What is it like to be a woman in a society where men have dominated for centuries? For a long time, her role was limited to motherhood and maintaining the home, but the world is changing – and changing rapidly. Just 20–30 years ago, the very idea that a woman in politics or diplomacy could have the same influence and authority as a man sounded almost absurd. The assumption that in the event of a nomination for a high state or diplomatic position, the choice could be made in favour of a woman, not a man, seemed to many more like a fantasy than a reality.
However, everything is different now. A woman has ceased to be an exception in the negotiating room or the first in her field. Today, she is part of normality, part of the system that determines the policies of states and shapes the international order. Women head foreign policy departments, conduct the most complex negotiations and manage diplomatic missions. So the question arises: is a woman in diplomacy still considered a challenge, or has it already turned into an ordinary mission?
The response to this was a meeting held at Lviv Polytechnic – an event that addressed the role of women in diplomacy not only in general terms, but also within Ukrainian and historical contexts. As part of the exhibition «The First. Women in Diplomacy: From Symbolic Figures to Modern Ambassadors», a panel discussion titled «Woman in Diplomacy: Challenge or Mission?» took place, bringing together historical perspectives and the personal experiences of the participants.
The moderator of the event was Orystlava Sydorchuk, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Regional and Local Development, the Institute of Public Administration, Governance and Professional Development, Lviv Polytechnic, Deputy of the Volyn Regional Council, Head of the VGO «Union of Ukrainian Women».
The meeting was organized jointly with the Scientific Society for the History of Diplomacy and International Relations.
