Susanne Alldén

I am a senior lecturer in Peace and Development Studies at Linnaeus University in Sweden. My research centers on gender and power dynamics in development, with a particular focus on transitions for women associated with armed groups and the role of governance in fostering sustainable peace and resilience in conflict-affected countries. I have an extensive field experience in conflict-affected regions, particularly in central and west Africa. With a career spanning academia, international development cooperation, diplomacy, and multilateral engagements with the UN and EU, I have led and managed stabilization, peacebuilding, and gender equality programs in complex settings, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, and Rwanda. My work has focused on addressing human rights, political participation, access to justice, and social cohesion, with a people-centered approach to resilience-building. I bring practical insights from my experience as a bilateral and multilateral donor and my work on community-driven solutions for reintegration, gender-responsive governance, and livelihood recovery.

Teaching

Research

My research focuses on different aspects of conflict resolution and peacebuilding in conflict-affected contexts, with a focus on Africa's Great Lakes region, in particular DR Congo, as well as the Sahel region in West Africa.

Within this, I have an expertise linked to working to combat (conflict-related) sexual violence, linking over 10 years of practical experience of working to prevent and provide support to survivors of sexual violence, with research on how simplistic notions of violence and its consequences affect how the problem is addressed.

A second research area focuses on women, peace and security in the context of conflict transformation in the DRC and the Sahel. By providing concrete examples from peacebuilding in the field, opportunities and problems in operationalizing the UN agenda on women, peace and security are discussed. This is discussed in a wider context with a focus on addressing the drivers of armed conflict.

Pubications:

Lewis, Chloé & Alldén, Susanne 2024, “Delineating Perpetratorhood: On race, masculinities, and fighting impunity for sexual violence in DRC,” in Schulz, P. et al. (eds), Masculinities and Queer Perspectives in Transitional Justice, Routledge.

Ali Bitenga Alexandre, Bertin Rutega, Prince Amini Byamungu, Christine Amisi Notia & Susanne Alldén (2022), “A man never cries: barriers to holistic care for male survivors of sexual violence in eastern DRC”, Medicine, Conflict and Survival.

Quattrochi, John, Biaba Rosalie, Nordås Ragnhild, Østby Gudrun, Alldén Susanne, Cikara Aline, Namegabe Esther, Amisi Christine. 2019: “Effects of an empowerment program for survivors of sexual violence on attitudes and beliefs: evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo”. International Journal for Equity in Health, 18 (149).

Nordås, Ragnhild, Østby, Gudrun, Rustad, Siri Aas, Amisi Christine, Biaba Rosalie, Quattrocchi, John, Alldén, Susanne, Cikara Aline. 2016: Social Inclusion of Survivors of Sexual Violence: How Do Support Programs Work?”, PRIO Paper. Oslo: PRIO.

Nordås, Ragnhild; Gudrun Østby; Rosalie Biaba; Christine Amisi; John Quattrochi; Susanne Alldén; Esther Namegabe & Aline Cikara. 2016, ”From Pain to Empowerment?”, PRIO Paper. Oslo: PRIO.