Aberystwyth study to examine how families help bring prisoners of war home

Nation.Cymru staff

The role of wives and mothers in efforts to bring home prisoners of war and missing soldiers will be examined in a three-year study led by Aberystwyth University.

Prisoner exchanges have continued throughout Russia’s war against Ukraine and remain one of the few areas in which the two countries still cooperate. Researchers say much less is understood about what happens away from the negotiating table, as families search for information, campaign for relatives and seek help from governments and humanitarian organisations.

Dr Jenny Mathers, a senior lecturer in Aberystwyth University’s Department of International Politics, is leading the project.

“Behind every prisoner exchange or the return of a missing soldier are families searching for answers about their loved ones,” she said.

“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.”

The team will examine government policies, media coverage and publicly available information. Researchers will also interview experts and representatives of organisations involved in prisoner exchanges to explore how families’ efforts connect with the work of those arranging returns.

The project brings together academics from Aberystwyth University, the University of Aberdeen and Nottingham Trent University. They will work with the Institute of International Relations in Prague and the peacebuilding organisation International Alert.

Dr Natasha Danilova, a co-lead from the University of Aberdeen, said the project would build on earlier research into the activism of soldiers’ mothers and other women in military families.

“There is a long-standing tendency to overlook or dismiss the role of civil society and, particularly, women-led groups in international conflicts,” she said.

Mediation

The study will also look at the role of countries that have helped mediate exchanges. Dr Katerina Krulisova, a co-lead from Nottingham Trent University, said the exchanges offered a way to understand how mediation was changing as established humanitarian organisations worked alongside countries 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,” she said.

The researchers will hold workshops with policymakers, practitioners and civil society groups. They hope the findings will help people working in conflict mediation, human rights and peacebuilding better support families affected by war.

The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.