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.
Read also:
- "Thrilled response" from animal rights organization following cessation of canine testing at London, Ontario healthcare facility
- Is it secure for individuals with dementia to consume ice cream?
- Jellyfish invade coastlines, forcing closure of nuclear power plant: jellyfish predicament
- Shingles Reoccurrence: Understanding the Causes and Identifying Potential Victims
