Directory of Research and Expertise

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Research Summary and Profile

Research interests:

Civil Rights, Colonies & Colonization, emigration & immigration, Communities, Classes, Races, Cultural memory, Gender studies, Human rights, International Law, International Relations, Law, Political Institutions, Politics

Summary of research interests and expertise:

Dr. Pérez Vásquez is a established interdisciplinary scholar, she has a PhD from SOAS, University of London, and 20+ years of academic and professional experience in human rights (including women's and children's rights) and rule of law (access to justice, transitional justice, security sector reform).

She is a published author and seasoned speaker with experience working at both local and international levels (academia, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, private sector).

Dr. Pérez Vásquez has led human rights investigations and monitoring missions and managed research projects, reports, advocacy campaigns, coalition building, institutional capacity development, training activities, grants search/management, and gender analysis.

She is regularly invited to speak and share expertise as keynote presenter, panellist and discussant on topics including Transitional Justice; Human Rights mechanisms; Women, Peace and Security (WPS); Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR); Latin American politics. Audiences include government institutions, civil society organisations, academic institutions, think tanks.

Dr. Pérez Vásquez is the author of Women's Access to Transitional Justice in Timor-Leste (2022). She conducted a global book tour and delivered presentations at leading academic institutions (Oxford, Yale, Harvard). The book received a $42.000 USAID grant for (a) its translation into Tetum (local language) and (b) its dissemination among Timorese universities and in rural areas.

She has lived, worked and taught accross continents (11 countries in total): Colombia, Timor-Leste, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Norway, Switzerland, UK, USA.

Dr. Pérez Vásquez is a national of Venezuela, United Kingdom and France. She is fluent and has professional experience in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. She has also some competency in Norwegian, Italian and Tetum. 

Research Interests: International and Comparative Law; Human Rights (norms and policies); Rule of Law; Gender and the Law; Transitional Justice; Access to Justice; Peacemaking and Peacebuilding; Children's Rights; Race & Ethnicity Studies.

Project summary relevant to Fellowship:

Dr. Pérez Vásquez has developed a postgraduate course on women's rights, which she delivered innovative curricula integrating international human rights frameworks and post-colonial studies with a practical-oriented lens. In her course, she introduced interdisciplinary teaching methods, combining law, politics, sociology and policy analysis.

She is a member of several specialised rosters, including Justice Rapid Response (JRR) and NORDEM/NORCAP (Norway). She continues providing expert guidance and support to different institutions and entities. 

Publication Details

Related publications/articles:

Date	Details
01-Jun-2023	‘A Change of Narrative: Protecting Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Post-Conflict Criminal Justice’, co-authored with Liiri Oja, Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, vol. 43 (1), 2023. Re-published in Lebrón, A., Kraiem, D. and Abrams, J. (eds.), Gender and the Law, Thomson Reuters, 2023. Journal articles
01-May-2023	‘Last On the List: The Protection of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Timor-Leste’s Transitional Justice Process’, Nordic Journal of Human Rights, vol. 40 (3), 2022. Journal articles
16-Jun-2022	Women's Access to Transitional Justice in Timor-Leste: The Blind Letters, Oxford, Bloomsbury/Hart Press (published in paperback in 2023). Monographs Seeing the role of transitional justice as an area of contestation, this book focuses on the principle of equality guaranteed in the access to transitional justice mechanisms. By raising women's experiences in dealing with the law and policies as well as the implications of community and family practices during post-conflict situations, the book shows how these mechanisms may have been implemented mechanically, without considering the different intersections of discrimination, the public and private divides that exist in the local context or the stereotypes and values of international and national actors.  The book argues that without unpacking the barriers in the administration of transitional justice, the different mechanisms that are implemented in a post-conflict situation may set a higher threshold for the participation of women. Moreover, by taking into account women's perceptions of justice, it further argues that scholars have paid insufficient attention to the welfare structures that are produced after a conflict, particularly the pensions of veterans. Going beyond the focus on sexual violence, a relationship between the violations and post-conflict economic justice may have longer-term consequences for women since it perpetuates their inequality and lack of recognition in times of peace. The use of transitional justice may thus exacerbate the invisibility of and discrimination against certain sections of the population.  Inspired by the work of Hannah Arendt and based on extensive field research in Timor-Leste, the book has larger implications for the overarching debate on the social consequences of transitional justice.
01-Jun-2022	‘I asked God’: Reparations for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Timor-Leste’s Transitional Justice Process’, LSE Women, Peace and Security, 2022. Articles
01-Jun-2020	‘Acceso de las mujeres a la justicia transicional’, Foro Chevening de Justicia Transicional: Aproximación a los desafíos para Venezuela, Caracas, Embajada Británica, 2020. Conference papers
01-May-2019	‘The ‘Fallen’ Miss Venezuela: The Sexualisation of the Venezuelan Tragedy’, Justice in Conflict, 2019. The article was additionally translated into Spanish and Portuguese. Articles
12-Apr-2017	‘The Impact of the UN on women’s access to justice in post-conflict societies’, in Peluso Meyer, E. (ed.), Justiça de Transição em Perspectiva Transnacional, Belo Horizonte, MG, UFGM, 2017. Edited Book
05-Aug-2012	‘Fighting Poverty in the US and Europe’, by Alesina, A. & Glaeser, E. L., reviewed in Nordic Journal of Human Rights, vol. 30 (2), 2012. Review

Research Projects & Supervisions

Available for doctoral supervision: Yes

Relevant Events

Related events:

Date	Details
16-Apr-2026	Trainer, capacity building provided to journalists interviewing victims in Venezuela, Zoom (16 April).
03-Apr-2025	Speaker, Department of Law, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá (3 April 2025, 18 April 2024, 29 March 2023).
23-Apr-2024	Keynote speaker, Human Rights Research Methods in the Field, Global Campus of Human Rights, Asia-Pacific Region/ Web seminar (23 April)
27-Mar-2024	Speaker, LSE SU United Nations Society, London (27 March).
22-Sep-2023	Speaker, The Citadel, Military College, South Carolina (22 September)
17-Mar-2023	Keynote speaker, LSE United Nations Alumni Fair, London (17 March).
14-Nov-2022	Panellist, Women in International Law, LSE, London (14 November)
11-Jul-2022	Keynote speaker, ‘The Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders’, Summer School on Human Rights Education, Global Campus of Human Rights, supported by EU, Dili (11 July)
17-Dec-2020	Speaker, Applying socio-legal and empirical approaches to law, European University Institute, Florence/Web seminar (17 December)
02-Oct-2020	Speaker, Sexual Violence Crimes in the Fact-Finding Mission Report on Venezuela, Defiende Venezuela (NGO), Caracas / Web seminar (02 October).
24-Aug-2020	Keynote speaker, Modern Slavery: A Global Phenomenon, Venezuelan Presidential Commission of Human Rights and Attention to Victims, Caracas/ Web seminar (24 August).
16-Jun-2020	Speaker, Department of Law, European University Institute, Florence/Zoom (16 June).
21-Nov-2019	Keynote speaker, Chevening Transitional Justice Forum, UK Embassy, Caracas (21-22 November).
24-Oct-2019	Moderator, Gender Studies Conference: On Violence, University of Helsinki (24-26 October).
25-Sep-2019	Keynote speaker, Universidad Metropolitana, Caracas (23 November).
24-Oct-2018	Trainer to the Colombian Truth, Coexistence and Non-Recurrence Commission and provided technical advice on the Protocol on Sexual Violence, Bogotá (24-25 October).
23-Oct-2018	Speaker, Law Department, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Bogotá (23 October).
23-Aug-2018	Speaker, Law School, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro (23 August).
18-Jun-2018	Discussant, Intensive Doctoral Week, Law School of SciencesPo, Paris (18-22 June). Paper presented: ‘The Blind Letters: Women’s access to transitional justice in post-conflict societies A look into the experience of Timor-Leste’.
02-Jun-2018	Panellist and moderator, Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) Conference, Harvard Law School, USA (2-3 June). Paper presented: ‘Breaking the silence: discrimination against women in post-conflict justice’.
27-Mar-2018	Speaker, Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) conference, UK (27-29 March 2018). Papers presented: ‘Women’s Access to Transitional Justice: the case of Timor-Leste’.
07-Jan-2018	Discussant, Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) workshop, Harvard Law School, Bangkok (7-11 January 2018). Paper presented: ‘Women’s Access to DDR and Veterans’ Post-conflict Pensions’.
08-Dec-2017	Panellist, Transitional Justice, Gender and Reproduction Narratives Workshop, University of Sussex (8 December).
20-Jun-2017	Speaker, Law and Society Association (LSA) Annual Meeting, Mexico City (20-23 June). Paper presented: ‘Women’s Access to Transitional Justice in Timor-Leste’.
23-Nov-2016	Panellist, International Congress of Transitional Justice, Belo Horizonte (23-25 November). Paper presented: ‘The UN impact on the implementation of transitional justice laws and mechanisms for the protection of women’s rights’.
10-Oct-2016	Trainer, Human Rights and People’s Diplomacy Training Programme. A course founded by José Ramos-Horta for Asia-Pacific human rights defenders, Dili, (10-26 October).
21-Jun-2016	Discussant, Transnational Law Summer Institute, King’s College London (21-30 June). Paper presented: ‘The Impact of the UN on women’s access to justice in post-conflict societies’.
05-Apr-2016	Speaker, Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA) conference, UK (5-7 April 2016). Paper presented: ‘The Impact of the UN on women’s access to justice in post-conflict societies’.
17-Jan-2016	Discussant, Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) workshop, Harvard Law School. Cape Town (17-23 January 2016). Paper presented: ‘The UN impact on the implementation of transitional justice laws and mechanisms for the protection of women’s rights’.
02-Jul-2012	Lecturer, Human Rights, University of Oslo International Summer School (2-9 July).

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