EU, Foreign Service Institute celebrate women in diplomacy
AGROWING number of women are at the helm of diplomacy and achieving success in the field, closing the gender gap while also moving closer toward gender equality.
The Philippines, for instance, is a remarkable example of gender-equal status in Asia with its 90 women-ambassadors, as former secretary of Foreign Affairs Delia Domingoalbert revealed in her keynote speech at the “Women in Diplomacy” webinar on March 22.
The webinar, held in celebration of Women’s Month hosted by the European Union (EU) Delegation to the Philippines and the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), discussed the state of play in gender equality in diplomacy, as well as proposed steps to further promote women empowerment.
“I am sure...many of you have contributed your share in narrowing the gender gap,” Albert declared. “However, the greater challenge for us women in the Philippines today is the gap between [those] who have it all, and [those] who have very little, or who have none at all.”
The webinar featured speakers such as Ambassador of EU to the Philippines Luc Véron, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Human Resources Management Office’s Performance and Records Management Division Acting Director/gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point Officer Anne Salvador.
“The EU works together to realize a world where women and men, girls and boys—in all their diversity, are free to pursue their chosen path in life, have equal opportunities to thrive, and can equally participate in and lead our society,” Véron said. “We can all come in—not just in diplomacy—but in all walks of life to have the political will to address gender equality, to generate awareness about the need to ensure gender equality and gender equity, to enforce gender mainstreaming in our workplace and in our day-to-day living, to provide support to gender-friendly endeavors, and to continue the inspiration and aspirations to make this world more gender-friendly.”
Equality, empowerment
WHILE the EU is a global leader in gender equality and has made significant progress in the last decades, gender-violence and stereotypes continue to persist. However, the bloc is firmly committed to continue its quest for gender equality and empowerment.
Salvador presented the GAD programs of the DFA, which included the GAD Focal Point System and the department’s fouryear GAD Agenda from 2019 to 2022. She also highlighted the significant achievements of the DFA in promoting gender equality in the international arena, then outlined the department’s GAD programs for 2021 as part of its efforts to continuously mainstream related policies in its programs and activities.
The country’s ambassador to Germany Ma. Theresa Dizon-de Vega and to Portugal Celia Anna Feria, as well as ambassadors to the Philippines Grete Sillasen of Denmark and Michèle Boccoz of France, also shared their best practices in gender mainstreaming, as well as their insights and reflections on the realities of gender dynamics in diplomacy.
Sillasen urged her fellow female diplomats to help one another make the foreign service a special place for women diplomats: “Those of us who work in diplomacy know that it also tends to be very competitive.”
For her part, Feria pointed out the need to focus on programs that will allow Filipino men to participate: “They need to appreciate more the value and significance of gender equality, and [the way it affects] interactions in our families, in our communities, in our societies, and in our country,” she suggested.
Gender champions
MANY countries acknowledge the role and contributions of women in diplomacy by adopting gender-parity initiatives and allowing them to occupy space in the field, as seen in the appointment of Ursula von der Leyen, the first female European Commission president.
The discussion was moderated by Ambassador Saskia de Lang of the Royal Netherlands Embassy, who is the EU’S gender champion. She noted that while there are plenty of gender policies being implemented to achieve a gender balance in the foreign service, much remains to be done.
Ambassador of Hungary to the Philippines Dr. Titanilla Tóth concluded the webinar on a realistic yet optimistic note, as she acknowledged the many milestones of women in diplomacy while recognizing the need to work together to address remaining challenges.
Participants of the webinar included representatives from various diplomatic posts, government agencies, and universities that offer gender studies and international relations courses. It was supported by the United Nations’ Women, the University of the Philippines’s Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, and the De La Salle-college of Saint Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance.