03/20/2026
By Rahab Kisio

The College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (FAHSS), Global Studies Program, invites you to attend the doctoral dissertation defense of Rahab Kisio, titled “Gender, Military Institutions and Peacekeeping: The Roles and Effects of Female Military Personnel."

Candidate Name: Rahab Kisio
Degree: Doctoral
Defense Date: Monday, April 6, 2026
Time: 3.30 -5.30 p.m.
Location: Dugan Room 105

Thesis/Dissertation Title: “Gender, Military Institutions and Peacekeeping: The Roles and Effects of Female Military Personnel”

Dissertation Committee:

  • Chair: Angélica Durán-Martínez, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science, Director of Global Studies Ph.D. program, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Minnie Joo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Ardeth Thawnghmung, Ph.D., Professor and acting Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Brief Abstract: This dissertation examines how gender shapes military participation and peacekeeping outcomes by analyzing the institutional processes that structure women’s roles within troop-contributing militaries and the broader implications of female military participation in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations. Despite international commitments under the Women, Peace and Security agenda, women remain underrepresented in combat, command, and other high-risk operational roles across most troop-contributing countries. This raises an important question: why do gendered military outcomes persist even when formal policies promote gender equality?

Using a mixed-methods research design, the dissertation combines qualitative interviews with Kenyan military personnel and cross-national quantitative analysis of peacekeeping deployments and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The first study shows that recruitment pathways, training opportunities, and deployment selection processes within the Kenya Defence Forces often channel women into support roles while reserving combat and leadership positions for men. The second study demonstrates that gendered expectations within national military institutions frequently persist during peacekeeping missions, shaping leadership opportunities and professional recognition. The third study analyzes cross-national panel data from 2010–2021 and finds suggestive evidence that higher female troop representation is associated with lower probabilities of both state- and rebel-perpetrated CRSV, although the effects are modest and not consistently statistically significant. Together, the findings show that gender integration in peacekeeping is shaped by institutional practices within troop-contributing militaries as well as broader operational dynamics in conflict environments.