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“We must all do everything possible to ensure women are at the table, our voices heard and our contributions valued.” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed
June 24 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Women in Diplomacy—a day to recognize and honor the role, participation, and potential of women in foreign policy, conflict resolution, and the shaping of a global order based on peace, justice, and dialogue.
In the official calendar of the United Nations, June 24 (3 Saratan / Tir) is designated as the International Day of Women in Diplomacy—a day to honor the role, contributions, and capacities of women in foreign policy, conflict resolution, and the construction of a global order based on peace, justice, and dialogue.
Women and One of Humanity’s Greatest Legal Achievements
One of the clearest examples of women’s impact on global diplomacy is their active participation in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. This historic document, described as a “common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations,” was the first in human history to articulate civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights equally for all human beings—women and men alike.
Women from diverse regions of the world, with different cultural and legal backgrounds, played a decisive role in shaping this declaration.
- Eleanor Roosevelt of the United States, Chair of the Drafting Committee, emphasized human dignity and equality with wisdom and determination.
- Hansa Mehta of India ensured gender inclusiveness by changing the phrase “all men” to “all human beings.”
- Minerva Bernardino of the Dominican Republic, one of the first female UN diplomats, strongly advocated for gender equality in the UN Charter.
- Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah of Pakistan and Frau Helene Weber of Germany, among others, contributed legal insights that enriched the declaration’s comprehensiveness and justice.
This historical contribution shows that women’s presence at the highest levels of international decision-making is not only a demand for justice—it is a proven necessity for peace and sustainable development.
Women Against Violence: Through Dialogue and Trust
Throughout recorded history—especially in recent centuries—there is little evidence of women initiating or leading wars. In contrast, many destructive conflicts have been the result of power-driven decisions made by male diplomats. The history of modern diplomacy is filled with long and exclusive male-led negotiations that not only failed to deliver peace but often prolonged violence—such as the failed peace talks on the Vietnam War or the decades-long discussions on nuclear disarmament that produced few results.
Against this pattern, women have emerged as effective agents of peaceful conflict resolution, relying on moral authority, patience, dialogue, and the capacity to build trust. To date, eighteen women have received the Nobel Peace Prize, including:
- Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, who united Muslim and Christian women to end civil war in her country;
- Wangari Maathai of Kenya, who highlighted the link between environmental protection and social justice.
These women demonstrated that soft power, compassion, and the ability to truly listen can open new paths to peace.
It is not to say that women are necessarily more successful than men in diplomacy, but clearly, excluding half of humanity from this field has led to the loss of valuable opportunities. Now is the time for women diplomats to be included fully, effectively, and not merely symbolically, in peacebuilding, dialogue, and policymaking processes.
This inclusion must be structural and institutional. In many countries, women are still underrepresented in roles such as ambassadors, deputy foreign ministers, or permanent representatives to international organizations. Yet, hundreds of qualified women, well-versed in international law, human rights, environmental policy, sustainable security, and peace mediation, are prepared to take on these responsibilities. Women should be present not only as advisers or spokespersons but as actual decision-makers and policy architects on the global stage.
It would also be fitting that the next Secretary-General of the United Nations be selected from among the world’s highly qualified and widely supported women leaders. As long as women are seen solely as “voices of victims” and not as architects of solutions, structural justice will remain elusive.
The Roya Institute, which is committed to the principles of justice, coexistence, and sustainable peace, marks this international day by reaffirming the truth that effective diplomacy without equal and meaningful participation of women is not only incomplete—it is ineffective. This participation is not a matter of token inclusion or privilege—it is a necessity to reform the unjust structures of power and representation.
Today is a moment to reaffirm this truth: as long as peace is written by only half the world, we will never have peace for all.
Caption for the photo: In May 1946, delegates to the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Status of Women held a press conference in the delegates’ lounge of the gymnasium building at Hunter College, following their final meeting. From left to right: Angela Jurdak (Lebanon), Fryderyka Kalinowski (Poland), Bodgil Begtrup (Denmark), Minerva Bernardino (Dominican Republic), and Hansa Mehta (India). These women were among the first female leaders in the history of the United Nations, playing a crucial role in shaping global policies on women’s rights. In the years following World War II, they worked to ensure the full participation of women in international human rights frameworks, including the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This image captures a foundational moment in the history of gender justice within international institutions.
(Photo: United Nations) Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day/women-who-shaped-the-universal-declaration