Figure for July 2026: we encouraged 116 young women to pursue a career in diplomacy

On 30 June 2026, 116 young women made their way to the Egmont Palace. The aim of this event was to offer them a behind-the-scenes look at diplomacy and, by presenting them with personal testimonies, to demonstrate that a career in diplomacy is not only achievable, but is also absolutely fascinating.

Is Belgian diplomacy a male-dominated field? Not too long ago, that was certainly the case. After all, it was not until 1973 that Belgium's very first female ambassador was appointed. Edmonde Dever was the person who was bestowed that honour.

Woman Ambassador of Tomorrow

Fortunately, however, a positive trend is emerging. Today, 32% of the diplomatic corps are women. The proportion of female heads of mission, that is, ambassadors and consuls general, however, has stabilised at 18%.

Another telling statistic: of the 11 members of the Board of Directors – the governing body of our FPS – 7 are women, compared to just one, 12 years ago. So this is a positive trend, but at the same time, we can’t ignore the fact that we still have a long way to go before we achieve a true balance.

Our FPS is therefore making great efforts to encourage young women to pursue a career in diplomacy. After all, we need all voices from our society to be involved in order to develop a balanced policy that truly reflects our country.

That's why we came up with the ‘Woman Ambassador of Tomorrow’ event. Last year, we kicked things off by inviting 100 selected female participants between the ages of 22 and 35. This year, on 30 June, we welcomed 116 young women to the stately Egmont Palace. The aim of this event was to offer them a behind-the-scenes look at diplomacy and, by presenting them with personal testimonies, to demonstrate that a career in diplomacy is not only achievable, but is also absolutely fascinating.

Impostor syndrome

We started the afternoon with a round-table discussion. Four female diplomats with diverse backgrounds and career paths spoke candidly about their experiences in the diplomatic world. The message was clear: there is nothing standing in the way of women who wish to pursue a diplomatic career and rise up the ranks.

One of the female ambassadors, whose experience included a period at the UN, reassured the participants by saying that “If you have a good grasp of the issues and come across as credible, you won't face any disadvantages as a woman.” That may be a bit more difficult in countries with greater inequalities between genders, but even there, remarkably strong women are rising to high-level positions.

“And even though you might find yourself in the minority in a meeting as a woman, you absolutely must not let that intimidate you,” said another diplomat. “There's no need for imposter syndrome” (editor's note: the feeling that you're never good enough). Women need to have more self-confidence.

A nomadic lifestyle

Of course, a career in diplomacy is quite complex. Every three to four years, you’ll move to another country, and after every two stints abroad, you will return to the Central Administration in Brussels for about three years. That means packing up time and time again and starting over from scratch in a different location.

And that somewhat nomadic lifestyle isn't always easy to balance with family life – a partner and children, but the diplomats emphasised just how feasible it is, all things considered. Family life should definitely not be an obstacle! 

In fact, our FPS has developed a comprehensive family policy for this purpose, including support for partners, teleworking options, and so on. It's not always easy for the children either, but they often feel that they're having a very inspiring childhood.

A fascinating job

Furthermore, the speakers couldn't stop talking about how fascinating the job of a diplomat is. Because it’s precisely that variety – taking on a completely different role in a new environment every three or four years – that makes it so appealing. “You will be defending Belgium’s values, seeking consensus, will be closely connected to history and will be making a difference. In short, it's absolutely fascinating.”

Or, as another speaker put it: “You meet so many interesting people and learn so much from all those different perspectives.” “It’s a job that stimulates you intellectually; you can be justifiably proud to serve your country.” “You have to be open-minded, curious and keep learning all of the time.”

After hearing all those compelling testimonials, the participants were then given the opportunity to take part in a number of workshops that gave them a more concrete understanding of the work that diplomats do. Amongst other things, they learned how the evacuations of eligible individuals from Gaza are carried out, how to negotiate in an international context and exactly what the diplomatic exam entails.

There was also an opportunity for speed dating: with the Family Officer, with colleagues from the Human Resources department, and with Women@Work, an informal network within our FPS that promotes gender equality and inclusivity.

The diplomatic exam

During the closing reception, the participants were delighted. That inspiring afternoon had given them the extra push they needed to take the diplomatic exam. In any case, we hope that by holding the ‘Woman Ambassador of Tomorrow’ event, we can actually speed up the process towards greater gender equality within Belgian diplomacy.

Did you too find this inspiring? Be sure to follow our social media channels. We will announce the next diplomatic exam, which is scheduled to be held in early 2027, on our social media channels and on travaillerpour.be. Our own website also has a page dedicated to careers abroad.