In the last 20 years, the world has seen more than its share of conflict, brinksmanship, and sighs of relief on the days when disaster is averted. In the realm of diplomacy, the United States has brought a consistent touch to the table.
A woman’s touch.
In three of the last four U.S. Presidential terms, the U.S. has gone from their first female Secretary of State to three women in the office. It will be decades before an assessment can be made of what differences the shift in gender may have brought to the office.
History may show the office molded the holder far more than the reverse.
Many an argument has been heard over the years that the world would be run differently with women in charge. While they have yet to hold the highest office, chief diplomat of the free world is no small position.
The world has yet to change very much.
However, there is likely to be no measuring the impact of the office holders on the vision of the world. Those women, the recent spate of Presidents in Latin America, Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s…all have and continue to play a significant part in changing the way the offices they hold are viewed even if the roles of the office remain unchanged.
They reflect an equality of the position that, in effect, speaks to the nature of equality itself. Their professionalism, competency, and intellect exhibited what most women have always known. Given the proper candidate, capability was a given. Opportunity was the only obstacle.
In the spring issue of the Diplomatic Courier, the three women U.S. Secretaries of State are all profiled: Madeline Albright, Condoleeza Rice, and Hilary Clinton. All rose to the position from very different roads to become the face of their nation abroad. It is a face the sisters, daughters, and granddaughters of not only America but also the entire world could look upon for role models of achievement.
By the time most readers hold this issue in their hands, International Women’s Day (March 8th) will likely be past. A piece of the 2011 honors remain on these pages.
Also featured in this issue: discussions of a topic that defies gender. How will we get where we are going?
Literally?
With air traffic increasingly expensive, traffic jams seemingly never ending in urbanized parts of the world, travel remains a necessity of life. Making travel easier, or at least less stressful, can be state enhancing.
And lucrative.
High-speed rail has become a solution du jour with projects in Japan and Europe serving as a model for the rest of the world. The U.S. is still struggling to find their way to the high-speed rail solution, the ever-present scales of private and public awaiting their balancing. We are excited to provide insights with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in this special issue.
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Honoring Women Diplomats
March 8, 2011
In the last 20 years, the world has seen more than its share of conflict, brinksmanship, and sighs of relief on the days when disaster is averted. In the realm of diplomacy, the United States has brought a consistent touch to the table.
A woman’s touch.
In three of the last four U.S. Presidential terms, the U.S. has gone from their first female Secretary of State to three women in the office. It will be decades before an assessment can be made of what differences the shift in gender may have brought to the office.
History may show the office molded the holder far more than the reverse.
Many an argument has been heard over the years that the world would be run differently with women in charge. While they have yet to hold the highest office, chief diplomat of the free world is no small position.
The world has yet to change very much.
However, there is likely to be no measuring the impact of the office holders on the vision of the world. Those women, the recent spate of Presidents in Latin America, Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s…all have and continue to play a significant part in changing the way the offices they hold are viewed even if the roles of the office remain unchanged.
They reflect an equality of the position that, in effect, speaks to the nature of equality itself. Their professionalism, competency, and intellect exhibited what most women have always known. Given the proper candidate, capability was a given. Opportunity was the only obstacle.
In the spring issue of the Diplomatic Courier, the three women U.S. Secretaries of State are all profiled: Madeline Albright, Condoleeza Rice, and Hilary Clinton. All rose to the position from very different roads to become the face of their nation abroad. It is a face the sisters, daughters, and granddaughters of not only America but also the entire world could look upon for role models of achievement.
By the time most readers hold this issue in their hands, International Women’s Day (March 8th) will likely be past. A piece of the 2011 honors remain on these pages.
Also featured in this issue: discussions of a topic that defies gender. How will we get where we are going?
Literally?
With air traffic increasingly expensive, traffic jams seemingly never ending in urbanized parts of the world, travel remains a necessity of life. Making travel easier, or at least less stressful, can be state enhancing.
And lucrative.
High-speed rail has become a solution du jour with projects in Japan and Europe serving as a model for the rest of the world. The U.S. is still struggling to find their way to the high-speed rail solution, the ever-present scales of private and public awaiting their balancing. We are excited to provide insights with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in this special issue.
