Women in Diplomacy: Shattering the Glass Ceiling and Overcoming Sobriety

When the appointment of Finland's first female ambassador, Tine Levu Larsson, was imminent in 1958, the country's Prime Minister K.-A. Fagerholm prevented this because of her sobriety.

Tine Levu LarssonHer gender sparked opposition at the Foreign Office, and according to her, Fagerholm maintained that her sobriety prevented late negotiations with her male colleagues over a drink.

Historically, diplomacy has been the preserve of men. On June 24, International Women's Day in DiplomacyIt is time to recognize and pay attention to the ways in which women are breaking barriers and making a difference in diplomacy. The first women appointed ambassadors to the Nordic countries left their mark on international relations.

The first Swedish ambassador to win a Nobel Prize

Alpha Myrdal Not only was she her country's first female ambassador (to India in 1955), but she also served as a senior official at the United Nations and UNESCO. But for her work in the field of nuclear disarmament, she shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1982 with Mexican diplomat Alfonso García Robles.

Bodil Bigtrup She became Denmark's ambassador in 1955, the same year as Myrdal. (to Iceland). Bigtrup, a women's rights advocate, was vice-chair of the committee that negotiated the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Twenty years later, in 1975, it was Norway's turn to appoint a woman, Kirsten Ohm, to the position of Ambassador (Council of Europe). However, Iceland waited until 1991 to appoint an ambassador, Sigriður A. Sinifar.

It was the correspondents who carried Tyyne Leivo-Larsson to Finland's first ambassador to Norway in 1958.

Then Catherine of Aragon

The Spanish princess and later English queen, Catherine of Aragon, was the first woman to be appointed ambassador in 1507. However, diplomacy is of course run by heads of state and ministers, as well as professional diplomats.

With this standard it was Queen Margrethe (a) Anna Valdemarsdottir, Ruler of the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, including Finland and Iceland, she is the first female Nordic diplomat since her accession to the Danish-Norwegian throne in 1387.

Nearly half a century later, she became queen Margaret II, Queen of Denmark An internationally known representative of his country during his rule (1972-2024).

Sweden and Norway are still waiting for their first kings, since the Kalmar Union. However, both northern republics elected women to their presidential positions.

Vigdis, Halla and Halonen

Iceland is the first country to elect a female president. Vigdis Finnbogadóttir (1980-1996) Through universal suffrage, a woman has just been elected, Hala TomasdóttirFor the second time.

I'm Finland Valdis Tarja Halonen, who was already the country's first female foreign minister, to the position of president, and the first and so far only woman to hold this position (2000-2016). For 68 days in 2003, both the president and prime minister were women Anneli Jatinmakis For a short period as Prime Minister, she is the first woman to hold this position.

Brundtland broke the glass ceiling

It is already news that Mette Frederiksen is currently the only Danish woman to lead a government in the Nordic region. In 2019, she became the second Danish woman to become prime minister, the first Hailey Thorning-SchmidR (2011-2015). But until recently, the prime ministers of Finland and Iceland, as well as Denmark, were women. As were the two Danish women Real navy (2019-2023) Katrin Jacobsdottir (2017-2024) became prominent on the international scene. Gru Harlem Brundtland The glass ceiling has been broken in many areas. She became the first female Prime Minister from the Nordic countries when she was appointed to the position in Norway in 1981. She played a major role on the international scene, especially as Chair of the Commission on Sustainable Development. The commission and the report it produced were named after Brundtland.

Another Norwegian woman at the head of the government, Erna Solberg(2013-2021) was also influential, at least within the United Nations. only one woman, Magdalena AndersonHe was the Prime Minister of Sweden. She resigned after only seven hours due to a budget crisis, which was later resolved. However, more Swedish women have served as foreign ministers than anywhere else. Eight women have served as Sweden's foreign minister since Karin Söder (1976-1978) broke this glass ceiling in 1976.

Lene Espersen addresses a Human Rights Council meeting in her capacity as Denmark's Foreign Minister. On the other hand, there is only one woman, Lyne Espersen (2010-2011), who held the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for only one year. However, Iceland has four women, including current minister Thordis Kolbruna Gylvadóttir. Her Finnish colleague Elena Valtonen She is the second woman to hold this position, but the first was Tarja Halonen (1995-2000) 29 years ago. It is also unusual for Norwegians that two women lead the Norwegian Foreign Ministry one after the other, Ine Marie Søreide (2017-2021). ) and Annekin Hoitfeldt (2021-2023).

Ambassadors

International diplomats

Much of global diplomacy is carried out in international organizations and many Nordic women play or have played important roles. some examples:

Hilda Frafjord Johnson (Norway) was Deputy General Manager of the company UNICEF (2011-2017) He played a central role in the peace process in Sudan.

Gru Harlem Brundtland (Norway) was fromGeneral Manager 1998-2003.

Great Varimo (Norway) was Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia, UNOPS (2014-2022)

Kersey Maddie (Finland) Appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women in 2023.

Helvi Sibilla (Finland) She was appointed as the first female Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1972.

Elizabeth Wren (Finland) He was Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations

1998-1999 and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ulrika Moder (Sweden) is the Director of External Relations for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as well as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations since 2018.

Christine Damkjaer (Denmark) Appointed Deputy Executive Director of UNOPS in 2024.