Helen Ette

• BA (Hons) History
• Gender and the Development Agenda: female agency and overseas development in Britain, 1964-2018.

As 2018 marks the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, the history of women in British politics is of increased interest. I approach this topic from a novel perspective: considering the role of women in shaping overseas development policy. The Department for International Development has had notable female influence, eight women heading the department since 1964. Gender also influenced the work of DFID. The department recognises the gendered experience in developing countries with policies concerning exclusively women and girls in developing countries, and most recently an attempt to tackle the gendered abuses of the aid sector which the sexploitation scandal highlighted. I consider whether the overseas ministry provided a gateway for women to increase their political agency, and the extent to which this agency has led to the gendering of development policy. Both archival research and interviews provide perspective in understanding how the national issue of women’s rights became internationalised.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Project Supervisor: Dr Martin Farr