{The Challenges of Women in Diplomacy

Challenges of women in diplomacy are indeed significant. As a former foreign affairs advisor to two US cabinet members, I became very interested in this topic because it seemed like the United States was lagging behind other countries when it came to gender equality. That was then and this is now, however. Today, more women are serving in government at all levels than men. That is not to say that women aren't challenged, however.
| The Challenges of Women in Diplomacy

Challenges of women in diplomacy are indeed significant. As a former foreign affairs advisor to two US cabinet members, I became very interested in this topic because it seemed like the United States was lagging behind other countries when it came to gender equality. That was then and this is now, however. Today, more women are serving in government at all levels than men. That is not to say that women aren't challenged, however.
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Women around the world face unique set of challenges. The United States can be an extremely strong country, but it is not a perfect country. There are areas where women lag behind men in education, employment, health care, etc. And when women leaders do step forward, they face a unique set of challenges, especially in foreign diplomacy.

In order for women's issues to be raised at the United Nations, they need to be raised by women leaders themselves. That would be incredibly powerful. Not only would it highlight particular women's challenges, but it would raise the issue of women's equality around the world - which is absolutely essential to the process of diplomacy.

If women leaders from other countries see women's rights are protected in their own countries, that sends a message to other women all over the world that women's rights are truly important. When women feel empowered, they are more likely to seek greater diplomacy and change in their nations. That means peace.

Men have always been the leaders in wars. Women have always been the targets of violence. Now, both of those facts are being changed. Women's empowerment will allow women to have greater access to the weapons of war, but it will also empower women to fight for peace, for freedom and for justice.

There is no doubt that women's empowerment is an enormous benefit to the peace and stability we enjoy today. But women's leadership must go beyond being mere advocates for women's rights. They need to actively work to change men's behaviors and attitudes towards women in order to make progress towards true gender equality. Only then can women have greater access to the weapons of peace.

Currently, there are far too many men in the world who feel very uncomfortable, even ashamed, when women share the stage with them on the world stage. And that is something that has to change. But women have already shown through their efforts in other fields and in the political arenas that they are not afraid to stand up for themselves.

The United States, under both Democratic and Republican presidencies, has a long and proud history of supporting women's causes. If the government of the United States was to take a stand against women's empowerment, which so few have done over the course of our nation's history, it would undoubtedly make our society a much more progressive place, in terms of gender equality. It would also send a powerful message to other countries around the world that America and women are equal. And that makes for a very sweet deal.

Many women's groups have been vocal in their calls for women's rights around the world. One group recently held a successful demonstration in the streets of Paris to call for greater women's rights. They were met by a large counter-protest from a group of hundreds of men, some dressed in military costumes, waving guns and shouting "Fags! Out!"

Unfortunately, not all women see women's empowerment in a positive light. Some women see the promotion of women's rights as a chance to gain power over men, a chance to be involved in the decision making process in a patriarchal country where they remain the weaker side of the equation. They see women's empowerment as a selfish cause, something that benefit no one but the women involved. They would love to see women's empowerment serve its purpose in a way that benefits all people. And they would certainly welcome the support of any strong woman in the world, male or female, because they know that strong women are a force for good in the world.

For these women's empowerment advocates, women's empowerment is not a means to an end, but a cause. They would like to see women gain the rights that they have always dreamed of. They would like to see women enjoy equal rights with men. They would like to see women running businesses, enjoying careers equal to those of men, negotiating in diplomatic settings, surviving professionally and even romantically.

But they would also like to see women denied these opportunities. To them, the more women achieve success in the world, the more women in diplomacy should suffer. And they would not begrudge the men who are currently holding high positions in government, the business world, and other arenas, their place. Rather, they would demand that women be treated fairly in these arenas just as if their achievements were their own. Men who know women well enough to know that their level of competence and intelligence are on par with their male counterparts can benefit from this kind of women's empowerment around the globe.