The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from UN Women Liberia, will host a high-level event on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, to observe the International Day of Women in Diplomacy.
The event, taking place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia, recognizes women’s critical contributions to diplomacy, international affairs, and peacebuilding, while highlighting persistent barriers to their equal participation.
Established by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 76/269 in 2022, the International Day of Women in Diplomacy is observed annually on June 24. This day underscores the need for systemic reforms to eliminate discrimination in diplomatic spaces and reaffirms the global commitment to women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in diplomacy.
Despite gradual progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in diplomatic leadership worldwide. As of 2024, only 21% of ambassadors globally are women, with Africa accounting for 20% (a slight increase from 19% in 2023). In Liberia, women comprise 43.9% of the Ministry’s home office staff and 37.3% of foreign mission staff. However, they hold only 27.1% of home office leadership positions and 40.1% of decision-making roles in foreign missions, indicating an urgent need for targeted reforms to achieve gender-balanced leadership. In April 2025, the UN Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 58/15 on Women, Diplomacy and Human Rights, led by Morocco, Chile, Mexico, and Spain, and co-sponsored by over 95 Member States, calling for systemic reforms.
Liberia boasts a proud legacy of women’s leadership in diplomacy and peacebuilding, from former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state, to Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee. Community-based initiatives like Peace Huts further exemplify Liberia’s grassroots innovations in women-led diplomacy. Liberia is also among the growing number of countries advancing a Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP), having reaffirmed its commitment to gender-responsive diplomacy at the 78th UN General Assembly and the 2025 African Union Summit. These efforts align with Liberia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP-WPS) and global frameworks such as UNSCR 1325 and HRC Resolution 58/15.
The June 24th event offers a strategic opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Liberian women to diplomacy and peacebuilding, disseminate and contextualize HRC Resolution 58/15 within Liberia’s policy landscape, and reaffirm Liberia’s leadership in advancing gender-equitable diplomacy.
The event’s objectives include raising national awareness, recognizing achievements of Liberian women in formal and informal diplomatic spaces, exploring the relevance of HRC Resolution 58/15 to Liberia’s Feminist Foreign Policy, facilitating dialogue on institutional reforms and mentorship, and generating actionable recommendations for creating enabling environments for women in foreign service.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites stakeholders from government, civil society, academia, diplomatic missions, and development partners to join this important occasion.
ABJ/APA