Visiting Scholar: Almashaal, Jaafar

Jaafar Rikan Muair Almashaal is currently a PhD candidate at Universiti Utara Malaysia, specialising in the protection of women’s digital freedom of expression within the field of socio-legal studies. His research focuses on the lived experiences of women exercising their freedom of expression in Iraq, particularly within digital and social media environments.
His academic work explores key themes including digital rights, women’s online expression on social media platforms, and the legal and social challenges surrounding online freedom of expression. His research employs both quantitative methods and semi-structured interviews to examine these issues in depth. He has also contributed to discussions on legal reform through proposed initiatives such as online safety legislation and the right to be forgotten.
Almashaal’s broader research interests include international human rights law, digital freedoms, and the realities and challenges associated with online expression in contemporary societies. Currently, he is engaged in research on protecting women’s freedom of expression in Iraq and seeks to expand international academic collaboration through the Visiting Scholar programme.
Area(s) of expertise: Digital rights, freedom of expression, women's rights, socio-legal studies , human rights law