Where are all the women in diplomacy? A research study on the European Union panorama

Abstract

The integration of women in the international relations panorama is a rather recent phenomenon. Only towards the end of the twentieth century women obtained the right to access the diplomatic career; before then they were considered only as wives, mothers and daughters and had to deal exclusively with domestic life. Diplomacy, like many other professional careers, was the exclusive field of an elite of aristocratic men who, thanks to their education and skills, could reach prestigious and high-ranking positions. When women were also granted the right to receive a higher education, in addition to the right to vote, they seize the opportunity to be more than mere figures dedicated to the house and husband. In this particular occasion the first feminist movements arose, which immediately claimed the recognition of equal rights between men and women. Gender equality is a very delicate and complex process: numerous resolutions and conventions have been adopted to achieve this right; some examples are the United Nations Security Council Resolution no. 1325 or the World Conferences on Women; nevertheless, the female presence in places of power is still lower than male presence. The objective of this paper is to trace a brief analysis of gender inequality in the diplomatic world with particular attention to the European Union and to identify some female figures who, despite difficulties and obstacles, have managed to reach important positions.