Women in Diplomacy: Path to UN 2026 Leadership
Tarazi Mohammed Sheikh | Published on 9/15/2025
Attending the recent high-level panel on "Breaking Barriers, Shaping Futures: Women's Leadership in Multilateral Diplomacy" has been an extremely enriching experience.
The timing of this discussion was particularly poignant as it connected directly to the upcoming 2026 UN Secretary-General election, highlighting how women’s leadership is vital to strengthening legitimacy and trust in multilateralism.
Despite progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in global decision-making, holding just over 23% of ambassadorial posts worldwide. The panel highlighted how women's leadership enhances diplomacy by fostering collaboration, advancing inclusive policy outcomes, and strengthening the legitimacy and effectiveness of multilateral institutions at a time when the international system faces deep divisions and complex global crises. This discussion is built on findings from the London School of Economics (LSE) IDEAS Women in Diplomacy 2024 report, which underscores both persistent barriers and proven pathways to progress– including overcoming structural discrimination, "glass ceilings" and "glass cliffs," unequal access to leadership roles, and systemic biases. The research also highlighted enabling factors such as mentorship, supportive networks, institutional reforms, and policy innovations that have helped accelerate women’s advancement in diplomacy.
A vibrant discussion unfolded among the speakers and panelists, including H.E. Ms. Egriselda Lopez, Ambassador of El Salvador; H.E. Ms. Lise Gregoire Van Haaren, Ambassador of the Netherlands; Dr. Karen E. Smith, Professor at LSE; Mr. Fernando Marani, Program Director at the NYU Center on International Cooperation (CIC); Ms. Marta Kozielska, Project Manager at LSE IDEAS; and moderator Ms. Natalie Briggs, Program Officer at the NYU CIC. The conversation covered a breadth of topics, from ways to address barriers for women in diplomacy to spotlighting actionable strategies to make multilateral institutions more representative and effective.
This event was co-organized by the NYU CIC and LSE IDEAS and cosponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations. I am grateful to IAWJ for the opportunity!