Podcast #3 | Birgitta Niklasson on the Gendered Networking of Diplomats
The Hague Journal of Diplomacy is delighted to announce it will be starting its own podcast series! The series will be aimed at bringing the themes of the journal’s research off the page, and onto the discussion table. Each episode will feature a guest who will share their insights and personal experience within their practice of, or research on diplomacy.
Gender permeates all spheres of society, not least the profession of diplomacy. Diplomats, while managing interpersonal relations, are also constantly navigating gender norms in their work. As more and more women enter this traditionally male-dominated profession, it becomes increasingly important to understand how women conduct diplomacy.
That is why, for the 3rd HJD podcast, we have invited Birgitta Niklasson to discuss her research article "The Gendered Networking of Diplomats" in the latest HJD special issue. In a dynamic conversation with our host Tingting Yang, she explores the gendered aspects of diplomacy, drawing on both gender theories and interviews conducted with Swedish diplomats.
Focusing on the gendered nature of a core element of diplomacy: networking, Birgitta explains the challenges female diplomats face as well as the opportunities their gender opens up. Being a public administration expert, she also offers valuable insights into the study of the foreign ministry as a crucial diplomatic institution, and concludingly, gives advice on how it can best manage and benefit from diplomats' gendered networking approaches.