On 18 November 2024, the Department of International Relations at LSE hosted the “Women in Diplomacy” event, featuring guest speakers Kirtbir Chahal, Head of Infrastructure Partnerships – Africa and Middle East, Department for Business and Trade, Katharina Rauscher, Deputy Ambassador of Austria to the UK, and Nadia Theodore, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the WTO. The event was chaired by Professor Karen E Smith of the Department of International Relations at LSE.
L to R: Nadia Theodore, Katharina Rauscher, Kirtbir Chahal and Karen E Smith (Chair)
Currently, fewer than 21% of ambassadors are women, highlighting the urgent need for continued efforts to make the diplomatic world more inclusive. The conversation that developed in the room brought in much more than what the title could have anticipated: the sense of missing the unspoken knowledge required to enter certain roles, the challenge of balancing demanding career with family life in a foreign country without a support network, and the challenges that led many to leave jobs they had once dreamed of. These and many other topics, which in similar events with three male speakers might not have even made it onto the agenda, were discussed with a level of self-irony and honesty rarely heard in similar settings.
Three main topics emerged during the discussion: the need to ensure diverse representation in diplomacy, the importance of redefining what success looks like, and recognising both the progress that has been made and the challenges that remain.
Three main topics emerged during the discussion: the need to ensure diverse representation in diplomacy, the importance of redefining what success looks like, and recognising both the progress that has been made and the challenges that remain.
On diverse representation in diplomacy: Living in a diverse society, we need to ensure that this diversity is reflected in the people who represent us—”nothing for us without us.” As the international agreements being negotiated will also impact women, it is crucial to have women at the decision-making table, and this principle extends to all other underrepresented minorities in the diplomatic sphere; to create effective and lasting policies, it is essential to ensure that all voices and perspectives are included in shaping them.
On redefining the idea of success: Why do we automatically assume that an official dinner is more effective than a lunch meeting? Why can’t our notion of success accommodate a woman who wants to take maternity leave while leading a diplomatic mission in another country without having to step down from her role? Why is it still so difficult to align the concept of success in diplomacy with the idea of a sustainable family life? If we want more women in diplomacy, and to make diplomatic roles more sustainable in general—without assuming that a partner will automatically take on the unpaid role of solely caring for the family—we need a societal shift in how success in diplomatic roles is perceived.
If we want more women in diplomacy, and to make diplomatic roles more sustainable in general—without assuming that a partner will automatically take on the unpaid role of solely caring for the family—we need a societal shift in how success in diplomatic roles is perceived.
On progress and challenges: A key takeaway was that if we truly want to see progress on this front, it is essential to start gathering data to highlight existing problems and track the progress that can be made, as well as having leaders who prioritise diversity in their agenda—openly committing to driving change and personally championing greater inclusivity.
Event report by Martina Zanella, MSc International Political Economy
This article represents the views of the author, and not the position of the Department of International Relations, nor of the London School of Economics.
