Dr Melissa Johnston
Deputy Director, Rotary Peace Centre
ARC DECRA Research Fellow
School of Political Science and International Studies
+61 7 336 57014
Our Rotary Peace Centre Deputy Director, Dr Melissa Johnston, is a Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies in POLSIS.
Melissa’s research examines how gender-based violence, gender inequality, and marriage markets may lead to violent conflict. She has won several awards, including best thesis in political studies (2019) and best article in political economy (2020). Melissa’s research on the links between misogyny and violent extremism has been cited by the UN Secretary General and other international organisations. She is currently working on her Australia Research Council DECRA project on ‘Brideprice, Conflict, and Violence Against Women in Asia’.
Her specific portfolio includes the Applied Field Experience (AFE), the International Day of Peace, and academic mentorship for Rotary Peace Fellows during their studies.
Publications
Book
Johnston, Melissa (2023). Building peace, rebuilding patriarchy: the failure of gender interventions in Timor-Leste. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University PressNew York. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197637999.001.0001
Book Chapter
Johnston, Melissa (2022). Feminist methods in international relations research. Handbook of research methods in international relations. (pp. 214-231) edited by R. Huddleston, Thomas Jamieson and Patrick James. Northampton, MA USA: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781839101014.00022
Journal Articles
Lingham, Jayanthi Thiyaga and Johnston, Melissa (2024). Running on empty: depletion and social reproduction in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Antipode. doi: 10.1111/anti.13016
Johnston, Melissa (2023). Brideprice's relationship to conflict, class, and violence against women. Journal of Global Security Studies, 8 (1) ogac043, 1-18. doi: 10.1093/jogss/ogac043
Mollica, Caitlin, Davies, Sara E., True, Jacqui, Eddyono, Sri Wiyanti, Fonseka, Bhavani and Johnston, Melissa (2022). Women and the justice divide in Asia Pacific: how can informal and formal institutions bridge the gap?. Human Rights Quarterly, 44 (3), 612-639. doi: 10.1353/hrq.2022.0029
Johnston, Melissa, Davies, Sara E., True, Jacqui and Riveros-Morales, Yolanda (2021). "Patriarchal reset" in the asia pacific during COVID-19: the impacts on women's security and rights. The Pacific Review, 36 (3), 1-28. doi: 10.1080/09512748.2021.2005123
Johnston, Melissa Frances (2020). Frontier finance: the role of microfinance in debt and violence in post-conflict Timor-Leste. Review of International Political Economy, 27 (6), 1305-1329. doi: 10.1080/09692290.2020.1733633
Johnston, Melissa Frances, Iqbal, Muhammad and True, Jacqui (2020). The lure of (violent) extremism: gender constructs in online recruitment and messaging in Indonesia. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 46 (4), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/1057610X.2020.1759267
Gerard, Kelly and Johnston, Melissa (2019). Explaining microfinance's resilience: the case of microfinance in Australia. Globalizations, 16 (6), 876-893. doi: 10.1080/14747731.2018.1560188
Conference Papers
Johnston, Melissa (2023). Patriarchal accumulation regimes: do men also appropriate women’s labour and commodities as men, not just as part of capitalist patriarchy?. European International Studies Association Conference, Potsdam, Germany, 5-9 September 2023.
Lingham, Jayanthi and Johnston, Melissa (2023). Running on empty: depletion and social reproduction in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. European International Studies Association Conference, Potsdam, Germany, 5-9 September 2023.
Johnston, Melissa (2023). Patriarchal accumulation regimes: do men also appropriate women’s labour and commodities as men, not just as part of capitalist patriarchy?. Asian Studies Association of Australia Workshop Examining the “hidden abode” of social reproduction, marriage, and violence in Southeast Asia, Salatiga, Indonesia, 20-21 July 2023.
Johnston, Melissa and Meger, Sara (2022). Linkages between violent misogyny and violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism. Linkages between violent misogyny and violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism, Vienna, Austria, 9 September.
Johnston, Melissa, Riveros-Morales, Yolanda and True, Jacqui (2022). Misogyny and violent extremism: investigating missing variables. European International Studies Association Conference, Athens, Greece , 1-4 September 2022.
Johnston, Melissa and Lingham, Jayanthi (2022). War on two fronts: gender and the ethnonationalist state. Australian International Political Economy Network , Brisbane, QLD Australia, 3-4 February 2022.
Generic Document
Segrave, Marie, Maher, JaneMaree, Fitz-Gibbon, Kate, Johnston, Melissa, Ulbrick, Madeline, Forbes-Mewett, Helen, McCulloch, Jude, Pickering, Sharon and Wickes, Rebecca (2018). Submission to Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs: the practice of dowry and the incidence of dowry abuse in Australia. Australian Parliament House.
Research Reports
Meger, Sara, Johnston, Melissa and Riveros-Morales, Yolanda (2024). Misogyny, racism and violent extremism in Australia: policy brief. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: The University of Melbourne.
Pospisil, Jan, Johnston, Melissa, Garang, Adut Alaak and Tai, Nyachangkuoth Rambang (2023). Bring enough cows to marry: Brideprice, conflict, and gender relations in South Sudan. Coventry, United Kingdom: University of Coventry.
Johnston, Melissa and Meger, Sara (2022). Linkages between violent misogyny and violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism. Vienna, Austria: The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Johnston, Melissa, True, Jacqui, Davies, Sara, Riveros-Morales, Yolanda and Phillips, Sara (2020). Mapping the impact of COVID-19 in the Indo-Pacific region II: women, peace and security practitioner views. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Monash University.
Johnston, Melissa, True, Jacqui, Gordon, Eleanor, Chilmeran, Yasmin and Riveros-Morales, Yolanda (2020). Building a stronger evidence base: a gender sensitive approach to empowering women for peaceful communities. Melbourne, VIC Australia: Monash GPS and UN Women.
Johnston, Melissa, True, Jacqui, Benalla, Zineb, Imeina, Abir, Basha, Faiza and El Farsi, Oum Elezz (2019). Gender equality and violent extremism: a research agenda for Libya. Melbourne, VIC Australia: Monash GPS and UN Women.
Johnston, Melissa and True, Jacqui (2019). Misogyny and violent extremism: implications for preventing violent extremism. Melbourne, VIC Australia: Monash University and UN Women.
Seminar Papers
Johnston, Melissa (2023). The study of brideprice in international relations: re-invigorating feminist materialist analysis of patriarchy. 9th Annual Symposium on Women Peace and Security. Program on Women Peace and Security, The Bush School of Government, Texas A and M University.
Johnston, Melissa (2023). Building peace, rebuilding patriarchy. SEAC Seminar Series. LSE Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, London School of Economics.
Johnston, Melissa (2022). Studying brideprice: A new approach using political economy, gender, and social conflict. Moviementu Letras, Dili, East Timor.
Johnston, Melissa (2021). Managing crisis on multiple fronts: Southeast Asian women's leadership during COVID-19. Pacific Forum, US Indo-Pacific Command .
Johnston, Melissa (2021). Frontier finance: the role of microfinance in debt and violence in post-conflict Timor-Leste. Credit Markets and Household Debt in Southeast Asia. Yusof Ishak Institute, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Johnston, Melissa and Lingham, Jayanthi (2020). Inclusive economies, enduring peace in Myanmar and Sri Lanka: implications for policymakers. Monash Gender Peace and Security, Melbourne, Monash University, Melbourne.