security and the DRC
During armed conflicts, women experience extensive gender harm of a physical, sexual, legal, economic, social, cultural, and political nature. Recently, however, we have witnessed unprecedented attention in international law and policy-making arenas to the specific issue of sexual violence as a strategy of warfare. This has been particularly obvious in the agenda on women, peace, and security. Since 2008, the United Nations agenda has increasingl…
Law, power-sharing and human rights
The concept of power-sharing is complex and refers to widely divergent realities. In essence, however, all types of power-sharing are, on the one hand, about guaranteeing a stake in the exercise of
When interests meet norms
A typical feature of contemporary peace accords and power-sharing agreements are references to human rights. Using a data set of 82 peace agreements from 20 sub-Saharan African countries signed between 1989 and 2011, this article studies the prevalence, origin and relevance of human rights norms to power-sharing agreements. We argue that a fine balance needs to be struck between resolving conflicts and addressing human rights concerns. While most…
Women, Peace and Security’
This article examines the issue of accountability for wartime sexual violence within the UN agenda on women, peace and security. The study offers a unique contribution to the growing body of literature on Resolution 1325 by reviewing how the issue of accountability for sexual violence has been treated in peace agreements signed since its adoption in October 2000. The author triangulates data collected from peace agreements with interviews with el…
Strange Bedfellows
In October 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2242 calling on member states to work toward the greater integration of the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda with efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism. While the rapprochement between counterterrorism and WPS may appear to be a step forward, particularly for those seeking to increase women's participation in areas traditionally dominated by men, it is als…
Women, Peace and Security’
This article examines the issue of accountability for wartime sexual violence within the UN agenda on women, peace and security. The study offers a unique contribution to the growing body of literature on Resolution 1325 by reviewing how the issue of accountability for sexual violence has been treated in peace agreements signed since its adoption in October 2000. The author triangulates data collected from peace agreements with interviews with el…
Women, Peace, and Security and the DRC
During armed conflicts, women experience extensive gender harm of a physical, sexual, legal, economic, social, cultural, and political nature. Recently, however, we have witnessed unprecedented attention in international law and policy-making arenas to the specific issue of sexual violence as a strategy of warfare. This has been particularly obvious in the agenda on women, peace, and security. Since 2008, the United Nations agenda has increasingl…
Researching wartime rape in Eastern Congo
This article examines why survivors of rape in conflict take part in academic research and the impact that participating in sexual violence studies has on them. The research is based on 76 qualitative interviews conducted with survivors of sexual violence in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The study established that survivors of rape were driven to participate in the research mainly because of their need to speak out and share t…
Perceptions of Justice and Hierarchies of Rape
Based on extensive fieldwork in South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this article considers the question of justice for survivors of sexual violence from the ground up. It argues that survivors of rape by armed groups or civilians in the DRC primarily conceive of justice as economic assistance and have limited interest in the prosecution of perpetrators. Such emphasis on economic assistance cannot be separated from the re…
When interests meet norms
A typical feature of contemporary peace accords and power-sharing agreements are references to human rights. Using a data set of 82 peace agreements from 20 sub-Saharan African countries signed between 1989 and 2011, this article studies the prevalence, origin and relevance of human rights norms to power-sharing agreements. We argue that a fine balance needs to be struck between resolving conflicts and addressing human rights concerns. While most…
Lived realities and local meaning-making in defining violent extremism in Kenya
Violent extremism is an ambiguous and politically loaded concept, and – at the national level – the parameters used to define it are usually framed by the state, powerful ruling elites, and members of the international community, either directly or indirectly through donor-funded projects. Although different types of violent extremism and extremist movements exist in Kenya, donors and the state often focus on religiously-inspired groups such as A…
Seeing bodies in social sciences research
While violence is often targeted at and experienced by bodies with different identities or appearance, studies of violence in social sciences research often neglect the body as a data source and site of analysis. This article makes an original contribution to the literature on visual methods in general and arts-based approaches specifically, by focusing on the understudied and underutilised method of body mapping. It is novel in developing techni…
Rape loot pillage
In Rape loot pillage, Sara Meger offers a feminist political economy perspective on sexual violence in conflict. Meger's book is skilfully written and very well argued. Although other feminist scholars have also discussed securitization, Meger's analysis goes deeper, by drawing on the Marxist concept of ‘commodity fetishism’ to explain the ‘“fetishization” of sexual violence in international relations’ (p. 17). Meger argues that ‘fetishization’ h…
Law, power-sharing and human rights
The concept of power-sharing is complex and refers to widely divergent realities. In essence, however, all types of power-sharing are, on the one hand, about guaranteeing a stake in the exercise of
Women, Peace and Security’
This article examines the issue of accountability for wartime sexual violence within the UN agenda on women, peace and security. The study offers a unique contribution to the growing body of literature on Resolution 1325 by reviewing how the issue of accountability for sexual violence has been treated in peace agreements signed since its adoption in October 2000. The author triangulates data collected from peace agreements with interviews with el…
Law, power-sharing and human rights
The concept of power-sharing is complex and refers to widely divergent realities. In essence, however, all types of power-sharing are, on the one hand, about guaranteeing a stake in the exercise of
When interests meet norms
A typical feature of contemporary peace accords and power-sharing agreements are references to human rights. Using a data set of 82 peace agreements from 20 sub-Saharan African countries signed between 1989 and 2011, this article studies the prevalence, origin and relevance of human rights norms to power-sharing agreements. We argue that a fine balance needs to be struck between resolving conflicts and addressing human rights concerns. While most…
Women, Peace, and Security and the DRC
During armed conflicts, women experience extensive gender harm of a physical, sexual, legal, economic, social, cultural, and political nature. Recently, however, we have witnessed unprecedented attention in international law and policy-making arenas to the specific issue of sexual violence as a strategy of warfare. This has been particularly obvious in the agenda on women, peace, and security. Since 2008, the United Nations agenda has increasingl…
Perceptions of Justice and Hierarchies of Rape
Based on extensive fieldwork in South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this article considers the question of justice for survivors of sexual violence from the ground up. It argues that survivors of rape by armed groups or civilians in the DRC primarily conceive of justice as economic assistance and have limited interest in the prosecution of perpetrators. Such emphasis on economic assistance cannot be separated from the re…
Rape loot pillage
In Rape loot pillage, Sara Meger offers a feminist political economy perspective on sexual violence in conflict. Meger's book is skilfully written and very well argued. Although other feminist scholars have also discussed securitization, Meger's analysis goes deeper, by drawing on the Marxist concept of ‘commodity fetishism’ to explain the ‘“fetishization” of sexual violence in international relations’ (p. 17). Meger argues that ‘fetishization’ h…
Researching wartime rape in Eastern Congo
This article examines why survivors of rape in conflict take part in academic research and the impact that participating in sexual violence studies has on them. The research is based on 76 qualitative interviews conducted with survivors of sexual violence in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The study established that survivors of rape were driven to participate in the research mainly because of their need to speak out and share t…
Strange Bedfellows
In October 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2242 calling on member states to work toward the greater integration of the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda with efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism. While the rapprochement between counterterrorism and WPS may appear to be a step forward, particularly for those seeking to increase women's participation in areas traditionally dominated by men, it is als…
Lived realities and local meaning-making in defining violent extremism in Kenya
Violent extremism is an ambiguous and politically loaded concept, and – at the national level – the parameters used to define it are usually framed by the state, powerful ruling elites, and members of the international community, either directly or indirectly through donor-funded projects. Although different types of violent extremism and extremist movements exist in Kenya, donors and the state often focus on religiously-inspired groups such as A…
Seeing bodies in social sciences research
While violence is often targeted at and experienced by bodies with different identities or appearance, studies of violence in social sciences research often neglect the body as a data source and site of analysis. This article makes an original contribution to the literature on visual methods in general and arts-based approaches specifically, by focusing on the understudied and underutilised method of body mapping. It is novel in developing techni…
“…I feel like I am just staying here waiting for death”
Refugees and migrants with advanced illness frequently face fragmented and inconsistent access to health services. Structural barriers delay symptom management, undermine continuity of care, and limit access to palliative support. A clearer understanding of their lived experiences is essential to inform equitable health system responses and inclusive models of care. This study explored the lived experiences of individuals with advanced illness in…
Beyond Securitisation
While dominant global policy frameworks and scholarship often understand violent extremism through securitised and state-centric lenses, this article offers a bottom-up reconceptualisation using a peace studies and gendered approach. Drawing on empirical data from Kenya, the study complicates current understandings by framing violent extremism as a continuum of direct, structural, and cultural violence rooted in everyday grassroots experiences. U…
Mapping the margins
This article explores violent extremism (VE) through an embodied, bottom-up lens, using body-mapping with Muslim women in Kenya. Drawing on two selected body maps, we critically interrogate the use of VE is as a framework for analysing the harm experienced by women. Our participants used the terminology of VE to refer to not only Al-Shabaab–related violence but also gender-based violence, gang violence, and state violence. These insights highligh…
Political science (10 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Gender, Security, and Conflict (9 works) · Law (9 works) · Criminology (8 works) · Law (8 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Sexual violence (5 works) · Violent extremism (5 works) · Gender Studies (4 works)