Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr. Alexandra Phelan is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Monash University. Her research interests include insurgent governance and legitimation activities, insurgent women and gender, political violence, illicit financing and organised crime with particular focus on Latin America. She has published on insurgent legitimation strategies, the Colombian conflict, and women in terrorism. She is the author of the book, The Combination of All Forms of Struggle: Insurgent Legitimation and State Response to FARC (Columbia University Press, 2025) and the editor of the book Terrorism, Gender and Women: Toward an Integrated Research Agenda (Routledge, 2021). She currently serves as an associate editor for the journal, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. She is also a Small Wars Journal- El Centro Fellow, and an Associate Fellow with RUSI's Terrorism and Conflict group.
Alex was the Deputy Director of the Monash Gender, Peace and Security Centre (Monash GPS) between 2020-2022, where her research at GPS focused on gendered approaches to understanding terrorism and political violence. Before she was appointed a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Monash GPS. She was also a visiting scholar at Georgetown University's Centre for Security Studies, Walsh School of Foreign Service (2019).
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research area keywords
- Terrorism
- Conflict
- Latin American Politics
- Latin American Studies
- Security Studies
- Insurgency
- gender analysis
- gender
- women, peace and security agenda
- Organised crime
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Supporting secondary school teachers to address online spaces as pathways to gender-based violence for boys and men: teacher professional development to tackle the influence of the 'manosphere'
Pfitzner, N. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), McCook, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wescott, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Roberts, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Phelan, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Clark , O. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Hewson-Munro, S. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Hendriks, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Cavalin, R. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Hendriks, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Harris, B. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Contos, C. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Atkin, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Eap, K. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Trevaskis, L. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Willmett , S. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Fahour, H. (Associate Investigator (AI))
29/07/24 → 31/08/26
Project: Research
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Networks for Peace: Gender and Violent Extremism Research
True, J. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Phelan, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Stenger, H. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Riveros Morales, Y. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mead, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Buranajaroenkij, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Gunasena Serasundera, A. M. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Fernando, V. (Chief Investigator (CI))
United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Monash University – Internal School Contribution
31/03/22 → 31/07/24
Project: Research
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Misogyny, hostile beliefs and the transmission of extremism: a comparison of the far-right in the UK and Australia
Phelan, A. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), True, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), White, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wallner, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Winterbotham, E. (Chief Investigator (CI))
5/10/21 → 31/10/22
Project: Research
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Gender Analysis of Violent Extremism and the Impact of COVID-19 on Peace and Security in ASEAN
True, J. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Phelan, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Gayatri, I. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Marddent, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Gamao, S. J. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Riveros Morales, Y. (Chief Investigator (CI))
29/07/21 → 31/03/22
Project: Research
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Gendered narratives and misogyny as motivators towards violent extremism: The case of far-right extremism in the UK and Australia
Phelan, A., White, J., Wallner, C. & Paterson, J., 2025, In: Terrorism and Political Violence. 37, 7, p. 961-978 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Insurgencies as gendered organisations: a synthetical approach to understanding gender relations in insurgent groups
Schmid, C. & Phelan, A., 2025, In: Critical Studies on Terrorism. 18, 1, p. 19-44 26 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
The Combination of All Forms of Struggle: Insurgent Legitimation and State Response to FARC
Phelan, A., 2025, New York NY USA: Columbia University Press. 328 p. (Columbia Studies in Terrorism and Irregular Warefare)Research output: Book/Report › Book › Research › peer-review
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Third generation cartels and transnational gangs: an afterword
Phelan, A., 2025, Third Generation Gangs and Transnational Cartels: A Small Wars Journal-El Centro Anthology. Sullivan, J. P. & Bunker, R. J. (eds.). Indiana USA: Xlibris, p. 701-706 6 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Foreword / Postscript › Other
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Radicalisation through gaming: The role of gendered social identity
Phelan, A., White, J. & Wallner, C., 17 Dec 2024, London UK: Royal United Services Institute. 81 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned Report › Other
Prizes
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2019 Young Women To Watch In International Affairs
Phelan, A. (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Faculty of Arts Dean's Award for Research: Excellence in Research by an Early Career Researcher
Phelan, A. (Recipient), 8 Aug 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Postgraduate Publication Award
Phelan, A. (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Postgraduate Publication Prize
Phelan, A. (Recipient), 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
- 1 Editorial responsibility
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Studies in Conflict and Terrorism (Journal)
Phelan, A. (Associate editor)
2024 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
Press/Media
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„Rasche Entwaffnung“: Gelingt der Frieden mit der PKK?
11/07/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Victorian students will get ‘anti-Tate’ lessons – but much more is needed to tackle gendered violence in schools
Wescott, S., Roberts, S., Pfitzner, N., McCook, S. & Phelan, A.
17/10/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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The riots aren’t just a ‘far-right’ problem – they’re a ‘man’ problem
Wescott, S., Roberts, S., Pfitzner, N., Phelan, A. & McCook, S.
6/08/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Online Gendered Narratives, LGBTQI+ Targeting, and the Far-Right in Australia and the UK
Phelan, A., Paterson, J., Wallner, C. & White, J.
28/11/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature