Professor Dr. Maliha Chishti

Biography

Maliha Chishti’s research focuses on Muslim cultural politics, peacebuilding, and international development. She employs decolonial postcolonial feminist approaches to examine the international-local aid encounters in war-affected Muslim-majority states. Her current research in Afghanistan looks at the intersections of gender, race, religion, and empire within the context of peacebuilding and foreign-funded gender reforms. Chishti has published work on Islamic feminism, human rights, peace, and security, addressing the orientalist underpinnings of the 'War on Terror'. Beyond her scholarly contributions, she has extensive practitioner experience, having served as the Director of the Hague Appeal for Peace at the United Nations, where she contributed to the historic Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. In addition, she implemented post-conflict gender training programs for women in Afghanistan and was appointed by the Canadian government as a Social Impact Consultant for Canada’s largest signature aid project in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Research Interests