We want an official equity policy at Itamaraty in 6 months, says ambassador

Founded this Monday (16), the Association of Brazilian Women Diplomats has as one of its main claims the fulfillment of Chancellor Mauro Vieira’s promises to work for gender equality in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the short term, in six months, the group expects Vieira to issue an ordinance that will make it possible to increase the number of women in leadership positions at Itamaraty. Today, 23% of diplomats are women, but they hold just 12.2% of senior posts in representations abroad —many of which are in consulates. Strategic vacancies in embassies and in important secretariats of the portfolio continue to be male strongholds.

“We think the minister is in a position to send the following message: ‘Look, you wanted a woman [titular do ministério]. I am a man, but I intend to create conditions for me to be succeeded by a woman; it’s in my hands to deliver important job opportunities to women, so that they can rise,'” she tells Sheet Ambassador Irene Vida Gala, deputy head of the Itamaraty Representative Office in São Paulo and president of the association.

The expectations of the diplomats to see President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) appoint the first chancellor in history was frustrated, but Vieira promised changes – and named the first secretary general of the Itamaraty, Maria Laura da Rocha.

Where did the idea of ​​creating an association for women diplomats come from? There is a threat to the evolution of our career and we have to unite. The threat is the glass ceiling, it’s seeing our careers hampered by an institutional culture that doesn’t offer space for women.

Do you have surveys showing the disparity in the number of women in key positions? An example is the embassy in Moscow [capital da Rússia], where 92% of diplomats are men, because there is this idea that the city is a security policy area, not very suitable for women. The economic area is also essentially male. In the representation of Brazil in the World Trade Organization, 78% of diplomats are men and none of the women who serve there have leadership positions [acima de conselheiro, na hierarquia do Itamaraty].

The most dramatic case is the strategic embassy in Beijing [China], which has 92% men and no women in positions above board. But you don’t even have to go far. At the embassy in Buenos Aires [Argentina]82% of diplomats are men, and none of the women hold a position above adviser [a expectativa é que Lula nomeie uma embaixadora para o posto].

Even considering that there are fewer women at Itamaraty —they make up 23% of diplomats—, there is still disparity in leadership positions. In the representation of Brazil at the UN in Geneva, which takes care of human rights, a theme seen as “more feminine”, there are 33% of women, half of them in leadership positions. In posts in Africa, where there are few candidates, there are many female diplomats.

A colleague says that diplomats are restricted to the “feminine” areas of Itamaraty: the Department of Foreign Service, the “ministry’s HR”, which takes care of families; the Rio Branco Institute, which takes care of “children” [com cursos preparatórios da carreira]; and the consulates, which care for the needy.

In his inaugural speech, Minister Mauro Vieira committed to increasing the number of women and black people in leadership positions. That’s enough? We were really happy he said that. Now the next step is for this to materialize, for us to have an official policy. I think that in six months, in time for the next promotions, our expectation is that a lot of progress has already been made on this point.

We may have a first institutionalization with an ordinance signed by the minister, then a presidential decree-law and eventually a law approved in Congress, which would give even more solidity.

What would you like to put on paper? A plan for the percentage of leadership positions held by women? We need to have at least a proportionality. If 23% of diplomats are women, then 23% of leadership positions need to be filled by women. But we have to be bolder, have more than 23% — otherwise it will take 88 years to change things.

We need affirmative action in the context of making a historical correction. And to show that the change in representativeness is not only of interest to women, but to Itamaraty as a whole. According to a survey, in May 2022 women occupied only 12.2% of leadership positions in diplomatic posts abroad. Only 20.5% of first-class ministers are women and 19.5% of second-class ministers — the two highest positions in the hierarchy.

We believe that Minister Mauro Vieira is in a position to send the following message: “Look, you wanted a woman [chanceler]. I am a man, but I intend to create conditions for me to be succeeded by a woman; it is in my hands to deliver important job opportunities to women, so that they can rise”.

How does it work in other countries? The comparison doesn’t have to be exactly in numbers. Many chancelleries print an orientation. For example, not long ago, the British government determined that all posts in countries that are permanent members of the UN Security Council would be headed by women. Countries like Sweden and Denmark have set targets. In Finland, there are quotas.

And how to increase the number of women entering the career? Let’s discuss strategies. There are already quotas for blacks, for example. The policy that will be built needs to address the lack of visibility of women in careers. The surroundings, the candidates’ families, are important.

Candidates are bombarded with arguments like “if you’re a diplomat, you won’t get married, you won’t have a family, it’s a thing for men”. I’m 61 years old and I remember that the thing I was told the most was “you’re not getting married”. So what, right? As if it were a big issue. To this day, young women who want to be diplomats are exposed to this social disincentive.

X-ray | Irene Vida Gala, 61

Deputy head of the Itamaraty Representative Office in São Paulo, she was named the first president of the Association of Brazilian Women Diplomats. Specialized in Brazil’s relations with African countries, she was the country’s ambassador in Ghana.