To highlight the fact that women remain underrepresented in diplomacy, the UN has designated June 24 as the International Day of Women in Diplomacy. In conjunction with this, the University 91探花 today publishes its latest overview of the gender distribution among the world鈥檚 bilateral ambassadors during the period 1968鈥2024. The study was conducted by the research program Gender and Diplomacy (GenDip).
The results show that the share of female ambassadors has increased slowly but consistently during the 21st century. In 1968, only 0.9 percent of the world鈥檚 ambassadors were women. Just over fifty years later (in 2021), that figure had risen to 21 percent. In 2024, nearly one in four (23.4 percent) ambassadors were women.
Ann Towns, professor of political science and research director of GenDip, sees no clear signs yet that the global backlash against gender equality has affected the field of diplomacy. At the same time, she emphasizes that it remains uncertain whether the share of female ambassadors will continue to grow.
鈥淚n times of growing insecurity and increasing inter-state conflict, men tend to be prioritized over women in diplomacy. This is linked to persistent stereotypes portraying men as more competent in matters of security and defense. Whether this trend will influence future ambassadorial appointments remains to be seen,鈥 says Ann Towns.
More gender equality among junior diplomats
Despite the growing number of female ambassadors and the current positive trajectory, Ann Towns finds it striking that women are still underrepresented at the highest levels of diplomacy.
鈥淭oday, at least half, sometimes more, of the junior diplomats in many foreign ministries are women. Yet men continue to be promoted to ambassadorial positions at higher rates. If foreign ministries want to retain and develop their most qualified and accomplished staff, they must address the structures that benefit men and disadvantage women. The fact that only 23 percent of the world鈥檚 ambassadors are women suggests something is wrong in the recruitment and promotion pipelines of many ministries of foreign affairs.鈥
Researchers don鈥檛 know exactly why men dominate ambassadorial positions, but studies point to several contributing factors: male-dominated networks within foreign ministries that ease men's career advancement; the fact that women more often take primary responsibility for children, which hinders career progression because of the incompatibility between diplomatic careers and parenthood; and direct discrimination against female diplomats.
鈥淭hat men reach the top diplomatic positions does not mean they are inherently more competent than women.鈥
Regional and national differences in top-level diplomacy
GenDip鈥檚 latest mapping shows that diplomacy is most gender-equal in a number of micro-states, as well as a mix of other countries such as Australia, Canada, Finland, Haiti, Malawi, New Zealand, and the United States, each with around or above 50 percent female ambassadors in 2024. Around two dozen countries each had over 40 percent female ambassadors that same year, including Bolivia, Ghana, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden and the UK.
As for regional averages, countries in Central and North America approached 40 percent, followed by Europe and Oceania. Africa and South America have seen more moderate average increases over time, while Asia and the Middle East continue to lag behind, with female ambassadors still accounting for less than 15 percent.
More women make a difference
Research shows that countries with more diverse diplomatic representation are better equipped to reach a broader and more varied range of groups abroad. There are also contexts in which female diplomats are better suited than their male counterparts.
鈥淲e know that female diplomats may have particular advantages in strongly patriarchal and gender-segregated societies, as they can access women's networks that male diplomats have no access to. In some countries, women operate in separate social spheres, and male diplomats may not have the opportunity to interact with them at all."
There are also studies showing that women鈥檚 participation in peace negotiations improves both the quality and durability of peace agreements.
"This is not only because women are present, but because of their role as bridge-builders between delegations and civil society,鈥 says Ann Towns.
