PhD Thesis
 

Title: The rise of women’s organizations of diplomats (WODs) and the possibilities of new imaginings for diplomacy, statecraft, and foreign policy

PhD Supervisor and Co-Supervisor: Anna Leander

Expected completion date: 2024

The thesis investigates the emergence of Women’s Organizations of Diplomats (WODs) and their influence on the practices of diplomacy, statecraft, and foreign policy. Drawing on the theoretical insights of Judith Butler's concept of performativity, Karen Barad's agential realism, and Aníbal Quijano's framework of coloniality of power, the research delves into how WODs disrupt entrenched gendered and colonial dynamics in diplomacy. By examining the role of WODs as sites of creative agency in a field historically dominated by men. Through detailed case studies of WODs in the United States and Brazil, alongside analyses of broader regional and global networks, the research highlights the capacity of these organizations to reimagine diplomacy as more inclusive and equitable. At the same time, it critically addresses the obstacles WODs face, including internal tensions, resistance from existing institutional frameworks, and the risk of their efforts being subsumed by the structures they aim to transform. Ultimately, the thesis underscores the need for ongoing attention and scholarly engagement with WODs as key contributors to the evolving field of diplomacy.
 

Profile

Ms. Yassine is a career diplomat with 16+ years of experience in international negotiations, multilateralism, peace and security, the Middle East, and human rights. She has held high-ranked positions as Head of the Peace and Security Unit of the UN General Assembly and senior adviser to the President of the 72nd session of the UNGA and Ministers and Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil. She is currently a PhD candidate at the Graduate Institute and holds a master’s degree, with merit, from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a diploma from The Hague Academy of International Law. She has experience with teaching (the Diplomatic Academy of Brazil and Brazilian universities) and with publishing academic (International Studies Association - ISA) and policy papers. She took part in the documentary Foreigner: Brazilian Women at Diplomacy and has a degree in advanced photography at the International Center of Photography (ICP).
 

Publications and Works

 

• MARTINS YASSINE, A & DELAMONICA, L.B.S (2023), "A atuação das mulheres diplomatas como grupo organizado: o caso brasileiro". Em: CARNEIRO, C.B.et. all. (Org.), Pensamento e prática internacionais: Perspectivas, Brasília: FUNAG.
• MARTINS YASSINE, A. (2022), "The rise of Women´s Organizations of Diplomats (WODs): Insights from the Group of Brazilian female diplomats". Em: Gender and Diplomacy Workshop, Universidade de Gutenburgo.
  
   

Research Interests
 

• Diplomacy
• International negotiations
• Gender
• International security
• Human rights