PH Ambassador to Portugal Participates in the Open Seminar, Women in Diplomacy and Globalization: Building Consensus and Common Agenda in the 21st Century 

PORTUGAL, 31 March 2023 – Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria, participated in the open seminar organized by AWA (the Association of Women Ambassadors in Lisbon) and the Catholic University of Portugal entitled “Women in Diplomacy and Globalization: Building Consensus and Common Agenda in the 21st century”, on 07 March 2023, at the University of Católica in Lisbon, Portugal. The seminar was also organized under the high patronage of the Office of the Portuguese President. 

This conference is a joint initiative of AWA and the Catholic University of Portugal in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, with the aim of bringing the practice of diplomacy in its many forms and manifestations closer to the university students. It gave the students the opportunity to hear first-hand the experiences of the practitioners of diplomacy in various fields of specialization and from various regions of the world, with emphasis on the safeguarding of democracy and human rights, and on women peace and security. The panelists also shared with the audience their first-hand experiences and insights on the undeniable contributions and achievements of women in diplomacy. 

The closing session was graced by the presence of the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Portuguese Secretary of State for Equality and Migrations, Isabel Rodrigues. Through a town hall debate, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa welcomed and responded to questions of young students. He appealed to them not to be content with what has already been achieved in terms of gender equality but rather chose to continue to fight for the rights of women. 

The Association of Women Ambassadors (AWA) in Portugal, with the high patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, was created in 2014 and provides an important channel to advocate for gender equality, and a forum to bring women from various fields into the limelight. Ambassador Feria was the former President of AWA from 2018-2019. 

The seminar served as a powerful reminder of the crucial role that women play in diplomacy and the need for continued efforts towards gender equality in the 21st century. END

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