To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, the ambassadors of Austria, Canada, Ethiopia, Greece, Mexico, the Netherlands, Tanzania and the US, and the director of the regional Unesco and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) offices in Doha – all female heads of mission – organised the 'Diplomat for a Day' initiative.
This programme aims at mentoring, for a day, young female Qatari students from Georgetown University and the American School of Doha and expose them to real diplomatic life.
Each head of mission organised a unique programme that highlighted their mandate and activities in Qatar.
Students were a shadow-diplomat for the day, working side by side with their head of mission and participating in various diplomatic activities. Some of the activities comprised meeting with the consular sections to witness the documentation process, interacting with other ambassadors, receiving briefings on the various policies being implemented, discussing programmes within embassy trade and cultural sections, meetings with other United Nations agencies, participating in technical meetings and attending field visits.
At the end of the day, a virtual wrap-up session was organised to allow all participants to meet and provide feedback on their experience. All Covid-19 precautions were in place for the day.
“The idea behind this initiative is to provide young women with exposure to some of the work we do, and to give them first-hand experience in diplomatic offices,” said Stefanie McCollum, Canada's ambassador to Qatar, speaking on behalf the female heads of mission. “The experience was very enriching for us too, and the energy and enthusiasm exhibited by these amazing students was contagious,” she added.
Maryam al-Thani, who spent the day with Graciela Gómez García, Mexico’s ambassador to Qatar, said: "As a member of Georgetown University in Qatar's 'Ambassador Society', I frequently receive invites to meet distinguished guests and speakers in the field of foreign service. But when the opportunity to shadow an ambassador to Qatar presented itself, I did not think twice. Being 'Diplomat for a Day' allowed me to translate the theory I have learned in Georgetown into practice. I was able to experience an in-depth look into the life of an ambassador, one that can oftentimes feel far and foreign to a politics major, like me.
"This opportunity is especially relevant to me as a female. To have been able to shadow a successful female ambassador, who surely had to overcome a lot in her own respect, is a clear indicator that women are finally placing themselves firmly in the field - and I cannot think of a better way to spend the week leading up to International Women's Day!"
The world will come together today to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD 2021). 'Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world' is this year’s theme, which aims to celebrate the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Each head of mission organised a unique programme that highlighted their mandate and activities in Qatar.
Students were a shadow-diplomat for the day, working side by side with their head of mission and participating in various diplomatic activities. Some of the activities comprised meeting with the consular sections to witness the documentation process, interacting with other ambassadors, receiving briefings on the various policies being implemented, discussing programmes within embassy trade and cultural sections, meetings with other United Nations agencies, participating in technical meetings and attending field visits.
At the end of the day, a virtual wrap-up session was organised to allow all participants to meet and provide feedback on their experience. All Covid-19 precautions were in place for the day.
“The idea behind this initiative is to provide young women with exposure to some of the work we do, and to give them first-hand experience in diplomatic offices,” said Stefanie McCollum, Canada's ambassador to Qatar, speaking on behalf the female heads of mission. “The experience was very enriching for us too, and the energy and enthusiasm exhibited by these amazing students was contagious,” she added.
Maryam al-Thani, who spent the day with Graciela Gómez García, Mexico’s ambassador to Qatar, said: "As a member of Georgetown University in Qatar's 'Ambassador Society', I frequently receive invites to meet distinguished guests and speakers in the field of foreign service. But when the opportunity to shadow an ambassador to Qatar presented itself, I did not think twice. Being 'Diplomat for a Day' allowed me to translate the theory I have learned in Georgetown into practice. I was able to experience an in-depth look into the life of an ambassador, one that can oftentimes feel far and foreign to a politics major, like me.
"This opportunity is especially relevant to me as a female. To have been able to shadow a successful female ambassador, who surely had to overcome a lot in her own respect, is a clear indicator that women are finally placing themselves firmly in the field - and I cannot think of a better way to spend the week leading up to International Women's Day!"
The world will come together today to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD 2021). 'Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world' is this year’s theme, which aims to celebrate the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
