Malliga Och, PhD

Public Engagement

My research projects strive to be ‘actionable research’ in the sense that my research findings should provide valuable insight and guidance to political practitioners. Beyond academic outlets, I publish my research in media outlets and popular press to reach political and social stakeholders outside the academic community and share my expertise on radio and television. I have co-authored a working paper for UN Women and a policy analysis for the City and County of Denver. I have published my research in domestic and international media outlets including but not limited to Ms Magazine, The Conversation, the Huffington Post, Liberal – Das Magazin, and Australian Outlook; I have been quoted as an expert in USA Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer, China Global Television Network, Nikkei News; and I have appeared as an expert on women’s political representation on local news, webinars for UN Women, Voice of America, and I was the co-host for “Know Your Media” (KISU public radio).

Media Contributions

  1. Och, M. (2024). “State Supreme Court Races Will Determine Abortion Access in Several States” in Ms Magazine
  2. Och, M. (2022). “Busting the Filibuster” in Ms Magazine 
  3. Och, M. and J. Piscopo (2022). “Democrats Can’t Make Compromises On Abortion And Still Call Themselves Champions Of Women’s Rights” in Australian Outlook, May 25. Australian Institute of International Affairs. 
  4. Expert Interview featured in “Best and Worst States for Women”, February 2022
  5. Voice of America. Current Time America on NASDQ introduction of soft quota for women and minorities on corporate boards (12 Dec 2020)
  6. Co-Host (2018-2020) Know Your Media on KISU. Episodes available here.
  7. Och, M. and Shauna Shames. 2019. “Only 1 out of 36 Newly Elected Female Representatives in Congress Is Republican – Here’s Why It Matters.” The Conversation.
  8. Och, M. 2019. Gender Matters. Fünf Provokante Thesen. Liberal. Das Magazin für Freiheit. Volume 1, pp. 26-27
  9. Och, M. 2019. The Rise of Women. Akzente.
  10. Och, M., 2017. Macron and Trudeau shouldn’t be so proud of appointing women to their Cabinets. The Conversation.
  11. Och, M. and J. Piscopo. 2017. Marine Le Pen didn’t win over women. Can anyone on the far right? The Conversation.
  12. Och, M. and S. Shames. 2017. Marching Beyond Red vs. Blue. Huffington Post.
  13. Och, M. and J. Piscopo. 2017. From the Stove to the Frontlines? Gender and Populism in Latin American and Western Europe. Duck of Minerva.

In The News

  1. #Women Lead Newsletter (2021) We asked Germans what Angela Merkel’s leadership has meant to them. Here’s what they said. Issue 68
  2. Becky Jacobs (2020). Utah Republican Women say they are not an ‘endangered species’. Salt Lake Tribune. Feb 25
  3. Maureen Groppe (2019). It’s not just Sen. Martha McSally. #MeToo and more women in Congress mean more stories like hers. USA Today. March 11
  4. Anna Orso (2019). In the women’s movement of 2019, where do Republicans fit in? Philadelphia Inquirer. Jan. 31
  5. Maureen Groppe (2018). ‘This is not reflective of the American public:’ House GOP women press for answers as their ranks shrink. USA Today. Dec 13.
  6. Carter Sherman (2018). 11 States have no women in Congress. These candidates are trying to change that. Vice News. Sep. 5
  7. Erica Snow and Syd Stone (2018) In the #MeToo era, young conservative women look for their spot. Public Radio International. March 16

Invited Talks

  1. “Bringing Human Rights Home. What Cities for CEDAW can teach us,” keynote speaker, Women’s Intercultural Network, International Human Rights Day celebration, December 2025
  2. “Preparing Your Job Market Files,” invited panelist, Women in Legislative Studies Professional Development Seminar, May 2025
  3. “Cities for CEDAW–From Promise to Commitment,” invited speaker, the Human Rights Hub at the CUNY Graduate Center, April 2025
  4. “Cities for CEDAW–Localizing Human Rights in the United States,” invited speaker, Global Studies Seminar Series, March 2025
  5. “Shifting standards? The new pro-women bias in politics and its implications for gender and politics research,” Roundtable participant at the 2024 European Conference on Gender and Politics
  6. “Are women better Crisis Managers?” virtual speaker at monthly member meeting of Zonta Club Pocatello, February 2024
  7. Expert Interview featured in “Best and Worst States for Women”, February 2022
  8. Roundtable on ‘German elections and their potential effects for gender equality and diversity in the Bundestag’ for EUGenDem virtual workshop sessions on‘Gender, democracy, and polarized politics in Europe’, invited speaker, November 2021
  9. “Webinar: putting a gender lens on leadership in COVID-19 response and recovery,” UN Women, invited speaker, November 2021
  10. “Impact of the Pandemic on Women Webinar,” Kutak Rock LLP, invited speaker, October 2021
  11. “Old, White and Male? Documenting Exclusionary Networks in the Profession” roundtable participant, Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Seattle, September 2021
  12. Voice of America.Current Time America on NASDAQ introduction of soft quota for women and minorities on corporate boards, December 12, 2020
  13. AOPSSS–Asian Online Political Science Seminar Series, invited discussant, November 2020
  14. “Are Women Leaders Better in a Pandemic? Separating Fact from Fiction,” panelist, Gender & Politics, Speaker Series, Occidental College, July 2020
  15. “Women and 2020 Election,” TV guest, 10 pm News, KPVI, Pocatello, ID, March 2020
  16. “Corporate Board Diversity and the Impact of Policy Discourse. An exploration of Germany and Japan,” University of Tokyo, March 2019
  17. “Intersectionality, Inequality, and Collective Action,” panelist, UN Week Occidental College, February 2019
  18. “Republican Women and Local Activism,” Hastings College, February 2019
  19. “GRAD SCHOOL: Getting the Most from Your Conference Experience,” Roundtable, Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Baltimore, MD, August 2018
  20. “GRAD SCHOOL: How to Survive Graduate School,” Roundtable, Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Baltimore, MD, August 2018
  21. “Know your Media” Show co-host, KISU Public Radio, Episodes available on KISU’s website, 2017-2020
  22. “The Future of Women in Politics in Germany, the US, and Beyond. Opportunities for Women’s Political Leadership,” Center for European Studies at Rutgers University, Rutgers University, December 2, 2016
  23. (With Donna Lybecker) “The European Union and Brexit”, New Knowledge Adventures, Idaho State University Continuing Education, Pocatello, Idaho
  24. “The 2014 Midterm Elections and its Meaning for Women on the Federal Level.” Emerge Colorado, November 2014
  25. “Post Midterm Election Analysis.” Raising Ms. President Google Hangout, November 11, 2014
  26. “Lessons from Abroad. The Impact of Electoral Systems on Women’s Representation.” Representation 2020 Meeting. Washington, DC, October 9, 2014
  27. “Imagined Communities– Germany’s struggles to confront its cultural diversity.” Department of Communication, Colorado State University; April 25, 2013

Contact Me

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ochm [at] denison.edu

100 W College St

Granville OH 43023