8th March 2017
Vienna, Austria
When I was in Kyiv, some Ukrainian colleagues used to express scepticism about International Women’s Day. They saw it as tokenism; a relic of the bad old days when Soviet authorities gave lip-service to women’s rights while men dominated positions of power. One result was that although I wrote several blogs to mark International Women’s […]
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6th March 2017
Holy See
We usually think of the Catholic Church as a male-dominated organisation because priests staff the hierarchy. But, as I have been discovering in my first six months in Rome, women play an important role in the Church. Indeed there are nearly twice as many religious sisters (800,000) as there are Catholic priests (around 400,000) – […]
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23rd March 2015
Jerusalem, Israel
Earlier this month, Palestinians joined people around the world celebrating International Women’s Day. Palestinians have much to celebrate on this day. I’ve been struck during my time here by the dedication of Palestinian women: running successful businesses; influencing politics; building communities in spite of the difficult conditions imposed by the Occupation. To celebrate International Women’s […]
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12th March 2015
Budapest, Hungary
Guest blog by Theresa Bubbear, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Budapest. It’s not often that I have a good idea. And when I heard myself suggesting a speed mentoring event to mark International Women’s Day this year I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or a crazy one. It […]
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11th March 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The following is a guest blog by Simona Prete, Head of Communications at the British Embassy to the Holy See Empowerment, aspirations, voice, faith, women, church, end violence, are words which have been inspiring 2014 International Women’s Day across the world. A poignant moment in which women’s voices were listened to; and their role, their […]
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8th March 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
As we reflect on International Women’s Day, it seems clear to me that one of the tasks awaiting the successor to Benedict XVI will be to explore how the Holy See, and the Roman Catholic Church, can use better the talents, energy and loyalty of the women in its ranks. Anyone who works with the […]
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8th March 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Who said, when consulted on the possibility of women entering the British Diplomatic Service: “I dare say that the intellectual type of woman, which would presumably be the type to enter the Service, would be as useful as a man in a purely intellectual occupation such as that of junior clerk in the Foreign Office… […]
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7th March 2012
Washington DC, USA
My mother’s mother was born early in the 20th century in a small Welsh mining village. She was the third of 11 children and she left school – illegally – at 12 to work in a factory. This was not uncommon – indeed only her very youngest sister finished school. Married at 17, to avoid […]
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6th March 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
One of the dangers of International “Days” is that they can generate a great deal of well-meaning talk, but little action. Sometimes they serve to raise public consciousness about an undeservedly forgotten issue or a neglected cause. But too often they come round on the annual calendar, and nothing much seems to change. International Women’s […]
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