Isabelle Martin
Our world today seems more divided than ever, wrought by various crises and seemingly intractable challenges, including conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, global issues such as climate change, and humanitarian crises in places like Libya, Syria and elsewhere.
In such circumstances, it is difficult to remain optimistic about the future and to imagine practical ways to resolve the deep-seated challenges that we face. Despite the immensity of the task, we can and must step up to encourage communication and mutual understanding among nations, a task which most often fall to diplomats, who by their very nature believe in the power of dialogue, and its ability to solver even the most difficult of issues.
For diplomatic efforts to succeed and to foster durable solutions, they must channel diverse voices and perspectives, including those of women.
The inclusion of women is especially important in male-dominated fields such as international security, as sadly it is most often women that bear the brunt of the violence and suffering that comes with armed conflict and instability. Further, empirical research has shown repeatedly that achieving sustainable peace requires the full, equal and meaningful participation and inclusion of women in peace processes. This is because women can add varied perspectives and novel ways of understanding some of the most difficult issues.
However, despite overwhelming evidence that sustainable peace and conflict prevention are inextricably linked to gender-sensitive considerations, there remains a massive gap between supportive rhetoric and concrete implementation of gender-sensitive solutions. Sadly, women have not always been seen as solution bearers, knowledge holders, or essential partners for peace. Nonetheless, thanks to the leadership of some countries, civil society actors and remarkable individuals, this is beginning to change.
For Canada, our diplomacy has at its heart an inclusive and feminist approach which prizes dialogue and negotiation over the use of force. For as long as I have been in the Foreign Service, the country that I proudly represent has led the efforts to recognise the importance of women’s inclusion in peace and security matters.
A prime example is United Nations Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS - UNSCR 1325), which Canada co-sponsored, and was unanimously adopted in 2000. While the efforts of Canada and other countries were key to its success, it is important to highlight that the WPS agenda emerged initially from intensive advocacy conducted by a global movement led by inspiring everyday women who were experiencing the terrible effects of armed conflict, crisis, and instability.
As a woman who has spent a career in diplomacy, and specifically working on international peace and security issues, this is a message and a calling that resonates with me on a personal level, and motivates me to go to work every day. When I first joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, now Global Affairs Canada, it was not especially common to see many women in the Canadian diplomatic service, and those of us that were there did experience challenges and increased expectations compared to male colleagues. As one example among many – up until 1980, women had to quit the Foreign Service if they decided to marry! We have all come a long way since then, as today more than half of Canada’s Ambassadors abroad are women! In other parts of the world too, I see signs of progress and of changing attitudes, with competent and inspirational women stepping up to play leadership roles on these issues. I have served in the Middle East for most of my career abroad, starting in Egypt at the turn of the millennium: it was a choice that allowed me to witness and experience, first hand, the role played by women in public life in this region.
My first encounters with Qatar occurred when I was serving in a regional position in the GCC, as a young diplomat, from 2002 to 2006. I visited the country frequently at that time and was often struck by the impressive pace of modernisation that was taking place. While returning to Qatar as Ambassador in 2022, I was impressed seeing the significant changes in Qatari society, and with it the rise of remarkable Qatari women diplomats, senior officials, academics, and inspiring businesswomen. This has been a highlight of my professional, and personal, journey.
Here in Doha, we have a small but mighty group of women ambassadors, and we support each other in sharing experiences, comparing notes, and learning for each other’s networks. On this day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, I want to thank and acknowledge all of their important work, as well as that of the amazing Qatari women and men that I have the pleasure of work with everyday! These progressive interactions give me hope that our efforts are worth it and that with our continued work will continue to elevate the important role of women in international security, and in diplomacy more broadly.
The writer is Ambassador of Canada to the State of Qatar.
