Gender and Diplomacy Scholar Ann Towns Receives Award

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Ann Towns is a professor of political science at the University of Gothenburg and conducts research on social hierarchies, power, and resistance in international politics, with a particular focus on gender. For the past ten years, she has led the research program Gender of Diplomacy (GenDip) at the University of Gothenburg, which aims to map and analyze the changing gender dynamics of diplomacy.

Ann, who is Susan S. Northcutt?

“Susan Northcutt is Professor Emerita in the Department of Government and International Affairs at the University of South Florida. For several decades, she has worked to make both her university and the academic organization International Studies Association (ISA) more inclusive for women, who were previously in a clear minority, as well as for other minorities. She also founded the Women’s Caucus for International Studies within ISA.”

Why are you receiving this award?

“The Susan S. Northcutt Award was established in 2003 to honor her efforts, as well as others who work toward a more inclusive academy. As the research director for GenDip, I have endeavored to create a generous and unpretentious environment where intellectual curiosity, creativity, and mutual support are central driving forces."

"In addition to the research group at the University of Gothenburg, I have built a global network of diplomacy scholars focused on gender—today numbering around a hundred researchers from all corners of the world. GenDip organizes workshops, conferences, and conference panels that bring these and other scholars together, always aiming to foster an inclusive, inquisitive, and encouraging atmosphere. I also serve as a mentor for many junior diplomacy scholars from various countries. It is this work that has now been recognized by the award.”

What does this award mean to you?

“It feels amazing to receive this award! Of course, it is an honor to be recognized by such a large academic organization as ISA, which has over 7,000 members. Moreover, many previous recipients have been prominent figures in international politics, such as Ann Tickner, Cynthia Enloe, and Jacqui True."

"But most of all, I am grateful that the work my research team and I put into creating an inclusive and creative environment is now being highlighted—an effort that can easily go unnoticed.”

What are you working on right now?

“I am currently finishing a book on gender and bilateral diplomacy—diplomacy between two states that takes place in capital cities around the world, where diplomats are stationed at embassies. Globally, there are over 100,000 bilateral diplomats, and states invest significant resources in financing them and their embassies. Until recently, virtually all diplomats were men, and it was only in the 2000s that the share of female diplomats began to grow. In my book, I examine whether new gender norms and patterns have emerged in diplomacy during the 21st century and, if so, what they look like.”