Dr. Busra Nisa Sarac is a Lecturer in Terrorism Studies in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) at the University of Portsmouth.
In her PhD, she conducted a study into the representation of women's experiences of (conflict-related) gender-based violence with and after the so-called Islamic State (principally Yazidi women). As a qualitative researcher, her main focus has been to compare women's own representation of their (in)security issues to the major international newspapers' portrayal of them. Her research has revealed the broader security implications of gender-based violence committed against Yazidi community, based on victimhood and survivorship narratives. Her PhD was awarded the best thesis in International Relations by the Political Studies Association (PSA) in 2023.
She is currently interested in a research that investigates and reveals broader security implications of violence perpetrated by state and non-state actors. Therefore, she is currently expanding her focus and examining all forms of gender-based violence committed by state and non-state actors.