The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) successfully hosted a high-level roundtable discussion on Women, Diplomacy, and Leadership, bringing together women ambassadors posted in the United Arab Emirates, including H.E Dr. Annalee Cecelia Babb, Ambassador of Barbados to the UAE, H.E Maria Belovas, Ambassador of Estonia to the UAE, H.E Lucie Berger, Head of the European Union Delegation to the UAE, H.E Tuula Johanna Yrjola, Ambassador of Finland to the UAE, H.E Alison Milton, Ambassador of Ireland to the UAE, H.E Dana Goldfinca, Ambassador of Latvia to the UAE, H.E Dieminatou Sangare, Ambassador of Mali to the UAE, H.E Maria Camilleri Calleja, Ambassador of Malta to the UAE, and H.E Natalia Al Mansour, Ambassador of Slovenia to the UAE.
The ambassadors shared insights on the challenges and opportunities for women’s leadership in diplomacy. The event was conducted at AGDA’s campus, it marked International Women's Day by addressing the persistent gender imbalance in diplomatic leadership. According to the 2024 Women in Diplomacy Index, an annual report published by AGDA, only 21% of ambassadors globally in 2024 were women.
The roundtable featured a presentation by Dr. Sara Chehab, Senior Research Fellow at AGDA, highlighting the key findings of the 2024 Women in Diplomacy Index, which tracks women’s representation in ambassadorial positions across 193 states. During her talk, Dr. Sara Chehab emphasized the importance of international and community efforts to enhance the representation of women in diplomatic positions, stating:
"This discussion session is part of our ongoing efforts to identify the gaps and challenges that hinder gender equality in diplomatic work. One of the most significant obstacles women faces is securing the necessary support, whether formal or informal, to sustain their careers in the foreign service.
Moreover, there is an urgent need to cultivate a supportive policy environment that empowers women and provides them with opportunities to engage effectively in the diplomatic field.” During the session, the ambassadors discussed the challenges women face in diplomacy and explored strategies for their empowerment, highlighting best practices in recruitment, promotion, and retention.
They also emphasized the role of diplomatic academies and think tanks in advancing gender balance, noting its significance to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda and feminist foreign policy. With the agenda’s 25th anniversary approaching in 2025, the participants underscored that achieving gender parity in diplomacy is essential for fostering global peace and security.