Women in International Diplomacy: Breaking the Barriers and Biases

On Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022, The Howard University Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership, in partnership with The Ralph Bunche Center for International Affairs and Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS), honored International Women's Day with a Fireside Chat featuring Ambassador Harriett Elam-Thomas and Ambassador Pamela Spratlen. The Howard University community has celebrated International Women's Day for six years under the leadership of Dr. J. Jarpa Dawuni and Dr. Krista Johnson’s women studies collective, and 2022  marks the second year the Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership has officially hosted the annual occasion. 

Retired diplomat Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas is one of the inaugural members of the Global Council of Leaders at the Howard University Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership. Ambassador Pamela Spratlen served as a career member of the Foreign Service for nearly 30 years. Notably, she was formerly Senior Advisor of the Office of Inspector General in the U.S. State Department, Inspections Division.  

This monumental event acknowledged Black Women in international diplomacy, their contributions, challenges, and breaking barriers and bias for future generations. The purpose is for Black women diplomats to share their experiences, leaving the door open for other women to follow. A recent article co-authored by Constance Pruitt and J. Jarpa Dawuni shows that as of 2021, only 54 Black women have served as ambassadors. 

The Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership is thankful to Ambassador Harriett Elam-Thomas, Ambassador Pamela Spratlen, Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy, Ms. Tonija Hope, and Amen Haileselassie for their contribution to this Fireside Chat.  

You can find the recording of the event on the Center's YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/KmsHJIbJSzA