The UK supports women's rights in Belgium with 'Diplomat for a Day' competition
Four talented young women in Belgium were given the opportunity on International Women's Day 2023 to be a 'Diplomat for a Day' and learn more about the profession.
Our 'Diplomat for a Day' winners meeting Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib.
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 the UK, US and Canadian Embassies welcomed Maëlle, Chloé, Elisabeth and Jazmin – the winners of our Diplomat for a Day 2023 competition.
The competition aims to support gender equality, as women, including women from minority groups, are currently underrepresented in diplomacy. Through Diplomat for a Day we hope to encourage young women to consider diplomacy as a career and become future leaders and advocates for change.
Maëlle, Elisabeth, Chloé and Jazmin impressed our judges with their vision on the importance of gender equality and the actions they have taken in support of equal rights.
The 4 young women started the day with a breakfast at the Canadian Embassy, took a crash course in negotiation, lunched with female diplomats from the 3 embassies and went to the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get an insider’s view. They even had the opportunity to meet Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib!
Maëlle (17) said:
It was interesting to discover the profession of diplomacy and learning how countries are connected to each other.
Elisabeth (17) said:
In the future, I want to represent women’s voices: their strength; individuality and determination.
Chloé (16) said:
Equal rights are crucial not only for women, but also for the entire society.