GenDip Publications

Books and reports

2023

McEwen, Haley, The U.S. Christian Right and Pro-Family Politics in 21st Century Africa. London: Palgrave MacMillan.

Towns, Ann E., Bjarnegård, Elin & Jezierska, Katarzyna, More Than a Label, Less Than a Revolution. Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy, Stockholm: Expert Group for Aid Studies.

2017

Aggestam, Karin and Towns, Ann E., (eds.) Gendering Diplomacy and International Negotiations. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

Journal articles

Book chapters

2024

Jezierska, Katarzyna & Towns, Ann E. “Gendered Diplomatic Infrastructure and Foreign Policy Implementation.” in Aggestam, Karin and True, Jacqui (eds) Feminist Foreign Policy Analysis. Bristol: Bristol University Press.

Jezierska, Katarzyna. & Towns, Ann E., Diplomatic Infrastructure, in Aggestam, Karin and True, Jacqui (eds) Feminist Foreign Policy Analysis. Bristol: Bristol University Press

2021

Jezierska, Katarzyna. & Towns, Ann E., Variations on Shared Themes: Branding the Nordics as Gender-equal”, in Larsen, Eirinn, Moss, Sigrun Marie and Skjelsbæk, Inger (eds) Gender Equality and Nation Branding in the Nordic Region. London: Routledge.

2017

Aggestam, Karin and Towns, Ann E., “Diplomacy – A Gendered Institution”. In Pauline Kerr and Geoffrey Wiseman (eds) Diplomacy in a Globalizing World, second edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Towns, Ann E., Kreft, Anne-Kathrin and Niklasson, Birgitta, The Empowerment of Women in Diplomacy, in Amy Alexander, Catherine Bolzendahl and Farida Jalalzai (eds.) Measuring Women’s Political Empowerment Across the Globe: Strategies, Challenges and Future Research. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Aggestam, Karin and Towns, Ann E., Introduction, in Aggestam, Karin and Towns, Ann E. (eds.) Gendering Diplomacy and International Negotiations. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Niklasson, Birgitta and Robertsson, Felicia, The Swedish MFA: Ready to Live Up to Expectations?, in Aggestam, Karin and Towns, Ann E. , (eds.) Gendering Diplomacy and International Negotiation. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, pp 65-85.
Aggestam, Karin and Towns, Ann E., Conclusions, in Aggestam, Karin and Towns, Ann E. (eds.) Gendering Diplomacy and International Negotiations. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Niklasson, Birgitta and Towns, Ann E., Gender, status, and ambassador appointments to militarized and violent countries, in Cassidy, Jennifer (ed.) Gender and Diplomacy, New York: Routledge, pp 100-119.

Conference participation and invited talks

2025

de Silva, Monika, “Diplomacy in “Gender Wars”: the Istanbul Convention and the Council of the EU”, Brännpunkt Europa, University of Gothenburg, May 2025.
Towns, Ann E., "Imperial, Familial and Bureaucratic: Global Gender Logics of Bilateral Diplomacy", Invited talk at the Geneva Graduate Institute, May 2025.
de Silva, Monika, "Learning to Speak the Language of Power’: Gender and the Reshaping of the EU’s Global Role in a Post-Liberal World”, with Lisbeth Aggestam, ISA, San Francisco, March 2025.
de Silva, Monika, "Roundtable: New Scholarship in Diplomacy II: Vistas of Theory and Practic", ISA, San Francisco, March 2025

2024

de Silva, Monika, “Learning to Speak the Language of Power’: Gender and the Reshaping of the EU’s Global Role in a Post-Liberal World”, EU Foreign Policy seminar, London School of Economics, December 2024.
de Silva, Monika, "Language-Bargaining in the Council of the European Union: Meaning Negotiations and the Concept of Gender Equality”, Gendering EU Politics seminar, Bahçeşehir University, November 2024.
de Silva, Monika, “Gender Wars' in Europe: the Structural Context of International Polarization”, European Conference on Politics and Gender, Ghent, July 2024.
de Silva, Monika, “Politics as Usual? Populist Governments and the Negotiation of EU’s Accession to the Istanbul Convention in the Council of the European Union” with Mariia Tepliakova, European Conference on Politics and Gender, Ghent, July 2024.
de Silva, Monika, “Ever Closer (Discursive) Union or Separate Lifeworlds? International Language Games and the Meaning of Gender Equality in the European Union”, European Conference on Politics and Gender, Ghent, July 2024.
de Silva, Monika, “Politics as Usual? Populist Governments and the Negotiation of EU’s Accession to the Istanbul Convention in the Council of the European Union”, Council for European Studies, Lyon, July 2024.
de Silva, Monika, “Ever Closer (Discursive) Union or Separate Lifeworlds? International Language Games and the Meaning of Gender Equality in the European Union”, Council for European Studies, Lyon, July 2024.
Jezierska, Katarzyna. "Maternalism", Invited talk at the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy Summer Institute, DePaul University, June 2024.
de Silva, Monika, “Gender Wars? Diplomacy as a Depolarizing Practice in International Politics of Gender and Sexuality”, Construction of European Identity seminar, Koç University, June 2024.
Towns, Ann E., ”Turning Your PhD Into a Book”, Roundtable for the Diplomatic Studies Section (DPLST) of the International Studies Association, June 2024.
de Silva, Monika, “Negotiating Meaning in the Council of the European Union: Language Games and the Concept of Gender Equality”, ISA, San Francisco. April 2024.
Jezierska, Katarzyna. “Policy Advice at the MFAs. The Case of CSOs and Feminist Foreign Policy in Six Countries”, ISA, San Francisco, April 2024.
Jezierska, Katarzyna.“Feminist foreign policy: Nordic hegemony in decline?”, Roundtable, ISA, San Francisco, April 2024.
de Silva, Monika, “Let’s Not Argue: Diplomatic Speech and the Ambiguous Use of International Law in ‘Gender Wars’", ISA, San Francisco, April 2024.
McEwen, Haley. "Transnational Anti-Gender Politics as Counter-Diplomacy (?): International LGBTIQ+ human rights norm contestation and the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023", ISA, San Francisco, April 2024

2023

McEwen, Haley. “How should feminist foreign policy counter backlash and backsliding on women’s rights and democracy?” Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy Conference, The Hague, Hosted by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
McEwen, Haley. “The International Anti-Gender Movement: Understanding the rise of anti-gender discourses in the context of development, human rights and social protection”. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development.
de Silva, Monika, “Unpolitics in the EU: Evidence from Various Policy Areas, States and Institutions”, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, November 2023.
de Silva, Monika. “Ever Closer (Discursive) Union or Separate Lifeworlds? International Language Games and the Meaning of Gender Equality in the European Union”, Swedish Political Science Association, Gothenburg.
McEwen, Haley. “Straightening Geopolitics: Anti-gender diplomacy in a multipolar world”. Swedish Political Science Association. Gothenburg University.
Towns, Ann E. and Jezierska, Katarzyna. "Institutional Innovations: Gendered Diplomatic Infrastructure in Transformation". Workshop Feminisms and Foreign Policy, Monash Prato Centre, Italy.
Jezierska, Katarzyna and Niklasson, Birgitta. “Politicization of Diplomacy. A Comparative Study of Ambassador Appointments”, Paper presented at EISA, Potsdam University.
de Silva, Monika. “Negotiation of ‘Gender’ in the Council of the European Union”, Paper presented at EISA, Potsdam University.
Towns, Ann E. and Jezierska, Katarzyna. “Promoting Feminism. FFP in a Hierarchical World”, Paper presented at EISA, Potsdam University.
de Silva, Monika.“Why Speak Law if Not to Conduct Legal Reasoning? Diplomatic Use of International Law in the Context of ‘Gender Wars’”, Paper presented at EISA, Potsdam University.
McEwen, Haley. “Anti-Gender Rhizometry”. Paper presented at EISA, Potsdam University.
McEwen, Haley. “Pro-family diplomacy”. Paper presented at EISA, Potsdam University.
McEwen, Haley, Keynote. “The Pro-family Movement”. Women Deliver Conference. Kigali, Rwanda.
de Silva, Monika. “Diplomats as Depolarizers? Implementation of Gender Equality Foreign Policies Through Bilateral Diplomacy in Poland”. Paper presented at the International Studies Association, Montreal.
de Silva, Monika. “The Concept of International Polarization” . Paper presented at the International Studies Association, Montreal

2022

Towns, Ann E. and Jezierska, Katarzyna. “Implementing Feminist Foreign Policy in a World of Hierarchies”, Paper presented at the University of Copenhagen’s Diplomacy Workshop, Copenhagen.
Towns, Ann E. and Jezierska, Katarzyna. . “Politicization of ambassador appointments. How does it play out for women?”, Paper presented at the ECPR General Conference, Innsbruck

2021

Jezierska, Katarzyna, Towns, Ann E.. & Gurok, Kristina. “Smooth Operators? Ambassadors’ Participation in Pride Parades”, Paper presented at EISA (online).
Jezierska, Katarzyna. “Mother, Broker, Agent of Change: The Politics of Diplomatic Engagement with Civil Society in Bilateral Relations”, Paper presented at ISA Annual Convention (online).

2020

Jezierska, Katarzyna. “A Parent, A Broker, An Agent of Change. Identities of Diplomats in Polylateral Diplomacy”, GenDip international workshop, University of Gothenburg, 8-9 October 2020.

2019

Niklasson, Birgitta, “Female Ambassadors Breaking New Ground: A Study of Swedish and American Ambassador Appointments”. A talk given at the conference “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Worlds: Women and the Search for Global Order, 1919-2019”, Ottawa, 2019.
Jezierska, Katarzyna. “The Changing Role of Frontline Diplomacy. Embassies on Twitter”, Paper presented at the ECPG conference, University of Amsterdam.
Jezierska, Katarzyna. “The Changing Role of Frontline Diplomacy. Embassies on Twitter”, Paper presented at the GenDip international workshop, University of Gothenburg

2018

Niklasson, Birgitta and Ann Towns. “Women’s Empowerment – A Matter of Numbers? A Comparative Study of Ambassadors’ Appointments and Status. Paper presented at the ECPR conference at Hamburg, August 25 2018.
Towns Ann and Jezierska Katarzyna. “Gender Equality as a Nordic Brand? Comparing Sweden, Denmark and Norway." Paper presented at the Gender Equality as Branding: Moving Beyond Nordic Exceptionalism Workshop, Refsnes Gods (Moss), June 20-21 2018.
Towns Ann and Jezierska Katarzyna. “Feminist Foreign Policy and the Battle for Civil Society in Europe.” Paper presented at the conference Activism at a Time of Backslide: Feminist and LGBTQ Responses to Opposition to Gender and Sexual Equality, Central European University, May 11-12 2018.
Towns, Ann. “’Diplomacy is a Feminine Art.’ Gender and International Hierarchies in Diplomacy.” Invited talk in the Remapping International Relations series, Mortara Center for International studies, Georgetown University, March 16, 2018.
Towns, Ann. "’Diplomacy is a Feminine Art.’ Gender and International Hierarchies in Diplomacy.” Invited talk at the Department of Political Science and IR, Florida International University, March 8, 2018.
Towns, Ann. “’Diplomacy is a Feminine Art.’ Gender and International Hierarchies in Diplomacy.” Invited Talk at the Gender and Politics (GAP) Seminar, Rutgers University, March 5, 2018.

2017

Towns, Ann and Birgitta Niklasson. “Gender, Status and Ambassador Appointments to Militarized and Violent Countries.” Paper presented at the Global Challenges – Nordic Experiences conference of the University of Oslo, March 20, 2017.
Towns, Ann and Karin Aggestam. “Towards a gender-just-diplomacy: Gendered norms in the foreign service and practice of negotiation.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, Baltimore, USA, Feb 25, 2017.

2016

Towns, Ann. “Feminizing Diplomacy” Paper presented at the New Diplomatic History Conference, University of Copenhagen, Nov 24, 2016.

2015

Towns, Ann.“’Diplomacy is a Feminine Art.’ On the Unstable Gendering of Diplomacy and the Diplomat.” Paper presented at the Gender and Politics Workshop, Göteborg, Sweden Oct 13, 2015.
Towns, Ann. “’Diplomacy is a feminine Art.’ On the Unstable Gendering of Diplomacy and the Diplomat” Paper presented at the biannual meeting of the European Conference on Politics and Gender, Uppsala, Sweden, June 13, 2015.
Towns, Ann and Birgitta Niklasson. “Gender, Power and Ambassador Appointments.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, New Orleans, USA, Feb 18, 2015.
Towns, Ann. “Diplomacy is a Feminine Art” Invited talk at Colloquium on International Politics, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Oct 1, 2015.
Towns, Ann. “Measuring Women’s Empowerment in Diplomacy.” Invited research presentation at the workshop Measuring Women’s Empowerment Across the Globe: Strategies, Challenges and Future Research, Thyssen Foundation, Cologne, Germany, June 2015.