Abstract
By and large, most analyses of international organisations emphasises the role and impact of structural conditions without much acknowledgement of leaders and their propensity to shape the institutional agenda. This is especially evident in the peace and security context. Despite much being written on the deteriorating security situation in Africa, little is done to locate the role of political leadership in creating and attaining peace. More pointedly, the peace and security sector primarily is populated by men; men as decision-makers, strategic advisors, peacekeepers and peacemakers. International organisations such as the African Union (AU) play a vital role in delivering a peace mandate, which brings into sharper focus the need to examine whether organisational heads are empowered to produce outcomes of peace. This study brings together assessments of women’s leadership in peace and security in Africa, by examining the political leadership of the first female AU Commission Chair, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Using a qualitative approach and case study analysis, Dlamini-Zuma’s tenure is assessed to determine the extent to which political leadership results in outcomes of positive peace...
M.A. (Politics and International Relations)