On 24 June, we commemorate the International Day of Women in Diplomacy. I welcome this initiative of the United Nations General Assembly, under the leadership of the President of the seventy-sixth session of Assembly, H.E. Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, to make women’s leadership more visible, to acknowledge the achievements of women in the diplomatic space, and to call attention to the journey we still must travel to achieve women’s full and equal participation in all areas of decision-making and political life.
Only 4 of the 850 delegates who signed the Charter of the United Nations in 1945 were women. Since then, we have seen an increase in women’s representation in diplomacy worldwide and at the United Nations, but it has not been at the speed or pace we need. In fact, far too often, decision-making spaces are void of women.
One of the greatest achievements of the United Nations and multilateralism was the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948—spearheaded by a woman, Eleanor Roosevelt—through which all nations recognized the equal rights of men and women as fundamental human rights.
Diplomacy continues to be a male bastion globally. Diplomatic powers wielded by leaders at the highest levels of the State remain mostly in the hands of men. Images of the representatives of the G7 and G20 countries remain male-dominated. All-male panels are too often the norm. Women serve as Heads of State and/or Government in only 28 countries; there are currently 16 women Heads of State (10.6 per cent of countries) and 16 women Heads of Government (8.3 per cent).1?At the ministerial level, the sphere of foreign affairs remains disproportionately dominated by men, with women ministers holding just 25 per cent of this type of portfolio.2?At the parliamentary level, women hold just 26.5 per cent of seats.
The same has been true for this very institution. As the world’s Organization, we need to do better. And that has been a rallying call for our Secretary-General for the past six years. Today, we have made laudable progress, demonstrating clearly what political will, institutional and cultural change, and special measures can achieve.
In 2020, parity was attained among all senior leaders of the United Nations for the first time in the history of the Organization. We are also at full parity and have attained greater geographic diversity among our resident coordinators. The United Nations is on track to achieve parity at all levels in entities at Headquarters in the next five years. We continue to struggle, however, with the challenges of greater inclusion in the field, particularly in peacekeeping missions, at all levels. This is where our interactions with the communities we serve are most frequent, challenges for countries are the greatest, and the need for diversity to strengthen our efforts is more critical than ever. For these reasons, we are amplifying our efforts and are determined to achieve the goals the Secretary-General has set for us.
Without the input of half the world’s population, we cannot develop policies that work for everyone.
Throughout history, women have made essential contributions to politics and international relations when they have a seat at the table. The negotiations concerning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in the Liberian and Irish peace processes, are clear examples of the fundamental roles women have played in achieving durable success. Women’s equal participation and representation at all levels of decision-making are key to unlocking the transformational changes needed to secure a sustainable future. Women’s engagement in political processes improves such efforts: more inclusive decisions are made, different voices are heard and solutions are created. Governments function better,3 corruption decreases and peace processes improve.4 Without the input of half the world’s population, we cannot develop policies that work for everyone.
At the United Nations, we, the women working in diplomacy, along with our feminist male allies, have an opportunity to drive forward the change we need. Our Common Agenda—the Secretary-General's vision for the future of global cooperation—offers a unique chance to network inclusive multilateralism, including intergenerational voices. This is also why, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I initiated Women Rise for All—to shine a bright light on the difference women’s leadership makes, and how more inclusive governance structures and more diverse negotiating spaces lead to more effective policies and lasting change.
We need to bring change if we are to secure these benefits for us all, especially those currently left out or left behind. This will require well-calibrated measures and policies designed to support the achievement of women’s rights. It will take calling out and dismantling the structural obstacles to women’s equal participation.?
When we finally achieve full and fair representation, we will be closer to an inclusive, just and prosperous society that is more peaceful, sustainable and equitable, a society that reflects our shared Sustainable Development Goals and the future we all want.
Notes?
1?Data compiled by UN-Women based on information provided by Permanent Missions to the United Nations as at 1 June 2023. Countries with monarchy-based systems are excluded for the count of Heads of State.?
2?IPU and UN-Women, Women in Politics Map 2023. Available at .?
3?Riccardo Pelizzo and Aminu Umar, “A functionalist theory of oversight”, African Politics & Policy, 1, no. 5 (2015), pp. 1-25; Riccardo Pelizzo and Frederick Stapenhurst, “Parliamentary oversight tools: A comparative analysis” (London, Routledge, 2012).
4?In conflict-affected contexts, women’s participation and representation in public life brings credibility to peace processes and negotiations, as their presence and influence is essential for unifying divided communities and rallying peace-building actors. Source: Thomas Carothers, “Democracy Support Strategies: Leading with Women’s Political Empowerment”, paper, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2016. Available at .
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