About The Position
This PhD project will investigate the relationship between misogyny as an ideology, social practice and mobilising force, and its role in contemporary forms of political violence and transnational digital repression. Drawing on emerging interdisciplinary research, the project will examine how misogynistic norms and beliefs intersect with violent narratives online and their role in broader socio-political grievances, armed conflict, extremist movements and the foreign policy of hostile states to drive acts of violence against politically-active women, including leaders, politicians, human rights defenders and humanitarian workers. The successful candidate will explore key questions such as: What are the underlying drivers that connect misogyny to gendered political violence? How do online ecosystems, offline subcultures and digital platform dynamics facilitate the spread and normalisation of misogynistic extremism? In what ways do gendered grievances interact with other ideological frameworks and political movements (e.g. far-right nationalism, authoritarian anti-democratic groups, militarised theocratic regimes) to shape pathways to violence? The PhD project will collect and analyse qualitative data at scale, including online misogyny and racist narratives, and threats against politically-active women. Adopting a cross-national comparative method, the candidate may, for instance, study narratives and/or policies across two to three countries within the Indo-Pacific region. The project places strong emphasis on identifying practical strategies for intervention, for instance, by identifying spikes in violence-related discourses in particular contexts to support prevention - including preventative diplomacy, strengthened civil society responses, and democratic resilience. It will contribute to a deeper understanding of how gender-based hostility functions within contemporary national and regional security threat landscapes. This PhD scholarship will be based within the Faculty of Arts at Monash University, the largest university in Australia which regularly ranks in the top 50 universities worldwide, and housed at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW) the world’s first Centre to tackle the full range of forms of violence against women in Australia and the Indo-Pacific region. CEVAW focuses on the structural drivers that cause and compound violence against women, pioneering new, evidence-based approaches to inform trajectory-altering practice and policy. CEVAW's interdisciplinary research is data-driven, Indigenous and survivor centred and co-designed with partners. Headquartered at Monash University, CEVAW brings together world-leading experts across the legal, security, economic, health and political systems of Australia and the Indo-Pacific region., including 14 chief investigators at seven Australian institutions, 15 partner investigators worldwide, 33 partner organisations and over 100 HDR students and postdoctoral fellows. With almost $50M investment from the ARC and contributing organisations, CEVAW is poised to make a significant, global impact. This project will be based in CEVAW’s ‘The impact of institutions on violence against women’ workstream.
Requirements
- Australian (or equivalent international) Honours or Master’s degree in a relevant field, with a significant research component and first-class honours/H1 awarded.
- Strong interest in interdisciplinary research.
- Commitment to addressing complex social harms and insecurity.
- English-language proficiency.
- Must be enrolled full-time and on campus.
- Must not already hold a PhD.
- Must be expected to enroll by 1 March 2027.
Nice To Haves
- Backgrounds in political science, international relations, criminology, sociology, gender studies or related fields.
- Experience in qualitative, quantitative and/or digital ethnography methodologies.
Responsibilities
- Investigate the relationship between misogyny and political violence.
- Examine how misogynistic norms intersect with violent narratives online.
- Analyze the role of gendered grievances in shaping pathways to violence.
- Collect and analyze qualitative data, including online misogyny and threats against politically-active women.
- Adopt a cross-national comparative method, potentially studying narratives/policies across two to three countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Identify practical strategies for intervention and prevention.
- Contribute to understanding how gender-based hostility functions within national and regional security threat landscapes.
Benefits
- Research Living Allowance, at current value of $37,145AUD per annum 2026 full-time rate (tax-free stipend, indexed)
- Additional CEVAW Top-up scholarship of $10,000AUD per annum (non-indexed)
- Allowances as per RTP stipend scholarship conditions
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
