Women in War and International Politics

 Can you tell us a bit about your career journey? 

I am a French student and I am 20 years old. My professional goal is to become a journalist specializing in conflict areas – I stress the fact that I want to become a journalist specialising in conflict zones and not just a war journalist. It is, I believe, actually a question of definition. Indeed, a conflict can be a war and vice versa, but a conflict can also be something other than war, and I am interested in the dynamics of conflict in the world. For example, the Chilean social revolution of October 2019 - which I witnessed during my academic exchange - transformed Chile into a zone of conflict between the state and civil society but did not (strictly speaking) generate a war. Phenomena like the latter are of great interest to me. To become a journalist, I chose a particular academic journey. I did a BA degree at ESPOL (European School of Political and Social Sciences) in France from 2017 to 2020, right after high school. This more general BA was, for me, a means by which to acquire intellectual and academic foundations, to broaden my understanding of inter-state relations in Europe and to deepen my abilities to speak English and Spanish. Indeed, I was able to follow many courses in English, to continue my first and second languages from high school study, and even began to study a third language – Arabic. Right after that I applied for the MA in International Relations at King’s College London. Why did I decide to do a master’s degree in International Relations rather than an MA related to media and journalism? After the Bataclan attacks (the terrorist attacks of 2015 in Paris) and after discovering the world of war during my bachelor's degree, there was no doubt that I wanted to become a journalist working on conflict and war. However, I didn't want to pursue a journalism degree right away. I preferred to choose a course that would lead me to specialise in war. At King's I am doing my master's degree in the Department of War Studies, where I am developing a lot of knowledge about terrorism, radicalisation, dirty wars, distance warfare, the power of language in security processes, etc. Thus, during my university career I have been able to specialise in the theme of war and its undersides and more generally on international and inter-state relations. On a journalistic level, it was during my personal and extracurricular career that I was able to discover the world of journalism by my own means through internships and as a writer at my bachelor’s newspaper and at Strife, the academic blog and journal of the Department of War Studies at King’s.

Do you think that gender discrimination affects your area of research/work at all, and if so, what do you do to deal with and overcome this?

Absolutely, though I personally have not - yet - been discriminated against at this early stage in my career. But I can say with confidence that female journalists, perhaps especially female French war reporters, have been discredited because of their sex multiple times. Their answer, being mine also: “I don’t care, I’ll continue and fight. I’ll prove myself worthy and even better than some male journalists”. Unfortunately, fighting for women’s rights can be exhausting. Maybe one day it will be completely normal to see a female war reporter on TV without her being discredited or questioned because of her gender.

In your opinion, what are the most effective practices to promote diversity and solidarity among women in your field? 

My “field” is both war and journalism, and both are focal points for Strife, the blog of the War Studies department at King’s. I joined the Women in Writing Program last term, the purpose of which is to support women writing on the subjects of war and that which relates to it. This kind of opportunity is very effective in promoting diversity and especially solidarity among women. The mention of  “diversity” in this question is, in my mind, something which is very important. Diversity, according to me, is necessary among women as well as in terms of gender balance. Intersectionality is one kind of approach - urging and creating that need for diversity among women.

Can you tell us a bit about any recent specific project(s) you have worked on or that you are particularly proud of?

Being a student means that I am working on many projects, academically speaking. I have recently written a literature review on rape during wartime and the plausibility of this being an act of political repression carried out by soldiers. I have learned a lot writing this piece. More recently I have written an essay on the necessity of including the concept of genre into International Relations studies. I also wrote an article for Strife’s blog on the influences of President Macron’s interview with Al-Jazeera on the Arabic world. Outside university, I am the head of public relations and an editor for the think tank GROW, Generation for Rights Over the World. I recently co-wrote an article about slavery in Libya and soon another that I wrote will be published – this one on child soldiers. Still with GROW, I am working with several other students on a French bill prohibiting conversion therapy. We are studying this bill made by a French Member of Parliament and will try to work hand in hand with her and her team to perfect this bill help it to pass. Finally, we are also working on making an interactive map, regrouping testimonies (photos, texts, interviews, drawings etc.) from women all over the world for the International Women’s day. I know that’s a lot! Once I commit to do something, I do it fully, and with the utmost seriousness.

WIWIP is currently hosting a workshop series to tackle issues like Imposter Syndrome and achieving professional fulfilment. Do you have any specific ways in which you deal with things like self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy?

I write in my journal, it calms me. Putting my thoughts into words helps me to organize my doubts, if that makes sense. Moreover, I speak to my close ones whenever I feel down or insufficient or not worthy. They always cheer me up, especially my boyfriend, which is why I usually say that I am very lucky. I am very communicative so whenever I stop talking, it is because something’s wrong! Finally, I would say that looking back at what I have achieved, in my personal and academic life, I see that it is what makes me strong and eager to wake up and work hard every day.

Are there any specific women who have inspired you?

My mom. It may sound cheesy but she is the one who taught me to be independent and to never rely on others, especially from a financial point of view. Also, Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada. I know you’re thinking - “but what is she going to say now?” I actually see myself in the character Hathaway portrays in the movie, Andrea Sachs. She is self-confident, never gives up, and is hardworking and eager to learn. I am very into cinema, and this movie had an effect on my childhood, as so many other movies and series that portray strong and bold women did.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? How do you celebrate it?

On a symbolic level, IWD is a day dedicated to all women, no matter their age, skin colour, religion, nationality, sexual orientation and so on. It is a day to remind us that we should be proud to be women and that we should celebrate ourselves every day. We are not nobody, we are not less intelligent, we are not less strong, we are not less capable. We are what we are, with our qualities and defects – the same as any other human being.

Paradoxically, I do not celebrate this day. Most of the time I am working for my university during that day, so I have never truly done something special for it. I have written about it and testified for it. Even engaged in projects for it, for GROW this year for example, but during that day, I have never really celebrated it. Maybe something I could do this year!

The UN theme for IWD 2021 addresses the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for gender equality. In your opinion, what challenges does the pandemic pose to the creation of a more equal society? What can we do to try to overcome this?

I guess the pandemic has slowed down progress for women all over the world recently. Major developments have been postponed, deliberately or not. As these developments involve, for the most, part social change, it is the responsibility of both governments and civil society to pursue them, no matter the struggle. Last year we have seen some major advances, such as the legalization of abortion in Argentina. The pandemic mustn’t be an excuse for stopping social change. The latter starts in the hearts and minds of the people before deriving to the Assembly or elected officials.

But at the same time, because of the pandemic, the use of platforms such as Teams or Zoom have permitted to women to express themselves, especially in journalism. Now, everything is more accessible, and testimonies are easier to deliver as people are not obliged to come to the TV set. Nonetheless, when everything (the sooner the better) will be over, I hope that women won’t stay behind the screen.

What advice would you give to women students who wish to work in the same field as you?

Just do it. Do not let anyone tell you that you are not good enough to join a prestigious school, or to work in war related areas because of your gender. You are the master of your future and you must give yourself all the possibilities to succeed. Be involved in your subjects of interest, watch the news and look at primary and secondary sources about it. Be prepared to take on the world!