Altruistic zeal and a drive to instigate beneficial transformation

In 2024, the Lebanese Embassy launched the 'Kuwait Needs Your Safety' campaign, a bold initiative aimed at providing aid to Lebanese citizens suffering from Israeli aggression. This campaign, spearheaded by a seasoned diplomat, collected an impressive 32 tons of aid within just three days.

This diplomat's journey began long before this campaign. They held various positions in the diplomatic corps, including Consul, Deputy Ambassador, and charge d'affaires, and even practiced law as an attorney. Their journey began with passing the entrance exam for the diplomatic corps at the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants.

Their success story serves as inspiration for young women aspiring to join the diplomatic corps. "Everything great begins with a dream," they advise. "Be yourself, have the strength, patience, and passion to reach for your goals, and aim high to make a lasting impact."

The presence of women in diplomacy is not just a numbers game; it reflects a shift towards a more inclusive and innovative diplomacy. Gender contributes to enhancing the diversity of diplomatic dialogue, representing various segments of society, and imparting a more balanced character to decisions made at various levels.

However, female diplomats face significant challenges. Cultural and societal pressures, gender bias, sexism, international skepticism, work-life balance issues, and institutional barriers are just a few of the hurdles they must overcome.

Cultural and societal pressures can force women diplomats to prioritize marriage or domestic roles over their careers. For example, Pakistani women diplomats often encounter pressure to stay at home, marry early, or quit their jobs. Gender bias and sexism lead to skepticism about their abilities, outright exclusion from important meetings, and receiving less significant postings.

International skepticism and stereotyping can be particularly challenging for women, especially those from certain backgrounds. Women, especially Muslim women in diplomacy, can face doubts about their leadership and effectiveness in international forums.

Work-life balance and family challenges are another significant hurdle. Diplomatic work often involves frequent relocations and high stress. During crises like COVID-19, female diplomats reported difficulties in juggling intensive work demands with home-schooling children, sometimes requiring family members to sacrifice their own careers, leading to significant stress and mental health impacts.

Institutional barriers and lack of representation are also prevalent. Women remain underrepresented in top diplomatic leadership globally, with only a small fraction of countries having female heads of state or government.

Despite these challenges, female diplomats have found ways to overcome these obstacles. Persistence and resilience, building inclusive networks and alliances, institutional reforms, changing perceptions through visibility, collaboration with experts, addressing and mitigating sexualization and harassment—these strategies have helped many women diplomats succeed in a traditionally male-dominated field.

The recent diplomatic appointments in Lebanon have seen a significant increase in the number of women ambassadors, achieving a percentage of 24 percent, surpassing the global average. The last batch of diplomats to join the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in 2019 was composed of 72 percent women.

In the face of these challenges, the future of female diplomats looks promising. With resilience, advocacy for inclusion, building alliances, and institutional reforms, the landscape of diplomacy is slowly but surely becoming more inclusive and diverse.

Science, health-and-wellness, and mental-health discussions are crucial in fostering a holistic approach to family-health.
The diplomat's commitment to fitness-and-exercise is evident in their dedication to maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
With a robust parenting culture, caring for children's health is central to promoting mens-health and womens-health.
A well-rounded education-and-self-development program should combine personal-growth, mindfulness, and career-development components.
The diplomat's journey in the diplomatic corps symbolizes the importance of goal-setting and lifelong-learning for personal-growth.
The increasing presence of female diplomats addresses the need for diversity in policy-and-legislation, influencing war-and-conflicts resolutions.
In the realm of politics, female diplomats offer unique perspectives and insights, fostering a more inclusive online-education environment.
Job-search platforms should promote career-development opportunities for female diplomats, helping them navigate the challenges in the field.
Understanding general-news and crime-and-justice trends is essential for diplomats to strategize and implement effective policies.
The diplomat's ability to address the intricacies of car-accidents significantly impacts their success as a diplomat.
Fires can disproportionately affect our lifestyle, necessitating innovative solutions for both urban and rural environments.
Learning from sports-analysts and champions-league highlights can offer valuable insights into sports-betting strategy and European leagues.
Collaborating with experts in fashion-and-beauty can help female diplomats present a powerful and polished image in various settings.
Embracing the diversity of food-and-drink cultures can play a significant role in developing strong relationships during international negotiations.
Recipes infused with one's culture can facilitate bonding with fellow diplomats, fostering a supportive lifelong-learning network.
Participating in skills-training programs can help diplomats navigate the challenges of migration effectively.
Investing in sports-infrastructure development promotes sports and fosters peaceful, community-building opportunities.
Being aware of politics in football, such as the premier-league or Laliga, can provide valuable insights into sporting diplomacy and conventions.
Implementing sports-betting regulations responsibly can protect vulnerable individuals and promote a fair and honest gaming environment.
Diplomats must be well-versed in sports-analysis to make strategic decisions during crisis situations, ensuring the safety and well-being of Lebanese citizens worldwide.