Historically, the role of women in diplomacy has remained marginal, at best, evidenced by the low- though increasing- rates of women’s participation in senior level positions in the UN system. Among diplomats to the UN, currently, women account for 23 of the 192 permanent representatives and observers to United Nations headquarters in New York. Women’s participation at senior level positions in the UN system also remains dismal. As of 2009, women represent only 27 of the 120 UN officials at the ASG level and above, at the UN Secretariat; and 15 of 43 senior level officials of funds and programs. Considerate of  studies demonstrating that private sector companies with greater gender parity in top management positions outperform those with low levels of female participation, the urgency and effectiveness of including women at all levels of decision making is evident. Consequently, UNITAR offers a skills building workshop for female delegates as part of the UNITAR / Olof Palme Memorial Fund 2010 Negotiation Series “Towards a level playing field”. This workshop on Women in Diplomacy is UNITAR’s first workshop tailored specifically for female delegates and will take place from 7-8 June 2010.

The limited presence of women in leadership and decision making positions has garnered significant attention on the international level. Commitments have been made at the international, regional and national levels to improve the status of women in decision making, including Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) and the Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995). Finally, the upcoming 2010 High Level Segment of ECOSOC will place significant emphasis on gender. Specifically, the Annual Ministerial Review will focus on “the goals and targets related to gender equality and empowerment of women,” moreover; the thematic debate will address “current global and national trends and their impact on gender equality and empowerment of women”. In his report to the 54th Commission on the Status of Women, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon observed that, “The positive contribution of participation of women in decision-making processes to democratic and economic processes, leading to important policy outcomes, has been increasingly recognized.”   The dismal participation of women in diplomacy coupled with the effectiveness of policy outcomes where they participate highlights the importance and relevance of UNITAR’s upcoming “Workshop on Women in Diplomacy.” This course will focus largely on negotiation skills ranging from gender differences in negotiation and gender stereotypes to negotiating with your supervisor, colleagues and subordinates. Negotiation skills matter for women’s advancement both externally- in multilateral negotiations-, as well as internally within their own hierarchies. The workshop will engage senior level female diplomats and UN personnel who will contextualize the skills learned in the workshop with practical insights and experiences ranging from the role of women as advocates for women’s issues to the specific challenges faced by seasoned female diplomats throughout their careers.   Thus, this workshop aims to enhance the negotiating skills of female delegates to assume leadership positions and to play an active role in multilateral diplomacy while addressing the cultural and institutional challenges facing women in aspiring to senior level responsibility in the multilateral context. For more detailed information on the workshop including the agenda and information note click here.