Biography

Tanya Bandula-Irwin is a PhD Student in Political Science at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on insurgent group financing and governance, with a particular focus on the role of tax in rebel group behaviours and outcomes. Her research typically focuses on sub-Saharan Africa and the Horn of Africa. She has worked as a consultant and researcher on matters of security, governance, and taxation for the World Bank, Danish Refugee Council, Just Governance Group, and International Centre for Tax and Development. Tanya is also a Junior Fellow with the Defence and Security Foresight Group of Canada, a Canadian Security and Defence Network Laureate (2019-2020) and Executive Vice-President of the Toronto chapter of Women in International Security-Canada.

Research Interests

• Armed non-state actors
• Insurgent group governance
• Civil war
• Tax, conflict, and development

Education

• Ph.D Student, Political Science, University of Toronto
• M.A., International Affairs, the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University
• B.A. (Hons), Political Studies, Queen’s University

 Publications

• Bandula-Irwin, T. (Forthcoming). Gender and Bias in Research Ethics Approval: Getting Women in the Field. In Gender in Academia. UBC Press.