Strengthening the Representation of Women in Diplomacy: Challenges and Policy Solutions

This report examines the persistent underrepresentation of women in international diplomacy, exploring the structural, institutional, and cultural barriers that limit women’s participation and progression into senior roles. Drawing on research, interviews with senior women diplomats, and practitioner perspectives, it identifies practical policy solutions for foreign ministries and international organisations, while highlighting the importance of intersectionality and greater diversity in diplomatic decision-making.

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This report was published on Monday 17 June 2024.

About the authors

Karen E. Smith is the co-founder and director of the LSE Women in Diplomacy project. She is a Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her main area of research is the ‘international relations of the European Union’, and she has examined the EU’s pursuit of ‘ethical’ foreign policy goals such as promoting human rights and democracy, and EU-UN relations. She is now working on projects on women in foreign policy-making and diplomacy, and on the role of that emotions play in EU foreign policy-making.

Marta Kozielska is the co-founder and manager of the Women in Diplomacy Project at LSE IDEAS, where she oversees the project’s activities and vision. She is a Public Policy Consultant with a focus on social inclusion and policy communications, and has previously worked across think tanks, consultancy and non-governmental organisations, where she developed her expertise in international strategy, public policy, advocacy and strategic communications. Marta previously studied at the LSE and University of California, Berkeley.