Professor Emma Tomalin

Can you tell us about your research, work and expertise in Southeast Asia?

I have two main areas of work in Southeast Asia. First, for two decades I have been researching the topic of women and Buddhism, with a particular focus on options for women's ordination within the tradition and the ways that attitudes towards gender in Buddhism shapes women's lives in both the public and private spheres. I have mostly worked in Thailand for this research. Second, more recently, I have been collaborating with colleagues in the Philippines on a project called the Hidden Peacebuilders Network, which aims to better understand the role of local faith actors in Mindanao in peacebuilding and reconciliation.