By Melissa Apter
Ranking female diplomats from six nations received a warm welcome from the freshmen class of the Elizabeth Somers Women’s Leadership Program at the George Washington University on Thursday, as part of the fourth biennial Women in Diplomacy panel discussion.
The distinguished guests included representatives from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ireland, Costa Rica, Botswana, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Principality of Liechtenstein, who mingled with WLP students in the foyer of Ames Hall before being seated for dinner and roundtable discussions.
As delectable bites were passed around the cloth-covered tables, the students, having written briefing papers in advance of the evening, used the intimate setting to ask an array of questions ranging from trade issues to the influence of U.S. aid in foreign countries.
Elliott School of International Affairs freshman Anne Keogh inquired about the role of diplomacy in security for land-locked Botswana.
“At one point we were surrounded by countries fighting for independence,” Botswana Minister Counselor Emolemo Morake replied. “It was a turbulent region. We knew that we couldn’t fight, so we had to talk. We talked to the African Union, to the United Nations to avoid invasion.”
Such examples of diplomacy were intriguing to Elliott School of International Affairs freshman Brooke Cramberg, whose international politics cohort just finished studying the topic in their Introduction to International Relations course.
“I was impressed by the force of [Ms. Morake’s] conviction about country first before meeting the needs of the international community, especially given her early career in the U.N.,” Ms. Cramberg said.
When the last chocolate covered strawberry had left the dessert tray, the guests moved into a lecture hall for a lively panel discussion, moderated by veteran Washington Post reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner, Mary Jordan.
Striking right at the theme of the evening, Ms. Jordan opened with a direct question: “What’s it like to be in the male club of diplomacy?”
Muni Figueres, ambassador from Costa Rica, said, “It’s really rather fun to be a woman in a visible job with many, many, many men. Being a woman is an advantage, I think. We exude a charm men do not. If you are one of 10 men, you are looked on as a flower.”
Anne Anderson, ambassador from Ireland, offered a contrasting viewpoint.
“It is true that one has additional visibility, but the disadvantages outweigh the advantages,” she said. “One is consistently conscious of being a minority, but that has not impeded getting the job done.”
Guided by Ms. Jordan, each diplomat revealed their journey climbing the ranks of the Foreign Service, their thoughts on women’s strengths – consensus building and listening – and how to tackle so-called “soft issues,” like women’s rights and human rights.
The concept of being pigeonholed by “soft issues” was addressed during the open session.
“One way to make soft issues hard is to get to the hard underbelly of soft issues,” Ms. Figueres said. “If you understand the economics of women’s rights, human rights, the value of women in the workforce….this elevates the need to address these soft issues.”
Another student inquiry: How do you balance success and femininity?
“Well, look at us,” Claudia Fritsche, ambassador from the Principality of Liechtenstein, said to the laughter of the crowd. “You can be assertive without losing your femininity.”
Liberata Mulamula, ambassador from the United Republic of Tanzania offered similar thoughts.
“Be yourself,” she said. “Don’t be someone else. Be bold.”
The experiences of the panel came as a shock to some students, like Elliott School of International Affairs freshman Kirsten Dimovitz.
“I was surprised by the gender-positive message,” she said. “I expected to hear more about a glass ceiling.”
Rachelle Heller, associate provost of the Mount Vernon Campus, hopes the message the diplomats provided resonates with her students.
“These young women are 18 and 19 years old,” she said. “They’re going to need the passion, boldness, and conviction the ambassadors embodied.”