Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

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Date of Award

1-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Conflict Analysis and Resolution

First Advisor

Robin Cooper

Keywords

Information and Communications Technologies; Russo-Ukrainian War; Social Media; Ukraine; Women Peace and Security; Women's Participation

Abstract

The full-scale war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, after the Russian Federation launched a multi-front assault into Ukraine. While the international community increasingly views war through a gendered lens, gaps remain in the broader discourse on mainstreaming women, peace, and security (WPS) concerns into conflict and governance frameworks. Furthermore, our understanding of how information and communications technologies (ICTs) affect women’s participation is limited. This qualitative study explored how women’s use of ICTs shaped their participation in peace and security efforts during the Russo-Ukrainian War. An interpretative qualitative approach was used, and findings were organized using a macro–meso–micro framework, based on results showing that women’s digital involvement operated simultaneously at the national and international levels, in communities, and in the private domain of individual life. Across the interviews, participants framed ICTs as tools that helped women maintain connections with loved ones, crowdsource funding for the war effort, and translate informal, local actions into security-relevant outcomes. In parallel, they discussed navigating the risks of “always-on” participation. As such, two critical takeaways emerged. First, the same connectivity that supported women’s coordination and participatory access also increased their vulnerability to exploitation. Second, in WPS spaces, empowerment and agency are often framed as something external actors must provide to women, yet participants described the opposite: women in Ukraine are already empowered through their use of ICTs. Thus, the findings suggest that what women need is coordinated recognition, funding, and support to safely continue the tangible community assistance and war-shaping actions they are already implementing.

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