Advancing Gender Equality: Women in Diplomacy Discussed in Astana, DKnews.kz reports.
A panel discussion entitled "Breaking Barriers: Women in Diplomacy" was held today in Astana to mark the International Day of Women in Diplomacy. The event was jointly organized by the United Nations in Kazakhstan, Maqsut Narikbayev University and the Kazakhstan Institute for Public Development. The event aimed to highlight the significant contributions of women in diplomacy, share their experiences and insights, and discuss strategies to further promote gender equality in the field.
The discussion was attended by UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Michaela Friberg-Storey, British Ambassador to Kazakhstan Kathy Leach, member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Madina Jarbossynova, Ambassador of South Africa to Kazakhstan Keitumetsi Seipelo Tandeka Matthews, Head of Multilateral Cooperation Department of the MFA of Kazakhstan Didar Temenov, as well as other representatives of the country's diplomatic corps, students and academia.
Since the early 1920s the legal barriers limiting women’s choices started to be lifted. However, the social norms and prejudice have remained far longer and only four of the 850 delegates who signed the Charter of the United Nations in 1945 were women. Since then, there has been an increase in women’s representation in bilateral diplomacy and at the United Nations, but progress has been slow. Between 1992 and 2019, women represented only 13% of negotiators, 6% of mediators and 6% of signatories in peace processes worldwide. Gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls will also make a crucial contribution to progress across all the Sustainable Development Goals and targets.
Addressing the audience, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan Michaela Friberg-Storey noted:
“It is increasingly evident that promoting gender equality in diplomacy is not just a matter of fairness, but a strategic imperative. When we bring women forward in diplomacy, we put diplomacy itself forward. By fostering an environment where women thrive, we pave the way for more effective and sustainable diplomatic engagements on the global stage” Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan
Since Kazakhstan joined the United Nations in 1992, the country has been represented by a female ambassador for the majority of its membership – a total of 17 years out of 32 years. The current number of female ambassadors to Kazakhstan is now reaching 11 out of some 67 – and the figure of female ambassadors from Kazakhstan stands at three. Although these figures are not as high as they could be, there is no doubt that these indicators will continue to show a positive trend, given the strong focus of the Government of Kazakhstan on women empowerment.
It should be noted that the International Day of Women in International Diplomacy was officially established in 2022 at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. 191 countries, including Kazakhstan, voted in favour of the relevant resolution. This year this day will be celebrated officially for the second time.
