Female diplomats from Israel, Bahrain, UAE discuss equality in diplomacy

The Foreign Ministry’s “Women in Diplomacy Network” held a panel on Thursday together with government representatives from the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain, wherein they examined the role of women in diplomacy 20 years after adoption of UN Resolution 1325, which calls for the active inclusion and participation of women in promoting peace and security.

The virtual event was made possible by Israel’s recent signing of historic normalization deals with the two countries, and was attended by diplomats from around the globe, spanning from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain to Israel to Geneva and New York. 

Ambassador Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel’s UN representative in Geneva, was a featured speaker at the event along with Bahrain’s former ambassador to the US, Houda Nonoo, and the UAE’s UN representative in New York, Lana Nusseibeh.

The event was moderated by the Network’s founder and board member, Sarah Weiss Ma’udi, who currently serves as the Legal Adviser of Israel’s UN Mission in New York

During the event, Ambassadors Eilon Shahar, Nonoo, and Nusseibeh highlighted a number of challenging issues facing women diplomats in today’s Middle East. “Women need to be an integral part of advancing peace in the Middle East,” Ambassador Eilon Shahar said.

The panelists emphasized the importance of the active inclusion of women at the highest levels of decision-making in their three respective countries and discussed their own visions for how gender must play a role in the newfound peace between their countries.

Ambassador Nonoo emphasized her pride in the steps her country has taken in the field of gender and religious equality, saying “I am Bahraini. I am a woman. I am a mother. I am Jewish. I come from a progressive nation that allows the best leaders to lead no matter who they are.”

Ambassador Nusseibeh said that “the UAE and Israel are champions of gender equality in our region, and we believe that the peace agreement between our two countries is already beginning to foster partnerships that will unlock enormous opportunities for women in the region.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN in New York, Gilad Erdan, who proposed holding the unique Women in Diplomacy Network event as his first meeting with Israel’s new Gulf partners, opened the session by stressing the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Ambassador Erdan also spoke of the essential need for advancing gender equality worldwide, saying that “it is essential that women are included on every level of decision-making because a world with gender equality is a better world for all its inhabitants.”

“It is essential that women are included on every level of decision-making because a world with gender equality is a better world for all its inhabitants,” said Ambassador Erdan.