Overview of Julia Hofstetter’s work as ICT4Peace Senior Advisor since 2021.
Julia’s research and professional engagement focusses on the intersection of cybersecurity, gender, human rights, and peacebuilding, with particular attention to how digital technologies impact conflict and human security. Her CV you find here: (https://ict4peace.org/team/julia-hofstetter/)
The Key Research Themes are:
1. Gendered Cybersecurity: Julia examines how cybersecurity issues disproportionately affect women and marginalized groups. She advocates for integrating gender perspectives and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) framework into national cybersecurity policies.
2. Postcolonial & Critical Approaches: Her work challenges traditional cybersecurity narratives by incorporating feminist and postcolonial perspectives, as seen in her analysis of data weaponization in Afghanistan.
3. Private Sector Accountability: She investigates the role of technology companies in addressing gendered cyber harms and their responsibilities in mitigating digital violence.
4. Civil Society & Digital Peacebuilding: Julia emphasizes the crucial role of civil society in shaping cybersecurity policy and addresses how digital technologies can both drive conflict and support peacebuilding efforts.
Impact & Recognition:
Representing ICT4Peace, Julia has contributed to policy research for organizations like Chatham House and Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), and has held prestigious fellowships at Harvard Kennedy School, UC Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, and Swissnex San Francisco. Her work bridges academic research, policy development, and practical implementation in the technology and human rights space.
Publications:
1, Hofstetter, Julia (2021) ‘Digital Technologies, Peacebuilding and Civil Society: Addressing Digital Conflict Drivers and Moving the Digital Peacebuilding Agenda Forward’, INEF Report 114/2021, Duisburg: Institute for Development and Peace, University of Duisburg-Essen. https://duepublico2.uni-due.de/receive/duepublico_mods_00074328
This INEF Report from the University of Duisburg-Essen’s Institute for Development and Peace explores the dual nature of digital technologies in conflict contexts—as both tools for peace and drivers of violence. Hofstetter examines how social media, surveillance systems, and other digital platforms can exacerbate tensions, spread disinformation, and enable human rights abuses, while also offering opportunities for conflict resolution, dialogue, and peacebuilding. The report emphasizes the critical role of civil society organizations in navigating these challenges and leveraging digital tools for positive social change. By addressing “digital conflict drivers,” Hofstetter provides a framework for understanding how technology-related issues must be integrated into broader peacebuilding strategies, moving beyond viewing technology as neutral and recognizing its profound impact on conflict dynamics.
2. Hofstetter, Julia, Pourmalek, Panthea (2023) ‘Gendering Cybersecurity through Women, Peace and Security: Gender and Human Rights in National-level Approaches to Cybersecurity’, GNWP & ICT4Peace.
https://ict4peace.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Gendering-Cybersecurity-through-WPS-Final-Report_March-2023.pdf
Co-authored with Panthea Pourmalek for the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) and ICT4Peace, this comprehensive report examines how the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda can and should be integrated into national cybersecurity strategies. The research analyzes how different countries approach gender considerations in their cybersecurity policies, identifying gaps and best practices in incorporating gender and human rights perspectives. The report likely provides a framework for policymakers to understand the gendered dimensions of cyber threats, from online harassment and surveillance to the exclusion of women from cybersecurity decision-making. This work serves as both an analytical tool and a practical guide for governments seeking to develop more inclusive and rights-based cybersecurity approaches.
3. Hofstetter, Julia (2023) ‘The Future of Cybersecurity Policy lies in Civil Society’, Swissfuture Magazine. Original title in German: ‘Die Zukunft der Cybersicherheitspolitik liegt in der Zivilgesellschaft’ https://www.swissfuture.ch/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/swissfuture-0423-WEB.pdf
Published in Swissfuture Magazine, this article argues that effective cybersecurity policy cannot be developed solely by governments and technical experts but must incorporate civil society perspectives and participation. Hofstetter makes the case that civil society organizations bring essential expertise on human rights, social justice, and community needs that are often overlooked in state-led cybersecurity frameworks. The piece likely challenges the militarized and state-centric approach to cybersecurity that dominates policy discussions, advocating instead for inclusive, multi-stakeholder governance models. By positioning civil society as central to the future of cybersecurity, Hofstetter emphasizes that digital security must serve people and communities, not just state interests or corporate profits.
4. Shires, James, Hofstetter, Julia, Yahaya, Mardiya Siba & Isabella Wilkinson (2024) ‘The role of the private sector in combatting gendered cyber harms’, Chatham House. https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/06/role-private-sector-combatting-gendered-cyber-harms
Co-authored with James Shires, Mardiya Siba Yahaya, and Isabella Wilkinson for Chatham House, this report investigates the responsibilities and capacities of technology companies in addressing gender-based cyber violence and harassment. The research examines how platforms and digital service providers can implement policies, design features, and governance structures to prevent and respond to online harms that disproportionately target women and gender minorities. The paper likely explores gaps in current corporate approaches and provides recommendations for strengthening private sector accountability in creating safer digital environments. This work bridges human rights advocacy with corporate governance, emphasizing that combatting gendered cyber harms requires active engagement from the companies that build and maintain digital infrastructure.
5. Hofstetter, Julia (2024) ‘Gendered and Postcolonial Perspectives on Data Weaponization in Armed Conflict: The Case of Afghanistan’, in Henshaw, Alexis & Mhajne, Anwar (ed.): ‘Critical Perspectives on Cybersecurity: Feminist and Postcolonial Interventions’, Oxford University Press. https://ict4peace.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Hofstetter-2024.pdf
This book chapter, published in Oxford University Press’s “Critical Perspectives on Cybersecurity,” examines how data and digital technologies have been weaponized in the Afghan conflict through feminist and postcolonial lenses. Hofstetter challenges conventional security-focused cybersecurity narratives by revealing how data collection, surveillance, and digital systems disproportionately harm women and marginalized communities in conflict zones. The Afghanistan case study demonstrates how colonial legacies and gender hierarchies intersect with digital technologies to create unique vulnerabilities, particularly for those already facing systemic oppression. This work contributes to expanding cybersecurity discourse beyond technical and state-centric approaches to include the lived experiences of those most affected by digital warfare.
