Dr. Fatuma Ahmed

Dr. Fatuma Ahmed Ali is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) of the United States International University – Africa (USIU-A), Kenya. She is a Visiting Faculty and an External researcher at the Interuniversity Institute for Social Development & Peace (IUDESP) of the Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain. She is also an Associate Fellow at the Horn Institute, Kenya, a gender advisor for the Somali Women’s Study Centre (SWSC), Somalia, a Board Chair of the NGO Coalition of Violence Against Women (COVAW), and an Advisory Board member at the Austrian Centre for Peace (ACP).

Her areas of specialization are in the field of International Relations, Peace, Conflict and Development Studies, Security and Gender Studies. Her research interest focuses on gender analysis, gender and violent extremism, gender, labour migration and diaspora returnees in development and humanitarian initiatives, women’s agency in regime change, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), peace and security, elections, informal institutions/actors in peacebuilding, and politics in the Horn of Africa. Also developing interest in the Horn-Gulf relations, gender analysis of the Blue Economy and women’s digital financial inclusion in the Horn of Africa region.

Dr Ali is a Gender expert, political and security analyst, feminist researcher, pan-Africanist, mentor, and academic activist with almost 20 years of experience. She has extensive experience in research, publication, curriculum development/review, training, consultancy, project evaluation, and rapid assessment. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, briefs, opinion pieces, co-edited an academic journal (Journal of British Academy), one edited and self-authored book in both English and Spanish languages. She is also a recipient of several grants and the prestigious Peace Prize 2020 award of the City of Castellon (Premio Por la Paz Ciudad de Castellon), Spain.