For as long as we have published Diplomatic Courier we have published a special annual edition on International Women’s Day.
Last year, as our journalzine transitioned from a quarterly to a bi-monthly, for the first time, we also endeavored to list 100 top global women representing some of the most important industries women have made an impact on worldwide: diplomacy, politics, business, philanthropy, media, and law—a challenging and inspirational initiative. We followed tradition this year, adding some extraordinary women to our growing list. We asked them to reflect on what International Women’s Day means to them. The reflections represent a collection of inspirational advice for future women leaders.
In recent years we have seen major companies and governments invest in the economic empowerment of women. In the United States, the professional growth women enjoy is tangible—though the situation is lacking in the boardroom, where women still occupy significantly less seats. In this edition, as we celebrate global women that have broken the barriers, our focus shifts to G20 countries, such as India, where the world’s emerging market and largest democracy is mired by a “pervasive culture of misogyny.” Photojournalist Akanksha Mehta’s stunning photography coupled with her powerful essay on women in India reminds us that around the world, even in powerful emergent markets such as the BRICS, women do not benefit from the justice systems.
In February, Diplomatic Courier partnered with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) to launch a report on “Women’s Access to Justice: Models, Strategies and Best Practices.” IDLO’s Director General Irene Khan—the first woman to hold the post for the international organization based in Rome—said at the National Press Club briefing: “In a world where plural justice systems are a reality and show every sign of enduring, the best answer is to empower women, so that they may themselves bring about the change to which they aspire.” This critical study emphasized the law as an essential tool for advancing women’s and girls’ rights and gender equality in the face of illiteracy and insufficient resources. It illustrates how pluralist systems continue to pose a great challenge for women. Focusing on strategies for engagement in the informal justice sector and based on empirical evidence, IDLO’s study analyses what works, what doesn’t and why for unwed mothers in Morocco, female land rights in Mozambique and Tanzania, human trafficking across India and Bangladesh’s border, and resolution in Afghanistan.
The 21st Century has undeniably been the women’s century—a century that saw women make remarkable leaps in breaking gender-based barriers. The question is not “if” but “when” will women break the next gender-based barrier.
Ana C. Rold
Editor-in-Chief
Every year, in honor of International Women’s Day, the Diplomatic Courier honors the Top Global Women who have worked to improve the world. All of the women are nominated by other women, and while some may be famous and others are not so well known, all of them are deserving of this honor, and much more. Diplomatic Courier’s editors work year-round to select top women to be featured in the March/April edition. Women are profiled, interviewed, or are invited to pen editorials about their work.
Do you know of an extraordinary woman who deserves to be honored for her work? Nominate her to be a 2014 Global Woman! Is there someone amazing we missed? Send your nominations, including a short biography and links of where to find more information, to editors@diplomaticourier.org.
Photo: UN Women Asia and the Pacific (cc).
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Editor's Note: Celebrating International Women's Day 2013
March 8, 2013
For as long as we have published Diplomatic Courier we have published a special annual edition on International Women’s Day.
Last year, as our journalzine transitioned from a quarterly to a bi-monthly, for the first time, we also endeavored to list 100 top global women representing some of the most important industries women have made an impact on worldwide: diplomacy, politics, business, philanthropy, media, and law—a challenging and inspirational initiative. We followed tradition this year, adding some extraordinary women to our growing list. We asked them to reflect on what International Women’s Day means to them. The reflections represent a collection of inspirational advice for future women leaders.
In recent years we have seen major companies and governments invest in the economic empowerment of women. In the United States, the professional growth women enjoy is tangible—though the situation is lacking in the boardroom, where women still occupy significantly less seats. In this edition, as we celebrate global women that have broken the barriers, our focus shifts to G20 countries, such as India, where the world’s emerging market and largest democracy is mired by a “pervasive culture of misogyny.” Photojournalist Akanksha Mehta’s stunning photography coupled with her powerful essay on women in India reminds us that around the world, even in powerful emergent markets such as the BRICS, women do not benefit from the justice systems.
In February, Diplomatic Courier partnered with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) to launch a report on “Women’s Access to Justice: Models, Strategies and Best Practices.” IDLO’s Director General Irene Khan—the first woman to hold the post for the international organization based in Rome—said at the National Press Club briefing: “In a world where plural justice systems are a reality and show every sign of enduring, the best answer is to empower women, so that they may themselves bring about the change to which they aspire.” This critical study emphasized the law as an essential tool for advancing women’s and girls’ rights and gender equality in the face of illiteracy and insufficient resources. It illustrates how pluralist systems continue to pose a great challenge for women. Focusing on strategies for engagement in the informal justice sector and based on empirical evidence, IDLO’s study analyses what works, what doesn’t and why for unwed mothers in Morocco, female land rights in Mozambique and Tanzania, human trafficking across India and Bangladesh’s border, and resolution in Afghanistan.
The 21st Century has undeniably been the women’s century—a century that saw women make remarkable leaps in breaking gender-based barriers. The question is not “if” but “when” will women break the next gender-based barrier.
Ana C. Rold
Editor-in-Chief
Every year, in honor of International Women’s Day, the Diplomatic Courier honors the Top Global Women who have worked to improve the world. All of the women are nominated by other women, and while some may be famous and others are not so well known, all of them are deserving of this honor, and much more. Diplomatic Courier’s editors work year-round to select top women to be featured in the March/April edition. Women are profiled, interviewed, or are invited to pen editorials about their work.
Do you know of an extraordinary woman who deserves to be honored for her work? Nominate her to be a 2014 Global Woman! Is there someone amazing we missed? Send your nominations, including a short biography and links of where to find more information, to editors@diplomaticourier.org.
Photo: UN Women Asia and the Pacific (cc).
