Friday 24th May: 08.00-09.30 BST (UK time), 09.00-10-30 CEST
Parliamentary diplomacy – a promising and contested practice, has always been present to tackle rapid, seismic and interconnected changes in societies, but has had an increasing academic focus since 2010 (Stavridis, 2021). Moreover, Inter-Parliamentary Union, founded in 1889 had parliamentary diplomacy as a key debate item in its Annual General Assembly in March 2024
The relationship between gender and parliamentary diplomacy has also been explored in practitioner circles with reports published by the European Parliament and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Indeed, the institutional rules, practices and symbolic projection of parliaments onto bilateral, regional and global stages matters for gender equality.
This seminar brings together academics and practitioners with a focus on Gendering Parliamentary Diplomacy. Together we will convene around issues, such as the actors, tools, activities, practices and venues of parliamentary diplomacy. Moreover, questions will be considered, such as – what would make a ‘feminist’ parliamentary diplomacy? What tools and practices are available to feminist parliamentarians? How can parliamentary diplomacy be studied intersectionally? In sum, we invite you to a fruitful discussion of existing and future pathways for gender and parliamentary diplomacy in research and practice.
The two youngest MPs at the 148th IPU Assembly – Emma Muteka from Namibia and Akira Tongjaisod from Thailand reading the final Assembly declaration: ‘Parliamentary Diplomacy: Building Bridges for Peace and Understanding’ (Credit IPU)
Opening remarks: Cherry Miller (Academy Research Fellow, PI GenParlDip Project, University of Helsinki)
Bénite Dibateza (Commonwealth Women’s Network): Policy learning, parliamentary diplomacy and gender equality: a CWP research project, author:
https://www.cpahq.org/media/fshfbxja/final-cwp-research-dissertation-benite-dibateza.pdf
Aleks Nizynska (Gender Solution): Promoting Gender Through Parliamentary Diplomacy, co-author:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EXPO_STU(2021)653654
Lorenzo Santini (Luiss University): Gendering European Parliament’s Diplomacy: Rules, Discourses and Practices in Global Context
Discussant: Cherry Miller
Chair: Minna Cowper-Coles (Kings College London, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership).
GenParlNet members should have received the Zoom link in the March GenParlNet Newsletter and will receive Lorenzo’s paper via email.
For non-members, to register for the Zoom link/ and request Lorenzo’s paper, email: genparlnet@gmail.com