Women Diplomats Network in the EU
On Wednesday 24 June, the European External Action Service (EEAS) hosted a gathering of WomEn DIplomats Network (“WEDIN EU”) in Brussels, a network of EU Member States and EEAS women diplomats, on occasion of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy. This event brought together the heads of diplomatic women networks from the EU’s Member States Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and the EEAS. The meeting focused on how to support women diplomats’ career growth, foster exchange and drive progress on gender equality worldwide.
During this fifth edition of the event, the diplomats had the opportunity to exchange with High Representative/Vice President Kaja Kallas, and EEAS Secretary General, Belén Martinez Carbonell. Kallas highlighted the importance of women in diplomacy:
“It’s not rocket science. When diplomats reflect the societies they represent, you get a better outcome. For instance, peace agreements that are negotiated with the participation of women are 35% more likely to last at least 15 years than those negotiated with just men sitting around the table. “
- High-Representative and Vice-President, Kaja Kallas
Gendered disinformation
Women in diplomacy now face growing threats from weaponised attacks and digital forgeries. Beyond the personal toll, coordinated attacks undermine democratic resilience and global security. To address this issue during the annual event, the participants received a training session on gendered threats and information integrity response by expert Kristina Wilfore.
“Gendered disinformation is not only attacking human rights, equality and anti-discrimination. As part of the global backlash against gender equality, it is a sneaky way to undermine the role women can play in decision-making positions in the economy and political sphere. It is an attack on democracy.”
- Ambassador Aude Maio-Coliche, coordinator of WEDIN EU
Handing over the baton
As global backlash and targeted attacks intensify, it is important to sustain and expand spaces for women to meet, encourage one another, and tackle the unique challenges in their career as women diplomats.
Ambassador Aude Maio-Coliche began forming the links between networks in 2021. Since then, several new networks have been created: from eight established EU women diplomats’ networks, to now fourteen, with more currently developing.
“As much as women are now more present in EU diplomacies, heavy new trends online and offline attacking gender equality will affect us all. Women in diplomacy have a key role to play in pushing back the global backlash. Women in position of leadership today have a responsibility and a duty to act – for women all over the world and for future generations."
- Ambassador Aude Maio-Coliche, coordinator of WEDIN EU
Aude Maio-Coliche is now handing over the baton to Nina Obermaier, Senior Inspector at the Inspection Service. Moving forward, the network and its national partners will sustain and expand collaborative spaces for women diplomats.
“The young women diplomats of today are the women leaders of tomorrow. Learning from each other and from other networks on what works best to promote talent and to advance gender equality and a stronger women’s voice in diplomacy and decision-making will be a particular focus of WEDIN EU’s work going forward."
- Nina Obermaier, Senior Inspector at the Inspection Service
Background
The “Women in the EEAS” (WEEAS) network was created by former EEAS Secretary General Helga Schmid, back in 2013, under the authority of the then High Representative Catherine Ashton. It aimed at providing a platform for the exchange of information, experiences and ideas among women professionals in the EEAS.
In 2021, WEEAS subgroup WEDIN-EU started linking up with networks of women diplomats in EU Member States. In January 2022, the network agreed to reinforce networks of European women diplomats to facilitate careers of women diplomats and reinforce a feminist diplomacy that promotes equality between men and women in the world.