African Women in Diplomacy and International Affairs (AWIDIA)

Background

The fields of International Relations and Diplomacy have long been male-dominated professions. However, the world is at an inflection point, as the number of women in important and influential positions in the foreign service space across the globe is increasing exponentially as a growing number of women shatter the glass ceiling. In several countries, women are now occupying top foreign policy positions in addition to other senior positions such as Directors and Ambassadors. In others, such as Liberia (President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf), Malawi (President Joyce Hilda Banda), and Tanzania (President Samia Suluhu Hassan) women have served as their country’s top diplomats. At the level of the African Union, the Commission Chair has once been held by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Women are also a palpable presence in some of parliament’s most important committees, such as security and foreign relations including being more visible than ever in the country’s Diplomatic missions across the globe. In addition, government departments are implementing new gender mainstreaming strategies, some of which have been informed by in-depth organizational reviews. Furthermore, women now make up a significant number of faculty members, researchers as well students in the departments of international relations, diplomacy and foreign policy. Furthermore, an extraordinary group of talented women populates the rising generation of foreign policy analysts, foreign affairs journalists, and foreign service officers.

The advocacy to include women in all spheres of public life is largely informed by the rise of feminism theories and frameworks that question the traditional dominance of some practices in the field of International Relations, Diplomacy, and Foreign Policy Making. It is also in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Goal 5 whose main goal is to “achieve gender equality and empower women and girls” because gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. While these arenas are still male-dominated the world over and informed largely by the deeply entrenched patriarchal culture, the increasing number of women in senior positions is a welcome development because they constitute 50% of the population and have been traditionally underrepresented in the field.

Introduction

Given the growing number of women serving in leadership as well as strategic foreign policy roles in Africa, it is tempting to conclude that the sector’s traditional gender imbalance has been largely resolved. However, the reality is that enormous challenges remain and women are still underrepresented in the International Relations, Diplomacy and Foreign policy workforce. Many women stagnate, quit, or choose not to enter the diplomacy and foreign policy field, limiting the pool for various positions and under-utilization of valuable talent, expertise and experience. This means that approximately 50% of the population, is largely not involved in key foreign policy decisions that affect them. It will therefore take more than a few women cracking the glass ceiling to change the gender imbalance in this field.

While the current gender imbalance in the foreign policy arena cannot be fixed in the short term, it is nonetheless important for the sector to address this disparity. Capable and qualified women should have the same opportunities as their male counterparts because a diverse workforce will not only better reflect society as a whole, but fully utilize the available resource pool. Therefore, rethinking the place of women in International Relations, Diplomacy, and Foreign Policy field is critical to reshaping Africa’s approach to gender mainstreaming initiatives.

It is within this context, that the International Relations Society of Kenya (IRSK) is working to contribute through the African Women in Diplomacy and International Affairs (AWIDIA) Initiative, a network of highly skilled women in international affairs and diplomacy. The initiative formed in back in 2022 seeks to build a resourceful network of experts, scholars, practitioners to contribute to an African, and gendered voice in solutions to critical global issues. AWIDIA aims to provide a platform for the exchange of information, experiences and ideas among women professionals in Africa. To do this, AWIDIA will organize capacity building workshops, conferences and mentorship programs that equip women with the relevant and adaptable skills required in responding to issues in the international affairs and diplomacy space.

Objectives of the network

AWIDIA is an inclusive, contemporary, multidisciplinary, multisectoral platform that aims to:

• Build partnerships with like-minded national, regional and continental organizations promoting women leadership in international affairs.
• Build a resourceful network of experts, scholars, practitioners to contribute to an African, and gendered voice in solutions to critical global issues.
• Track, advocate, amplify and advance research on the place of women representation and leadership across various international affairs sectors.
• Link women to opportunities that provide multi-skill advancement, information, mentorship, and work-based learning to equip women with adaptable skills required in responding to issues in international affairs.

Activities

AWIDIA seeks to achieve the above objectives through:
• Advocacy with policy makers, development partners, the private sector in advancing gender parity in international affairs.
• Virtual and in-person events such as invited talks, high teas, briefings, workshops, conferences panel and roundtable discussions.
• Research disseminated through the annual AWIDIA bulletin and IRSK quarterly magazine.
• Partnerships with academic, non-profit and for-profit organizations that can provide internship opportunities, scholarships, fellowships as well as skills training.