Chaudry secures funding for Civil Societies, Uncivil States

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has awarded Dr. Suparna Chaudhry, Assistant Professor of International Affairs, an $8,000 Short-Term Research Publication Grant. This highly competitive program evaluates candidates on the basis of “scholarly excellence; quality and originality of project design; and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.”

AAUW funding will help Dr. Chaudhry complete her book manuscript, Civil Societies, Uncivil States: Why States Repress NGOs. This project is the first systematic study of an increasing state crackdown on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). As Dr. Chaudhry indicates, “NGOs are central to contemporary global governance, and their numbers and influence have grown dramatically since the middle of the twentieth century. However, in the last three decades, more than 130 states have cracked down on these groups…States are now engaging in not just violence, but also administrative crackdown to prohibit the operations of local and international NGOs….” Dr. Chaudry’s work explores the questions of why, how, and under what conditions these crackdowns occur, as well as their impact on the NGOs and the work they’re doing. While her research is essentially complete, Dr. Chaudhry will spend this summer writing final chapters, incorporating feedback, revising and editing, finalizing the manuscript, and submitting it for publication. A subject of contemporary relevance, Civil Societies, Uncivil States will be of significant interest to human rights scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.

More information about Dr. Chaudhry’s research is available on her webpage.

April 2023