Women in Development and Peace – Hebah Mohammed
Every year, on June 24th, the world celebrates International Day of Women in Diplomacy, an opportunity to highlight the role of women in the diplomatic field and honor their contributions and achievements in this vital area. International Day of Women in Diplomacy aims to promote gender equality and enhance women’s role in decision-making and diplomatic work.
Despite the importance of women in diplomacy—they represent their countries in international forums, work to strengthen bilateral relations, resolve conflicts, and promote global peace and security—they face significant challenges and marginalization in this field.
International Day of Women in Diplomacy
The history of International Day of Women in Diplomacy dates back to a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, which designated June 24th as the global day to celebrate women in diplomacy. This resolution was adopted thanks to the efforts of many countries and international organizations that seek to enhance the role of women in diplomacy and achieve gender equality.
Research and reports indicate that women’s participation in diplomatic levels around the world remains low, despite the progress made in some countries. According to a report by the UN Commission on the Status of Women in September 2022, titled “A Glance at Gender Equality,” only 34 women hold the position of Head of State or Government out of 193 UN member states. The global percentage of women in other levels of political positions worldwide is still far from being achieved: 21% of the world’s ministers, 26% of parliamentarians, and 34% of elected seats in local governments. However, a UN report indicates that at the current rate of progress, equal representation of women in parliaments will not be achieved until 2062.
According to a UN report published on its official website in 2023, between 1992 and 2019, women’s participation in peace processes was very low, with women negotiators reaching only 13%, and women mediators at 6%. Also, in peace agreements worldwide, these numbers clearly indicate the urgent need for gender diversity and the empowerment of women and girls.
Academic and human rights activist Muna Al-Muhaqari says: “Although the UN General Assembly seeks to achieve greater success in international forums for world leaders and achieve gender equality perspectives, there is still much to strive for regarding women’s representation and participation in diplomatic work globally. Only four women have been elected to preside over the UN General Assembly in its 77 years, which is a small number compared to men.”
Yemeni Women Diplomats: Bitterness & Suffering
Academic Al-Muhaqari says: “Yemeni women live in difficult circumstances due to the ongoing conflict in the country for several years. Despite their sacrifices and active participation in peacebuilding efforts, promoting dialogue, and national reconciliation, they do not receive adequate representation in official negotiations and peacebuilding processes, which contradicts the commitments of the United Nations and the resolutions of the UN Security Council that urge the inclusion of women in peacebuilding and decision-making processes.”
She added: “Yemeni women diplomats face significant challenges on their international day; they are met with neglect and marginalization in their work. Although there is a global trend towards increasing women’s participation in diplomatic work and modest progress in Yemeni women’s participation in diplomatic work, they still face significant challenges that hinder their advancement in the diplomatic corps.” Regarding the most important challenges facing Yemeni women diplomats, Al-Muhaqari says: “Yemeni women need support and encouragement from society and the government to enable them to achieve their aspirations and effective contributions to diplomatic work. Among the challenges facing Yemeni women on their international day is the lack of opportunities available in the diplomatic field due to gender discrimination. Also, Yemeni women face security challenges due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen, which may affect their ability to work and participate in diplomatic work.”
Al-Muhaqari explained, in her interview with Women in Development and Peace, that it has become difficult today to talk about women diplomats because Yemeni women are marginalized, excluded, and completely isolated from peace negotiations. She added that previously appointed female figures are appointed, and new faces are absent from diplomatic work, which effectively affects all peacebuilding attempts in Yemen.
For her part, Maha Awadh, Head of Wugood humanitarian organization and coordinator of the Women’s Civil Rights Coalition, says: “After the Stockholm peace talks in 2018, it was agreed to form three committees: the prisoner exchange committee, the Taiz committee, and the Hodeidah redeployment committee, as well as the committees to implement the Riyadh Agreement. All of these committees were formed of individuals belonging to the conflicting parties in Yemen. However, there is no representation of Yemeni women in them.” Maha regrets the lack of representation of Yemeni women in the membership of any of the supervisory, security, and military committees that have been formed since the Geneva 2016 negotiations and the Stockholm 2019 Agreement, as well as the committees of the Riyadh Agreement; she believes that despite the significant challenges and the weak participation of Yemeni women in diplomatic work and their presence in small and fragile numbers, there are some successes achieved by Yemeni women diplomats on the ground. Some Yemeni women have managed to reach high positions in international institutions and diplomatic organizations, and their skills and expertise in diplomacy have been recognized. They work to promote gender equality and enhance women’s rights in Yemen both domestically and internationally.
Statistics & Figures
Maha confirmed that the level of women’s representation in the diplomatic corps is low, as the number of female ambassadors does not exceed three, compared to 50 male ambassadors, while women are more present in the lower administrative levels. Data from 2018 indicates that the percentage of women’s participation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is 13.3% overall, compared to 11.9% in 2012. Women are almost absent from the position of Consul or Military, Medical, or Commercial Attaché, with some exceptions. Jamila Ali Raja, Vice-President of the Consultation and Reconciliation Authority during the Fifth Women’s Summit held in Aden in 2022, stated that the number of women in the Reconciliation and Consultation Authority reached only 5 women, while the number of men was 45, including party leaders and influential figures. They constitute a second track in the three peace tracks.
Raga explained the three tracks of the peace process in Yemen; the first track operations include government officials, UN envoys, their teams, and leaders of the conflicting parties in Yemen to participate in negotiating a formal peace agreement. At the same time, the second track operations consist of civil society organizations at the local and national levels, international non-governmental organizations, former diplomats, and community authority figures who seek to support official negotiations by engaging in peacebuilding activities. The third track included grassroots actors and activists to influence peace negotiation efforts.
Recommendations for Improving Women’s Status
Maha Awadh believes that “there is still a lot of work to be done to improve the status of Yemeni women diplomats. The Yemeni government and the international community must intensify their efforts to enhance women’s role in diplomacy and remove the obstacles they face. They must develop policies and programs that promote women’s participation in decision-making and provide the necessary support to develop their diplomatic skills and abilities.”
Maha Awadh also recommends increasing women’s representation in decision-making positions and the diplomatic corps by allocating a minimum of 30% for women in public service, politics, peace negotiations, and negotiating delegations. She also recommends involving women in all committees related to the peace process and political processes and obligating the Yemeni government to build the capacities of women working in the diplomatic corps and qualify them.
She pointed out the importance of taking measures to ensure that the peace agenda is gender-responsive and formally consulting with women in the negotiation process, including rural women and conflict survivors, to ensure that their priorities are included in any political settlement.
Muna Al-Muhaqari agrees with what Maha pointed out, saying, “The international community must stand by Yemeni women diplomats and provide financial, technical, and technological support to enhance their role and enable them to work effectively and safely. Also, providing training and continuing education opportunities for Yemeni women diplomats to enhance their skills and improve their performance in the diplomatic arena.” Yemeni women diplomats remain victims of neglect and marginalization on their international day and in their professional lives in general, but they remain strong and determined to achieve change and represent their country with dignity and pride. Therefore, the Yemeni government and the international community must work together to remove obstacles and empower Yemeni women diplomats to achieve their full potential and contribute to building a prosperous future for Yemen.