University of Aberdeen to Study Families' Role in Prisoner of War and Missing Soldier Returns
New project by University of Aberdeen researchers will investigate how families, particularly wives and mothers, aid in bringing loved ones home from conflict.
By Morag Henderson
••3 min read
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Researchers from the University of Aberdeen are launching a new project to examine the crucial role families, particularly wives and mothers, play in helping prisoners of war and missing soldiers return from conflict.
A new project involving researchers from the University of Aberdeen will study how families support prisoners of war and missing soldiers to return from the Ukraine-Russia war. Prisoner exchanges have continued throughout the conflict and remain a rare area of cooperation between Ukraine and Russia, yet the specific role of military families in these efforts is not well understood.
The study will focus on the contributions of soldiers' families, especially wives and mothers, in facilitating the return of their loved ones. The findings are intended to assist policymakers and civil society organisations engaged in conflict mediation, human rights, and peacebuilding.
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"There is a long-standing tendency to overlook or dismiss the role of civil society and, particularly, women-led groups in humanitarian mediation of international conflicts. This project builds on research examining the activism of soldiers’ mothers and women in military families, seeking to advance understanding of the drastically changed dimensions of the 21st century wartime humanitarianism."
The University of Aberdeen will establish connections with peace and humanitarian organisations in Scotland. The UN House Scotland and Beyond Borders Scotland: Women in Conflict UNSCR 1325 Women, Peace and Security Agenda will host a series of workshops as part of the initiative.
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"Behind every prisoner exchange or the return of a missing soldier are families searching for answers about their loved ones. Yet we know surprisingly little about the role military families – and especially the women in military families - play in these processes. Our research will explore how families organise, advocate for their relatives and work with governments, humanitarian organisations and international mediators during wartime. By examining these experiences, we hope the findings will improve understanding of the human impact of conflict and provide insights that can help better support families and communities affected by war."
This three-year project, funded by the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), involves researchers from the University of Aberdeen, Aberystwyth University, and Nottingham Trent University. Project partners include the Institute of International Relations in Prague and the peacebuilding organisation International Alert. A series of workshops will be organised for policymakers, practitioners, and civil society organisations.
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"Prisoner exchanges offer an important opportunity to understand how conflict mediation is changing, as established humanitarian organisations work alongside mediators such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Türkiye. By examining how their efforts connect with those of families and civil society, our research will identify lessons for more inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches to conflict mediation."
The project will launch at Aberystwyth University on 4 November and at the University of Aberdeen on 11 November. The Aberdeen launch event, co-hosted with the Institute for Conflict, Transition, and Peace Studies, will take place on Wednesday, 11 November, from 3pm to 4:30pm GMT in the Sir Duncan Rice Library Meeting 1/Breakout Room. Attendees can join in person or via MS Teams.
