ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES INSTITUTE OF GENDER STUDIES WOMEN IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THE CASE OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA BY l HANNA ZERIHUN LEGUE A THESIS SUBMITIED TO THE INSTITUTE OF GENDER STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF MASTER OF ARTS IN GENDER STUDIES JUNE 2012 ADDIS ABABA ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES WOMEN IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THE CASE OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA By Hanna Zerihun Leguesse Institute of Gender Studies Approved by the Board of Examiners Dr. Emebet Mulugeta Advisor Dr. Enguday Ademe External Examiner Dr. Emezat H. Mengesha Internal Examiner TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgement ...............................................................................................................................i Dedication •••.••.•••.••......•.•...•••.•••••. •...•...•...••.••. ....•••••.•• ..•.•..•••.••.• ..•.••.••.•• .•..•.•.•...•..••.••... •• ..•..•.•••••• .. •.. •.. ii Acronyms ••• •• •••..•.••••••.•• •.. •• ••.•.•• •••.••..••..•. •. •..•••.••...•..•••.. •.•.••.•.••.•..••••.•..••. ••• •••.•..•.•••..••...••.....••••..•...•.•• iii List of Tables .••.•..•.••.....•.•.•.•.•.•.••.••..••.••..•••.•...••..•...•••.•..•..•.•.••.•.••.••.•..•..•..•...•.•..••..••..•....•.....•••••. ••..•. .• iv Abstract ......................................................................................................................... ............ ........ v CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................ ......................... 1 INTRODUCTION .............................. ....................................................... ............................................. 1 1.1. Background of the study ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Statement of the problem ........................................................................................................ 6 1.3. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................................................ 6 1.3.1. General Objective ............................................................................. .................................. 6 1.3.2. Specific Objectives .............. ...... ................... .. .. ............................. .. .. ..... ................. ....... ..... 7 1.4. Research Questions ........................................ ......................................................................... 7 1.5. Significance of the study ............................................................................................. .. ........... 8 1.6. Scope of the Study ................................................................ ........... ..................... ................... 9 1.7. Limitations of the Study ........................................................................................................... 9 1.8. Definition of key terms ...................................................................................................... .... 10 1.9. Organisation of the Thesis ...................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO ................................................... ...................................... ......................................... 12 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ........................ .............................................................................. 12 2.1. Theoretical Approaches ........ ....... .......... ........... ....... ................................... ........................... 12 2.2. Review of Related Literature ........................................................... ....................................... 16 2.2.1. Women in armed conflict ............................................. ... ... ...................................... ....... 18 2.2.2. Women in polities .. ...................................... ... ... .......... ... ........................ ......................... 22 2.2.3. Women in Internationa l Relations ..... ............. .. .......................... .................................... 25 CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................................ 39 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGy ........................................................................................... 39 3.1. Research Methodology .......................................................................................................... 39 3.2. Data Sources: Primary and Secondary .................................................................................... 40 3.2.1. Sampling .......................................................................... ... ......... .................................... 40 3.2.1. Interview Guide ..... ......................................... ... ........................................... .................. .40 3.3. Method of Data Analysis ............................................................................................ ............ 41 3.4. Ethical Consideration ........................................................................................................... .. 41 CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................................................. 42 OVERVIEW OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FINDINGS ................................................... 42 4.1. Overview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ............................................................................. 42 4.2. Female employees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs .............................................................. 43 4.3. Findings and discussion ................................................................................................................... 44 4.3.1. Background of profeSSional female employees who were interviewed ......................... 46 4.3.2. Opportunities ................................................................................................................... 47 4.3.3. Challenges ... .. .. ................... ... .... .. .............. .. ................................. ....... .. ............ .... .......... 50 4.3.4. Aspirations of women in the Ministry .................... .................... ....... ... ................. ...... .... 58 CHAPTER FIVE ................................................................................................................................... 60 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................ 60 5.1. Summary ................................................................................................................................ 60 5.2. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 61 5.3. Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 62 References .......................................................................................................................................64 Appendices Appendix A: List of Ethiopian Foreign Ministers since 1907 G.c. ii Appendix B: Organisational Chart of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Appendix C: Interview questions for female employees occupying professional posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia iii ACKNOWLEDGMENT I would, first of all, like to thank my advisor, Dr. Emebet Mulugeta, for her invaluable advice, support and encouragement. I would also like to thank all my instructors and staff at the Institute of Gender Studies for their assistance. I wish to express my gratitude to the Director-General and Director of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wlo Frehiwot Asrat and Wlo Menbere Besir, as well as to Wit Meskerem Shiferaw for their assistance in providing me with materials and arranging for interviews. I am also grateful to the female employees of the Ministry who took part in the interviews. I would like to thank Ambassador Yodit Imru for her willingness to share her memories of the early days at the Ministry. To my friends and classmates, thank you for your encouragement. My special thanks goes to my family for their support and encouragement. For the three little ones (Liya, Ruth and Nathan) thank you for your amazing understanding, love and patience. Above all, I give thanks to God . ( /~ il /' -':/. : ' .. , .. : .~ DEDICATION I dedicate this to my mother, Wlo Zemam Reda. I wish you were here to see this. ii ACRONYMS AU African Union CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women EC Ethiopian Calendar IGAD-CEWARN Intergovernmental Authority on Development - Conflict Early Warning and Re sponse Mechanism ICSC International Civil Service Commission FDRE Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia GC Gregorian Calendar IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union MoFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs SNNPR Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region UN United Nations UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation WFPG Women's Foreign Policy Group iii LIST OF TABLES