Why diplomacy needs to be more feminist: The creation of a new approach to political mediation

This project provides a feminist analysis on the sphere of political diplomacy by reassessing the canons of mediation and uniquely situating the types of feminism that can coexist within its traditional structure. This thesis considers the patriarchal foundation of diplomacy and the subsequent exclusion of a feminist approach to this highly relevant field. Furthermore, the case study of the most affluent female diplomat, Hillary Clinton, focuses on the effects of her hyper-visibility on the global political stage and the level of political autonomy she displays through her policy decisions. This project also answers the question of whether female diplomats need to assume masculine traits and become normalized within the state-centered system in order to progress in the mediating sphere. As a remedy to the androcentric structure of diplomacy, this study offers feminist methodologies that should be incorporated into the basis of diplomacy in order to advance its political platform.