Only a quarter of senior diplomatic posts in Belgium are held by women, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot (Les Engagés) said in Parliament on Monday.
Speaking in response to a query from the Speaker of the Senate, Stephanie D'Hose (Open Vld), Prévot said women accounted for 26% of ambassadors, consuls general and permanent representatives in the federal diplomatic service.
In Flanders, women represent 23% of regional diplomatic representatives, added Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependale.
The situation is different for support functions. For example, 64% of deputy diplomatic representatives in the Flemish Government are women, while political staff are also predominantly female. Federal figures show a similar trend.
According to Open VLD, women's underrepresentation in the highest positions remains a problem, despite a slight improvement in recent years. The Flemish liberal party noted that it was positive that both Diependaele and Prévot recognised that there was work to be done in this area. "However, we need concrete targets and deadlines," Stephanie D'Hose stressed.
This must be translated into a clear plan that includes all necessary measures, she added, emphasising that particular attention needed to be paid to work-life balance.
Obstacles must be removed: anyone with the right skills, whether male or female, must have every opportunity, she added.
"We are on the right track, but we are moving far too slowly," the liberal legislator noted. "Without concrete ambition, we are going round in circles."
"Flanders and Belgium deserve a diplomacy that reflects their diversity, with a good gender balance. Only then can we make a credible difference on the international stage," Ms. D'Hose concluded.
