Women and Leadership in the International Political Arena

Book Project/In Progress

Focusing on women and leadership from an international perspective and in the context of global gender studies, this volume explores how women act and interact as leaders in different political and cultural contexts as well as in international arenas, such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the International Criminal Court.

In particular, it compares structural challenges of women’s continued underrepresentation in international organizations and global governance as well as women’s conceptualizations of leadership alongside their pathways to power.

Related Projects/Project Contributor

Women in Diplomacy
LSE Foreign Policy Think Tank IDEAS!

Principal Investigator: Karen E. Smith, LSE
Project Coordinator: Marta Kozielska, LSE

Women are still underrepresented in diplomacy, foreign policy, and public policy, particularly in senior positions. This is despite a proliferation of networks advocating for women across sectors, purported support by numerous governments for increasing women’s representation in negotiations, and research illustrating the benefits of including women in negotiations.

This project at LSE IDEAS was set up to help address this issue, understand what obstacles remain, and how they can be overcome. The project hopes to create better access to and accelerate women’s representation in international organizations, share knowledge and tools to effectively do so, and support structural change.

As part of this project, LSE IDEAS has launched a podcast series that brings together researchers, practitioners, and women leaders of diplomacy and international organizations, to explore how policy-making processes can produce more gender-sensitive policy outcomes.

The Women in Diplomacy project recently published an initial report with recommendations for further dialogue and discussion with women’s networks and international organisations about insights, barriers, and solutions.

Report: Strengthening the Representation of Women in Diplomacy: Challenges and Policy Solutions