In discussion: New Voices in Cultural Relations Prize 2025 winner - Zoha Siddiqui
The joint BISA and British Council prize – New Voices in Cultural Relations - is for a Master’s dissertation which provides new scholarly insight and/or offers a new policy direction that makes an original contribution to international relations.
In 2025 Zoha Siddiqui won the prize for her dissertation Motherhood-Based Advocacy for Transitional Justice in Northern Ireland. Here Zoha talks to Juliet Dryden (BISA) and Christine Wilson (British Council) about the findings from her dissertation and why it’s important. Zoha also talks about the opportunities winning the prize has given her and what comes next, including work on an additional article focusing on Pakistan.
The judges said of Zoha’s dissertation:
"This is an impressive and original thesis on motherhood-based advocacy in Northern Ireland. Drawing on rich primary material, including oral histories, it offers a clear, theoretically informed, and methodologically attentive analysis. The thesis speaks with authority on transitional justice, highlighting important differences with other contexts. It builds a convincing argument, supported by strong evidence, and develops critical insights into the role of gender in conflict. The result is a clear, well-structured study that brings three significant original contributions to the field."
The judges also awarded Special Commendation to Aurelie Crawford (Oxford Brookes University).
