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“Men have an essential role in breaking toxic di erent regions, have led discussions on Gaza,
stereotypes – and modelling behavior for boys and Ukraine and other con icts. Progress is visible.
adolescents that normalizes the rightful equality Yet, “the collective frustration” among gender
of women and girls,” Dennis Francis, former advocates stems from a sobering fact: the wide
th
President of 78 UNGA, said on 24 June last year, gender gaps in executive leadership. Women
the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, “are still largely excluded from the positions of
designated by the UNGA since 2022. Around the power and diplomacy,” gender advocates argue.
world, the new narrative on men’s role as “gender “It is infuriating that at the current pace, equality
champions” is gaining traction in policy fora, is 300 years away,” said Sima Bayous, head of UN
grassroots movements, individual activism and Women and former Jordanian journalist.
arts. “To Kill a Tiger,” an internationally acclaimed
documentary lm, portrays a father’s ghts for his Today, male dominance in diplomacy and politics
daughter’s rights -- against social norms and legal extends to the Permanent Missions to the UN.
challenges. A key strategy for gender advocates Men still hold leadership of the foreign a airs
has been “to inspire con dence and drive of portfolios, with women holding 22 percent of
young women and girls to achieve their fullest these portfolios, according to the UN. Only one
potentials while engaging men and boys in the in four UN ambassadors are women. As of May
pursuit of gender balance.” 2024, women held 25 per cent of Permanent
Representative posts in New York, 35 per cent in
Second, the evolving global history of women Geneva, and 33.5 per cent in Vienna, according
in diplomacy will remain distorted unless it to the UN. e “Pink Box” trap in multilateral
re ects “the collective frustration” among gender diplomacy remains evident. An example: ere
advocates -- despite notable progress in post- has been a higher number of men in the UNGA
World War II modern history. In nearly eight ve main Committees except for one, the ird
decades, UN multilateral diplomacy has led to Committee on humanitarian and human rights
these gender milestones: the 1946 creation of issues, or “social issues” traditionally assigned
UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to women. While 2024 marked the biggest
which remains a standing world forum for global electoral year in modern history, according to
policies on women’s empowerment; the 1949 the UN, 113 countries have never had a woman
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Head of State, only 26 countries have women
Discrimination against Women; the 1995 Beijing as heads of government, and women hold a
Declaration and Platform for Action, serving quarter of ministerial positions globally. In 141
as reference points for national governments’ countries women make up less than a third of
gender policies; the 2000 adoption of 1325 UN Cabinet ministers, seven countries have no
resolution on Women, Peace and Security which women represented in their Cabinets at all, as
aims to enhance women roles in peace talks, re ected in UN Women 2024 map on women in
con ict resolution and peacebuilding; the 2015 leadership.
Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender
equality and women’s leadership; and the 2024 ird, having women in the top jobs has been
adoption of the Pact for the Future on multilateral part of the narratives in reshaping the global
e orts to increase women’s participation in history of women and humankind. And it has
economic and political life. Now, UN meeting little to do with having women in leadership to
rooms look more gender-balanced, compared better the statistics. Having unquali ed women
to 30 years ago when these rooms looked like in leadership positions to “meet quotas” or
a picture of all men in dark suits with only few provide political window-dressing in institutions
spots of woman diplomats. and in countries with dynastic politics, gender
advocates say, gives women’s movement a bad
Today, women are co-leading key UN name. Rather, this narrative now focuses on
negotiations and shaping global agenda from having “quali ed women” in political leadership
Climate Action to last year’s Pact for the Future, and diplomacy -- at the highest posts. “We must
the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration move beyond mere citing statistics to concrete
on Future Generations. In the UN Security action for a world where gender equality
Council, more woman ambassadors, including and women’s leadership in diplomacy are as
those known as the “Fabulous Five” from tried and true as a sunrise over the horizon,

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