Enter our competition to be a 'Diplomat For A Day' 2024 in Brussels
The British, Canadian and US embassies in Belgium invite female Belgian high-school students, aged 16 to 19, to enter a competition to be a Diplomat for a Day.
Diplomat for a Day
The ‘Diplomat for a Day’ competition is a joint initiative by the UK, US and Canada embassies in Belgium that aims to encourage young women and girls to become leaders and advocates for change, including through mentorship opportunities.
If you win the competition you will be invited to spend a day at the 3 embassies in Brussels on 8 March, shadowing senior leaders and learning about the work of a diplomat. You will also be able to take part in a discussion with business and civil society on the importance of gender equality. The embassies will cover travel and accommodation costs in Brussels.
Why you should enter this competition
Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and therefore also half of its potential. Today there are too few women in international diplomacy, including women from under-represented backgrounds, whether ethnic, religious, economic, cultural, or personal identity, among others. Women are not represented at parity in political and business sectors.
To end this underrepresentation, we must ensure equality of opportunity and equitable outcomes for everyone. This is why we, Canada, the UK and the US, are working towards gender equality around the world.
Who can enter
You can enter this competition if you:
- are a Belgian citizen (or a Belgian dual national), and a Belgian resident
- identify as a girl or woman
- are enrolled in high school
- are between 16 and 19 years old, or turn 16 in 2024
How to enter
To enter, you must answer the following question:
Why do you think equal rights are important and what actions would you carry out, or have already carried out in order to achieve and/or promote equal rights?
Record or write your answer and either:
- upload your video on www.wetransfer.com/upload. This should be a maximum of 2 minutes, filmed in landscape mode. Use diplomatforadaybelgium@gmail.com as recipient, or
- email your essay to diplomatforadaybelgium@gmail.com. This should be a maximum of 300 words
You must also fill in the and email it to diplomatforadaybelgium@gmail.com
Apply for the competition by emailing your completed and your video or essay by 31 January 2024. You should also read the before you enter.
Your video or essay can be in Dutch, English, French or German language. However, we encourage you to submit your video or essay in English, as communication during Diplomat For a Day will largely be in English.
Timings
The timetable for the competition is:
- competition opens: 8 January 2024
- deadline for applications: 31 January 2024
- winners contacted: 16 February 2024
- winners announced: to be confirmed
- winners to shadow at the British, Canadian, and US Embassies: 8 March 2024
Updates to this page
Last updated 14 December 2023 + show all updates
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Dates have been updated for 2024 edition.
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The competition deadline is now extended to 6 February 2023.
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First published.