Skopje, 21 July 2023 (MIA) - The number of women in diplomacy or women in leadership positions is not satisfactory, the Deputy Foreign Minister Fatmire Isaki told Friday's event marking International Day of Women in Diplomacy, organized together with UN Women Office in North Macedonia.

"We should not remain silent, nor be satisfied with any concessions in this domain, which are more along the lines of political correctness rather than a substantial change in reality. We must address such stereotypes and discrimination. Moreover, we must fight for meaningful and sustainable equality. This is how we can show initiative, responsibility, leadership, and excel in our field," Isaki said, as cited in a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

Deputy Minister Isaki mentioned her personal experience as a woman in diplomacy.

"Ever since I was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister, in 2020, I can confirm that I have had the experience of meeting and working with extremely capable, gifted, and professional women diplomats who are fully commited and work tirelessly to promote the country and implement foreign policies. They have actively contributed in making North Macedonia a NATO member, a EU candidate and a respected member of the international community. They are an inspiration for me as well, and that is precisely why I made the decision, as a Foreign Minister, to personally engage in improving the situation in this domain and promote the importance and contribution of women in diplomacy," Isaki said, adding that she will continue to advocate for women's equality in diplomacy with the assurance that women are dynamic leaders of change and their participation is fundamental for democratic governance.

According to the head of the UN Women Office in North Macedonia, Vesna Ivanovic Kastared, diplomacy is like an identity card for a country. In the global framework, she noted, men dominate foreign policy, which means that 50 percent of the population, women, do not have a voice when decisions are being made.

"All of us need to contribute to make sustainable changes and achieve equality between men and women, in all spheres of life, and in diplomacy. We, at UN Women, are proud of the work we do every day to advance the position of all women and girls in the country, and we welcome the partnership with the Foreign Ministry; we will continue to work together and be determined," Ivanovic Kastared stressed.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Filip Tosevski, North Macedonia's Ambassador to Kosovo, Shpresa Jusufi, Head of the Directorate for Multilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pajo Avirovikj, NATO Security Policy Director at Ministry of Foreign Affairs North Macedonia, Katerina Stavreska and State Secretary at the Secretariat for European Affairs, Drita Abdiu-Halili also addressed the panel discussion on the contribution of women in diplomacy.

On Isaki's initiative, in 2021, the Foreign Ministry organized the first conference on Women in Diplomacy, where prominent domestic and foreign panelists had the opportunity to discuss their path to diplomacy, as well as the difficulties they faced, the press release adds. ssh/nn/

Photo: MFA