Emily Winterbotham
Emily Winterbotham is the Director of Terrorism and Conflict Studies at RUSI, where she leads work across London, Brussels, and Nairobi on terrorism, counterterrorism, peacebuilding, and fragile states, with a particular focus on Asia, especially Afghanistan and Pakistan.
For over 15 years, she has combined desk research and field postings in international policy environments, including a decade working on conflict in Afghanistan. Between 2009 and 2015, she operated in Afghanistan and Pakistan (most notably as Political Adviser for the European Union Special Representative, where she focused on the Afghan peace process, violent extremism, and insurgent networks in South Asia). From 2009 to 2011, she conducted community-based qualitative work for the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, studying conflict resolution, reconciliation, and pathways for demobilizing and reintegrating former Taliban fighters. She also serves as a Deployable Civilian Expert for the UK Government’s Stabilisation Unit.
On the publication side, Winterbotham is co-author of Countering Violent Extremism: Making Gender Matter (2020) and Conflict, Violent Extremism and Development: New Challenges, New Responses (2018).
Her CVE research has notably addressed the concept of gendered radicalisation and the dynamics by which men and women engage differently with extremist ideologies and how counter-extremism programs can better integrate gender perspectives. For example, in the Different Cities, Shared Stories project, she helped lead comparative qualitative research across Canada and Europe on gendered narratives of radicalization, shaping policy dialogue on how interventions can avoid reinforcing gendered assumptions.
Emily has a BA in history from University College London, and a Master of Science in Global Politics, International Relations and Affairs from the London School of Economics. She combines deep field experience in South Asia with research rigor on extremism, gender, and peace, making her a prominent voice in CVE and conflict studies.
To read a more in-depth analysis of the situation in Afghanistan and what the international community can do next, click the Read button below, and click on the Listen button to hear Emily give her expertise to our host, Dominic Bowen.
