Welcome to Diplomatic Magic!

Every two years,  over a thousand young men and women line up nervously outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. They are dressed professionally, gripping study guides and books, quietly sizing each other up. They are about to begin an application process for what many would consider to be the best job in the world. They want to become diplomats. 

Back in 2009, I was one of those hopeful applicants lining up to take the first of many examinations. I had always wanted to represent my country abroad, and had been trying to do it for years as a competitive swimmer. When I was in college, I painfully realized, after finishing third or fourth in yet another race, that my dream of representing Mexico at the Olympics was not going to come true. I looked for other ways to give back to my country, and diplomacy became my second dream. As a foreign service officer, I could represent the best that our country had to offer, but I could go even further; I could help Mexicans in trouble, contribute to finding solutions for global problems, and travel the world! I put all my effort into it and I achieved the dream! I became a proud diplomat on March 2010.

That's me on the day of my swearing in ceremony! I'm with Patricia Espinosa, only the second female Foreign Affairs Secretary in Mexican history.

Not surprisingly, the Ministry does not have a hard time recruiting talented men and women for this job. Even though the selection process is very difficult - applicants have to be tested on world cultural knowledge, English and Spanish grammar and writing, third language proficiency, and psychological aptitude - and only the best are selected, the Ministry is usually able to recruit men and women that are up to the challenge. However, through the years, a problem has emerged that the Ministry is currently trying to solve. Although men and women are entering the foreign service at the same rates, they are not progressing equally. As they move up through the ranks, the women are falling behind. The Ministry wants to design policies that can make the workplace more friendly to women and allow their careers to advance just like the ones of men diplomats. 

Thanks to the generous support of the Women and Public Policy Program’s Cultural Bridge Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School, I’ll be spending the summer in Mexico City, working with the Ministry towards solving this puzzle. I am thrilled to be doing this work and hopefully I can have a positive impact on the lives of my fellow women diplomats. I look forward to sharing my progress through this blog!

Thanks WAPPP and Cultural Bridge Fellowship!