What is the first image that comes to mind when you hear the word “politician” or “diplomat”? Seeing as the fields of international relations and political science lackdiverse representation, you likely think of a white, cisgender man. Our perceptions of who can be successful in these fields are skewed: women and gender minorities are often seen as less competent than their male counterparts, and are often excluded from having a seat at the table. The fact that these groups are sidelined in policy-making diminishes the effectiveness of policy and discounts the interests and needs of half the population. Underrepresentation and low levels of political participation among women and gender minorities remain significant issues, compounded by politically motivated violence against women and female activists.
Some of these barriers to women’s participation in politics and representation in international relations were discussed at a recent panel hosted by Tufts Women’s Higher Education Now and Tufts Women in International Relations. The panel, held in honor of International Women’s Week, included Dr. Anna Larson, Dr. Deborah Schildkraut, Agnieszka Fal-Dutra Santos of theGlobal Network of Women Peacebuilders and Heela Yoon, founder and CEO of Afghan Youth Ambassadors for Peace Organization. Fal-Dutra Santos discussed the idea of having a meaningful seat at the table. She clarified that it’s one thing to have women on an advisory board, which is often the case, and another to have women and gender non-conforming individuals as part of the actual negotiating teams, a less frequent occurrence. Additionally, panelists spoke about the need for children of all ages to see powerful non-male diplomats and overall more diverse representation in the field of international affairs. Having a diverse array of perspectives and identities at the table is essential: it influences not just the decisions made, but also the public perception of who can be an influential diplomat.
The panelists also discussed the fundraising barrier many female activists face. While it is often assumed that women need training in public speaking or negotiation, many women’s civil society organizations will tell you, “We don’t need another training in public speaking … what we need is money.” Money helps sustain political campaigns, provide resources for those recovering from politically motivated violence and fund distribution of resources to keep girls in school. Money sets the foundation for activism; without it, organizations are unable to reach their full potential.
Tufts Women in International Relations has recently been pursuing several initiatives to address these barriers, specifically the lack of representation and funding. We are attempting to gauge the diversity of authors represented in course readings in the international relations and political science departments here at Tufts. In a recent poll conducted with students who had taken Introduction to International Relations, 72.1% said they did not feel that the course’s curriculum included an adequate number of female or nonbinary authors, and 73.8% said they did not feel that the curriculum included an adequate number of authors of color.
These results indicate that action must be taken to ensure that a diversity of perspectives are represented in class material. The issue is not that there aren’t enough great works out there by women, people of color and nonbinary authors — it’s that convention and tradition are barring us from making necessary changes to the curriculum. Women in International Relations hopes to collaborate with other groups and individuals on campus, as well as professors and the departments, to enact meaningful change.
In regards to the issue of funding for women’s peace-building organizations and activist organizations in general, Women in International Relations is launching a Week of Fundraising for the last full week of Women’s History Month (March 21–27). The club has chosen to donate all proceeds to the Afghan Youth Ambassadors for Peace Organization after hearing from Heela Yoon and other members of the panel. The organization works with women and youth to prevent violent extremism and advocate for more meaningful participation of women in the current peace process in Afghanistan. There will be different women spotlighted each day of the week to celebrate Women’s History Month and plenty of opportunities to donate to the fundraising campaign.
Check out the recording of the Women in the World Panel on the Tufts Institute for Global Leadership YouTube channel to hear these four incredibly inspirational panelists, and be sure to check out the Women in International Relations Instagram and Facebook for more information regarding the Women in International Relations Week of Fundraising!
Emily Witherell is a sophomore studying international relations. Emily can be reached at Emily.Witherell@tufts.edu.
