Happy Independence Day!

Today, we celebrate the independence of thought and a vision of security with a gender perspective.

Happy Independence Day to all the women who have worked to make our world a better place! This year, in the spirit of Women, Peace and Security, we want to recognize the female foreign ministers around the world who are in decision making positions. We’re throwing it back to the Women’s Foreign Minister Meeting of 2018 in Montreal, Canada where they discussed the need for a Feminist Foreign Policy. Today, we celebrate the independence of thought and a vision of security with a gender perspective!

Below we have a short, but not comprehensive, list of current female foreign ministers:

  • Andorra- Maria Ubach i Font
  • Australia- Marise Payne
  • Botswana- Unity Dow
  • Bulgaria- Ekaterina Gecheva-Zakharieva
  • Canada- Chrystia Freeland
  • Croatia- Marija Pejčinović Burić
  • EU- Federica Mogherini
  • Ghana- Shirley Ayorkor Botchway
  • Guatemala-Sandra Jovel
  • Honduras- Marïa Dolores Agüero Lara
  • Indonesia- Retno Marsudi
  • Jamaica- Kamina Johnson-Smith
  • Kenya- Monica Juma
  • Liechtenstein- Aurelia Frick
  • Namibia- Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
  • Norway- Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide
  • Panama- Isabel de Saint Malo
  • South Korea- Kang Kyung-wha
  • Suriname-Yldiz Pollack-Beighle
  • Sweden- Margot Wallström

Top, from left: Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, photo: Hans Kristian Thorbjørnsen; Canadian Women Foreign Minister's Meeting, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Gecheva-Zakharieva, photo: Arno Mikkor; Kenyan Foreign Minister Monica Juma, photo: Kuhlmann/ MSC.  Bottom, from left: South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha with High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Commission Federica Mogherini, photo: Reuters/Emmanuel Dunand; Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, photo: Alex Guibord; Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, photo: ANSA/EPA; Federica Mogherini and Chrystia Freeland at the Women Foreign Minister's Meeting, photo: European External Action Service.