Meg Jones

Cultural Diplomacy & Women By Meg Jones (Women and Trade Program Development Manager, International Trade Center)

By definition, Cultural Diplomacy implies that there is going to be inclusivity in different cultures. … We have to send the right people to do the right job, and in terms of Cultural Diplomacy, this is very important. It is very important to consider circumstances- not to think of what is written on the paper, but of the actual people on the ground and how we are going to harvest their input. … If you want to have input from the women in the village specifically in this cultural context, women are certainly part of the mission, and it is preferable to have one who speaks the local language. This is one way that the development community can be informed by the work you are doing in Cultural Diplomacy. … When you look at the women who are going into politics and you look at their background, for the most part they are business women- for the most part, they actually come from a business background, which is another reason why supporting women in business and trade is very important. [These women] have an understanding of finance, they have negotiating skills, and they understand relationships that impact trade. …. The International Trade Center is particularly interested in working with government to achieve the economic empowerment of women, as this is one way you can see trade linked to the development of women.

- The International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in Geneva 2012; Geneva, Switzerland; June 15th, 2012