Women and Global Leadership Report of the Women’s Leadership Conference of the Americas April 2004 Women and Global Leadership Report of the Women’s Leadership Conference of the Americas April 2004 Foreword he numbers of women occupying senior leadership positions in foreign and economic policy making Tin the Western Hemisphere have dramatically increased in the past two decades. In increasing numbers, women occupy top posts in international organizations and in foreign, fi nance, trade, and defense ministries in national governments. These impressive gains, however, have been uneven across countries and institu- tions—and still lag behind women’s educational achievement and their participation in the workforce. As with politics in general, the highest circles of power still remain largely male-dominated. Women are often held back by pervasive, subtle, and sometimes unacknowledged attitudes about their proper place and role in society. Nonetheless, women’s numbers and infl uence are growing. These are the major conclusions of a report commissioned by the Women’s Leadership Conference of the Americas (WLCA)—a joint initiative of the Inter-American Dialogue and the International Center for Research on Women. The report concludes with measures that leaders can implement to foster continued progress. Inter- national organizations and national governments should systematize and maintain gender-disaggregated statistics, and make them accessible to the public; they should be held accountable for setting goals and implementing policies and practices that promote gender equity at the highest levels; they should analyze the reasons for gender inequity at the upper levels, and come up with timetables and plans to remedy the situation; and international organizations and national governments should create infrastructures to provide families with adequate childcare options. In undertaking this research—which included data collection and more than fi fty interviews with women leaders throughout the hemisphere—we set out to generate information and analysis on the num- bers, roles, and infl uence of women in foreign policy agencies—and how they are evolving over time. Our interviews and surveys included women in the Americas who currently hold or have held senior foreign policy decision making posts in national governments—as heads of state, of central banks, and of ministries and secretariats responsible for the economy, fi nance, foreign affairs, trade, development, or defense—as well as in international institutions. The WLCA believes that the number of women in leadership is a concrete indicator of a government or institution’s progress (or lack thereof) toward fulfi lling their commitment to women’s equity. The WLCA has produced this report as part of its continuing efforts to monitor progress on promises made to women by leaders of governments and international institutions. The WLCA is a network of some 100 women leaders drawn from throughout the hemisphere, dedi- cated to expanding the numbers and enhancing the contribution of women in top leadership positions in Latin America and the Caribbean—and, in so doing—to help improve opportunities for all women in the region. The group’s commitment to this mission is based on the conviction that leadership does matter, and that women in positions of power and infl uence will contribute in critical ways to the broader expansion of women’s rights and opportunities in all sectors. This report would not have been possible without the sustained support of the Ford Foundation and the Inter-American Development Bank. Special thanks are in order to Virginia Bouvier, currently at the United States Institute of Peace, for directing the research and writing the report. Peter Hakim Geeta Rao Gupta Joan M. Caivano President President Director Inter-American Dialogue International Center for Women’s Leadership Conference Research on Women (ICRW) of the Americas (WLCA) 1 En Route to Power: Women and Global Leadership in the Americas By Virginia M. Bouvier1 for the Women’s Leadership Conference of the Americas he Women’s Leadership Conference of the Americas (WLCA)— T jointly sponsored by the Inter-American Dialogue and the International Center for Research on Women—is pleased to present this report on the participation of average 56 percent in national cabinets, women in foreign policy making in the 75 percent in lower houses of congress, Western Hemisphere. Over the years, the and 200 percent in senates across the work of the WLCA has been predicated region. That progress, however, has been on the belief that the number of women uneven. It refl ects both remarkable gains in political leadership is an important in some countries, and setbacks in others. indicator of a country’s progress toward Women have not achieved parity with women’s equity. In previous publications, men at the reins of power in any country the WLCA has documented the dramatic in our hemisphere. To put Latin America progress women have made in reaching in perspective, however, these trends are positions of power in national legisla- similar in developed countries—in 2002, tures and cabinets, and in local executive the representation of women in parlia- posts. For example, in the decade ending ments was 15 percent in non-Nordic Eu- in 2000, women’s participation grew on rope, 14 percent in the United States, and 1 Special thanks to all the women we interviewed for their time, patience, and inspiration. Kelly Alderson, Jessica Beckwith, Kimberlea Close, Rita Cooley, Louise Langhoff-Roos, Anaise Manuel, and Gillian Morejon of the Inter- American Dialogue; and Daniela Ligiero, of the University of Maryland, helped to compile the statistical information and to transcribe and summarize some of the interviews. Estela Sanidad and Jim Huttlinger provided data from the World Bank. Joan Caivano provided the original conceptualization for this project and the ongoing guidance and encouragement for its execution. Finally, the Ford Foundation and Inter-American Development Bank provided 1 critical support. minister, and two as minister of defense. “Solutions emerge from just sitting together. The record is no better in the United Many times it is the outsider who brings States, where, throughout its history, an answer.” there has only been one female secretary of state, two U.S. trade representatives, IVONNE JUEZ DE BAKI, MINISTER OF FOREIGN TRADE OF and never a female secretary of treasury ECUADOR, AND FORMER AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES or defense. Only in rare instances has female representation in the upper ech- elons of leadership reached either of the 14 percent in the world overall—com- minimum goals set by the United Na- pared with 15 percent in Latin America. tions of 30 and 50 percent for 2003 and So we see women’s rate of attaining po- 2005, respectively. litical power in Latin America is on par The same trends are evident not only with world norms. in national governments, but also within Our fi ndings in the fi eld of foreign international institutions that promote policy are consistent with the larger equality and good governance. Common picture for women in political power sense would suggest that the leaders of overall. In increasing numbers, women these organizations have a responsibility are capturing leadership positions in for- to act on their institutional commitment eign and economic policy in the Western to equity when making decisions to hire Hemisphere. They occupy top posts in or promote. national governments and international The scope of our research was organizations throughout the Americas. limited. It is impossible to speculate, Yet, despite progress, gender inequity based on the numbers alone, why some persists. Only a small percentage of wom- countries are doing better than others. en have broken the barriers to top power In addition, the statistics presented here in the fi eld of international relations, al- offer only a snapshot of reality. The per- though they are advancing toward equity centages can readily change with a new at the middle and lower rungs of these administration, the appointment of one institutions. For example, in the United woman more or less, or a reconfi guration Nation’s offi ce devoted to trade and de- of the total number of national cabinet velopment issues (UNCTAD), 31 percent positions. The important message to take of staff are women, but at the higher away is that while there has been dramatic levels, women’s representation declines, progress over the past two decades, the and there are no women in the top four gains have been uneven across countries positions. In the Western Hemisphere, and institutions—and still lag behind the record varies tremendously by coun- women’s educational achievement and try, institution, department, and rank. In their participation in the workforce. This all of Latin America and the Caribbean, situation may be changing as women cur- thirteen women have served as foreign rently “in the pipeline” move up. These 2 3 minister, fourteen as fi nance or economy trends bear careful observation, however, because evidence from the U.S. corporate “I entered the ministry of fi nance with this idea sector—where women have been “in the pipeline” for some time—suggests that that I think many women of my generation women are still not reaching corporate had, of being a “super-woman” and of showing boards to the extent warranted by their that one could do everything perfectly—be a participation at lower levels of the mana- gerial hierarchy. mother (I had very small children at that time), Under the auspices of the Women’s be a housewife, take care of the family, and at the Leadership Conference of the Americas, more than fi fty interviews were con- same time, this would not take one whit away ducted throughout the hemisphere with from how good you are professionally. But what women leaders in the fi eld of foreign happened is that I realized that I was putting my policy making.