Women in Diplomacy: We've come a long way, but there's still a long way to go...

I am writing this article in my apartment in Tirana at the start of my first diplomatic overseas posting with the new FCDO. I’ve worked at the FCDO for just over two years, and before that I studied for a BA in French and History and an MA by Research in Modern French History at Durham University. In 2019/20 I was privileged to lead one of FCDO’s flagship projects in Europe, called Women in Diplomacy. It was a year-long career development programme for female diplomats from the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Italy and Spain. The project aligned with my passion for promoting gender equality, which in the field of diplomacy is proven to improve peace, stability, economic growth and poverty reduction.

Women in Diplomacy:

I managed the Women in Diplomacy project as part of my role working on programmes in Europe. Lots of different skills were involved: I built relationships with key stakeholders to understand the policy areas I was working in and then had to think strategically about what we wanted to achieve and what sort of activities would have the greatest impact. I enjoyed the proactive nature of project management and seeing something through from beginning to end.

The project was designed to support a group of women as they set out on their careers through career development training, including topics such as resilience, communication and leadership, and by creating a long-lasting support network. Our long-term goal is ambitious: we plan to establish an annual programme of training and a strong network of programme alumni who support each other and drive gender equality within our Ministries, in Europe and globally.

Lessons Learned:

I learned a huge amount from managing the project, and even more from the cohort of European diplomats and from our speakers and mentors, about both personal development and gender diversity. In particular, I gained an understanding of the importance of networking; I don’t mean handing out as many business cards as possible, but making genuine human connections that will help all involved to make an impact through their work and to develop personally and professionally. We discussed leadership and concluded that good leaders are empathetic, foster a culture of trust where people can take risks, and invest in developing others. We also explored how gender equality intersects with other policy priorities, such as climate change. For instance, women are disproportionately affected by climate change, yet underrepresented in policy/decision making. But there is hope for the future with pressure from younger generations, strong female climate leaders, and women involved in areas such as sustainable development and green finance for economic recovery.

Looking forward:

From managing the project I also learned that the FCDO has come a long way when it comes to its own gender diversity but it still has a long way to go, as does the diplomatic field more broadly. It’s a challenge and we need more work to understand what the obstacles are for women and how we can overcome them. If you’re a woman in diplomacy, or hoping to be, then I’d encourage you to build networks, to try to be as authentic as you can so we can create genuinely diverse organisations, and to take advantage of opportunities like mentoring and sponsorship.

As for me, I’m still in the very early stages of my career and I’m focused on all I have to learn in my first overseas role. I’m not sure what the future holds. I know that I enjoy international work, line management, challenge, variety, and doing something worthwhile. I hope that by pursuing what motivates me, working hard and being flexible, I’m on my way to a fulfilling career.

Harriet Morgan is a diplomat in Tirana, Albania for the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.