International Day for Women in Diplomacy by Denise Scotto, Esq

International Day for Women in Diplomacy

by Denise Scotto, Esq On June 20, 2022, to the burst of applause, the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution by consensus proclaiming 20 June as the International Day for Women in Diplomacy. The Resolution reaffirms that the participation of women, on equal terms with men, at all levels of decision-making is essential to the achievement of sustainable development, peace and democracy . In her introduction of the Resolution, the Hon. Maldives Ambassador Ms. Thilmeeza Hussain said that said momentum has been building on this important issue across the globe. She then stressed that, “Women’s participation in decision making is absolutely vital”. She added that far too often, as women climb the diplomatic ranks, they are outnumbered by their male peers, including at UN Headquarters, where they represent only 1/5 of the Permanent Representatives. HE Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the UN GA, remarked, “Women working in diplomacy have made critical contributions to shaping the multilateral system we have inherited today. For example, women diplomats played an essential role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first treaty to articulate the fundamental human rights that should be universally protected.”

He continued, “Yet, despite the evident contributions of women to diplomacy and multilateral decision-making, they continue to be underrepresented in senior diplomatic positions. And they still suffer the deep-rooted legacies of sexism, which hinder their professional advancement and obscure their contributions and achievements.” specifically devoted to celebrating women in diplomacy: who have blazed trails; negotiated peace; strengthened international relations; survived hardships and danger; and have facilitated intercultural linkages.”

HE Ambassador Keisha Aniya McGuire representing Grenada and speaking on behalf of the core group of sponsors, thanked the 85 Member States that agreed to be main sponsors and welcomed the historic support of 191 co-sponsoring Member States as a testament to the collective commitment to achieving gender parity at all levels. “We are at a seminal moment for multilateralism.”

While Sustainable Development Goal 5 calls for women’s equal participation in decision-making, Amb McGuire recounted that between 1992 and 2019, women represented 13 % of negotiators, 6 % of mediators and 6 % of signatories in peace processes worldwide. In 2020, they represented 23 % of conflict party delegations in United Nations-supported peace processes, a share that would have been lower without persistent measures by the Organization. At UN Headquarters, only 21.7 % of permanent representatives are women.

“Change is necessary,” she said while calling for the systemic mainstreaming of a gender perspective throughout the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This new Resolution opens the door to discuss the challenges women in diplomacy face and at the same time, it is a celebration of women in diplomacy which can serve to inspire the next generation. This may be a critical step toward the appointment of a woman as UN SG, something that NGOs and civil society have been advocating for already over a decade.