On the occasion of the first International Day of Women in Diplomacy, we celebrate the achievements of women in diplomacy, recognize and applaud their outstanding services and make a pledge to promote the full and equal participation of women at all levels of diplomacy. It is indeed encouraging that the number of women ambassadors worldwide is increasing with the share of women ambassadors going from 16% in 2018 to an approximate 22% in 2022. I am happy to note that Pakistani women diplomats are and have been serving in various capacities from foreign ministers to foreign secretaries and at many Ambassadorial positions in our embassies abroad. However, it should also serve as a moment where we pause and reflect on important obstacles that still need to be tackled to encourage our women to choose diplomacy as a career and once in service create enabling conditions to help them alleviate to higher decision-making positions by overcoming deep-rooted legacies of gender bias which still hinder the professional advancement of women. This, I believe would accelerate our pace to achieve sustainable development and peace and democracy in Pakistan and around the world. I am confident that with the right encouragement and provision of a conducive environment we will be able to further improve women’s participation and representation in diplomacy.
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