Women in Multilateralism 2025: Report reveals systematic underrepresentation of women ambassadors at the United Nations

Seventy-three countries have never sent a female ambassador to the UN; and 64 have done so only once.

The "Women in Multilateralism 2025" report shows that only 7% of the more than 2,800 permanent representatives who have served as ambassadors to the United Nations since 1947 have been women.

The report was issued yesterday by GWL Voices, an advocacy organization of 77 women leaders from around the world committed to building a gender-equal international system. Based on months of archival research, the report shows that despite the principles of gender equality enshrined in the UN Charter, the organization’s 193 member states have consistently selected men for the critical role of permanent representative (PR).

Among other findings:

• It took 52 years (until 1999) for the number of female ambassadors at the UN to pass 5% of the total.
• There have been 20 years in which the UN General Assembly took place without the participation of a single female permanent representative.
• Seventy-three countries have never appointed a female UN permanent representative.
• Sixty-four countries have selected a woman for this role on only one occasion.
• In 2024, only 21% of UN PRs were women.

As in previous years, the report also offers an update on leadership of 54 international institutions tracked by GWL Voices.

• It highlights those that are being led by a woman for the first time (and 19 that have never appointed a woman to the top job).

• It shows promising gains in the percentage of women in their senior management teams and of these institutions, and stagnating progress in their governing boards (which are also appointed by member governments).

Finally, the report highlights elections among these organizations that are scheduled to take place in 2025, and it anticipates a global campaign to encourage governments to nominate female candidates for the election of the next UN Secretary-General, which will take place in 2026.