Only one in four top Belgian and Flemish diplomatic posts held by women
Only about a quarter of leadership positions in Belgian and Flemish diplomacy are held by women, according to figures released on Monday in response to written questions from Senate president and Open VLD MP Stephanie D’Hose.
Federal Foreign minister Maxime Prévot said that 26 per cent of federal ambassadors, consuls-general and permanent representatives are women. In Flanders, minister-president Matthias Diependaele reported that just 23 per cent of senior diplomatic representatives are female.
At lower levels, however, women are in the majority: 64 per cent of deputy representatives in Flanders are women, and policy officers are also predominantly female. Federal figures show a similar pattern.
Improvements necessary
Despite some improvement in recent years, Open VLD says too few women reach the highest positions. The party is calling for clear targets, deadlines and measures to support a better balance between work and family life, while stressing that competence must remain the key criterion.
“We are on the right track, but we are moving far too slowly”
“We are on the right track, but we are moving far too slowly,” D’Hose said in a press release. “Without concrete ambitions, we will continue to go round in circles. Flanders and Belgium deserve a diplomatic corps that reflects their diversity and has a good gender balance.”
Both Prévot and Diependaele acknowledged on Monday that further work is needed to rectify the imbalance.
PHOTO © BELGA PHOTO SISKA GREMMELPREZ
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