On the occasion of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, thanked Italian women diplomats and reaffirmed the Foreign Minister’s commitment to promoting gender equality. A concrete sign of progress in this direction comes from the recent appointments of the Heads of Mission by the Council of Ministers, for which the Government has indicated seven women to represent our country abroad.
Minister Tajani expressed his appreciation to all the women who work at the Foreign Ministry and represent Italy in the world, operating with determination and passion, in achieving our country’s foreign policy objectives and enhancing Italy’s image in the world. Every day, Italian women diplomats demonstrate leadership, listening, mediation and innovation skills – essential qualities for facing the complex challenges of our time.
To celebrate this day, the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, Amb. Riccardo Guariglia, will open the Round Table discussion of the Association of Italian Women Diplomats and Managers (DID) on “Women’s Diplomacy for Mediation and Dialogue”, to which the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi, will send a message underlining the importance of women’s contribution to making diplomacy increasingly inclusive and rich in prospects.
Today’s International Day of Women in Diplomacy also provides the opportunity to renew the Foreign Minister’s commitment to supporting concrete initiatives that enhance the presence of women in national and international contexts. Encouraging signs also come from the most recent diplomatic competition for entering the diplomatic career, the results of which mark a historic milestone: newly hired women account for 46% of the winners, showing a real change and a path towards more complete gender equality in the diplomatic career.