Indonesia: Foreign envoys in Jakarta pledge to end all-male discussions

Afghan women attend a consultative grand assembly, known as Loya Jirga, in Kabul, on April 29, 2019. - Reuters

JAKARTA, March 8 (Jakarta Post/ANN): Ambassadors and foreign representatives in Jakarta’s diplomatic circles have taken a diversity pledge to decline speaking engagements in all public discussions where women’s voices are not represented, part of a bigger move to ensure equal representation as the world celebrated International Women’s Day on Monday.

Forty male ambassadors and several senior officials from the Indonesian Foreign Ministry joined the call to end so-called “manels” – short for all-male panel discussions – with some taking to social media to voice their commitment to gender inclusion.