The Duck of Minerva

Megan MacKenzie

Megan MacKenzie is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney in Australia. Her main research interests include feminist international relations, gender and the military, the combat exclusion for women, the aftermaths of war and post-conflict resolution, and transitional justice. Her book Beyond the Band of Brothers: the US Military and the Myth that Women Can't Fight comes out with Cambridge University Press in July 2015. https://www.cambridge.org/ee/academic/subjects/politics-international-relations/international-relations-and-international-organisations/beyond-band-brothers-us-military-and-myth-women-cant-fight?format=PB

Recent Posts

Post-revolution Walk of Shame in Libya: women asked to ‘go home’ in the afterglow of the revolution

by Megan MacKenzie | 15 September, 2011 |

The exciting and tumultuous eve of the revolution in Libya has achieved many of its objectives: the power balance has swung in the rebel's favor, many national governments around the world now recognize the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate leadership, and most (though not all) of the country is under their control.In many ways, this week can be described as 'the morning after' the revolution in Libya. Rebels drunk on gun battles are now waking up with adrenaline hang-overs to the realities of post-revolution Libya. There's mortar rounds everywhere, hundreds of displaced...

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Assessing the Arguments Against GI Jane II: Unpacking the Cohesion Hypothesis

by Megan MacKenzie | 5 September, 2011 |

In my post last week I talked about the three main arguments against removing the combat exclusion for women: the physical standards argument, the moral argument, and the cohesion hypothesis. My main point was that with increased research on physical standards, the intangibility of the moral argument, and increased evidence that women already are in combat, the cohesion hypothesis remains as the most significant set of arguments against GI Janes. There are two main premises to the cohesion hypothesis: 1. cohesion is causally linked to group (in this case military unit) performance; 2. women...

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Assessing the Arguments Against GI Jane: The Combat Exclusion for Women Part I

by Megan MacKenzie | 29 August, 2011 |

As American troops trickle back from Iraq and-eventually- Afghanistan, it seems like the perfect time to examine the lessons learned from the last decade of warfare. One of the policies requiring a review is the combat exclusion for women. Although most positions within the US forces have been opened up to women over the last 50 years, there has been adamant efforts to sustain rules which prohibit women from joining the so-called front lines of conflict in combat roles. Many of the remaining justifications for this exclusion are based on expired research (or no research at all), and outdated...

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Best exam question EVER!

by Megan MacKenzie | 18 August, 2011 |

I know it is hard to believe, but while most of the academic world is enjoying the last few weeks of university break, down under in Kiwi-land we're in the thick of the academic year. This year I tried out some new essay questions for my Gender and Post-Conflict Development and Feminist International Relations courses and I have to say- I created the best essay question ever. The suspense is killing you right? Here it is: You've been asked to help create a realistic video game that illustrates women's experiences of war and insecurity. Referring to readings covered in class, what types of...

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The Difference Between Feminist Politicians and Politicians with Breasts: a response to Naomi Wolf

by Megan MacKenzie | 8 August, 2011 |

Naomi Wolf recently posted a blog on Al Jazeera entitled "America's Reactionary Feminists: what do Palin and Bachmann have that make them so appealing to the American public?" I don't doubt that this is an interesting question. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the confusing and simplistic answer Wolf provided- particularly the discussion around right wing feminism. It may be worth taking a step back to ask why female politicians who do not identify as feminists continually get categorized as one. Surely we must be beyond the 'woman=feminist' discussion? Sadly, apparently no. First, the...

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Anders Breivik: Isolated Mad Man or Tip of the Far-Right Racist Iceburg?

by Megan MacKenzie | 28 July, 2011 |

Co-authored with Alison Howell, author of Madness in International Relations: Psychology, Security and the Global Governance of Mental HealthThe recent events in Norway have revealed the pitfalls of speculation within a 24-hour new cycle/instant social media environment. Almost immediately after information about the bombings and the shootings emerged, facebook, twitter, and media outlets were saturated with possible theories on the source of the violence- with most of the speculation focused on radical Islam and Al-Qaeda (The Atlantic immediately re-posted a great article on Al Qaeda in...

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“Sure I’m against war and exploitation- but don’t make me feel guilty about my diamond ring”

by Megan MacKenzie | 27 July, 2011 |

Wanna know a guaranteed conversation stopper- great for engagement parties or wedding receptions? Mention the politics of diamonds.Now don't get me wrong, I'm not into being a political Debbie Downer at social events. God knows I have the ammunition. Yet, in my experience women and men are more comfortable with discussions of wartime sexual violence, amputations, and children born as a result of rape than they are about clear gems.So what gives?This has been a question plaguing since I finished several months of field work in Sierra Leone in my late 20s- the same time that everyone around me...

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Punishment Over Peace?: Gaddafi in a Post-Amnesty World

by Megan MacKenzie | 17 July, 2011 |

It has been five months since protests in Tripoli sparked widespread 'civil unrest'/war, a NATO enforced no fly zone, and partial (and unclear) international interventions. Rough death toll figures range from 10,000-30,000. Perhaps the biggest uncertainty is how this will all end. While there is some hope that rebel forces will tip the balance of power, Gaddafi's forces are strong and have made recent advances.One possibility that hasn't been readily considered is the potential benefit of granting Gaddafi amnesty in exchange for a peaceful end to the civil unrest. So why isn't amnesty being...

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Hugh Grant the Unlikely Victor in the News of the World Battle

by Megan MacKenzie | 9 July, 2011 |

The highlights of this story are largely well known: At a pub in Dover Hugh Grant secretly records former News of the World (NoW) reporter Paul McMullan detailing how NoW had regularly hacked into phones and raided the trash of celebrities to get the inside scoop. A feature is printed in the New Statesman. Further allegations come to the fore- including that the phone of former missing youth Milly Dowler, as well as the phones of deceased servicemen, have been hacked. Rupert Murdoch is shocked. The NoW is shut down as of Sunday July 10th.It’s hard to know what to make of this story- complete...

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Does Menstruation Explain the Gender Wage Gap?: A Kiwi theory

by Megan MacKenzie | 26 June, 2011 |

The CEO of the Employers & Manufacturers Association, an association that promotes New Zealand businesses, Alasdair Thompson sparked a heated debate last week when, during a discussion on equal pay, he publicly claimed that women’s productivity was impacted by their periods. He claimed that women “take the most sick leave” and explained “ you know, once a month they have sick problems. Not all women, but some do.” He later went on to say “Men and women are fortunately different. Women have babies. Women take leave when they have their babies.” In a subsequent interview he claimed: “Some...

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