Breaking Barriers, Shaping Futures: Women’s Leadership in Diplomacy

September 8, 2025 | 6:15–7:30 p.m. (EST)
777 United Nations Plaza, 8th FL, New York, NY

Organized by the Center on International Cooperation at New York University and LSE IDEAS, and cosponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations.

On the road to the election of the next United Nations Secretary-General, this high-level panel will convene women diplomats, policymakers, and experts to explore the transformative role of women’s leadership in shaping multilateral diplomacy.

Despite progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in global decision-making, holding just over 23 percent of ambassadorial posts worldwide. The panel will highlight 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 builds on findings from the London School of Economics (LSE) IDEAS Women in Diplomacy 2024 report, “Strengthening the Representation of Women in Diplomacy: Challenges and Policy Solutions,” which underscores both persistent barriers and proven pathways to progress. These include overcoming structural discrimination, “glass ceilings” and “glass cliffs,” unequal access to leadership roles, and systemic biases that limit opportunities for women and underrepresented groups. At the same time, the research highlights enabling factors such as mentorship, supportive networks, institutional reforms, and policy innovations that have helped accelerate women’s advancement in diplomacy.

Co-hosted by the LSE IDEAS Women in Diplomacy project and the NYU Center on International Cooperation (CIC), the event reflects a shared commitment to advancing gender equality and inclusion in global governance in a context of growing challenges for the multilateral system. By connecting research insights with practitioner experience, the panel will spotlight actionable strategies to make multilateral institutions more representative and effective.

As the UN prepares for a leadership transition in 2026, this discussion will explore how increasing women’s representation at senior levels of diplomacy is not only a matter of equity but also essential to rebuilding trust in the multilateral system and strengthening the United Nations’ capacity to deliver peace, justice, and sustainable development for all.

Speakers

• HE. Ms. Egriselda Lopez, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations
• HE. Ms. Lise Gregoire Van Haaren, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations
• Dr. Karen E. Smith, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Mr. Fernando Marani, Program Director, Justice, Inclusion and Equality, NYU Center on International Cooperation
• Ms. Marta Kozielska, Project Manager, Women in Diplomacy, LSE IDEAS
• Moderation: Ms. Natalie Briggs, Program Officer, NYU Center on International Cooperation