At the 12th International “Book Arsenal” Festival in Kyiv, a presentation took place for the unique project “The Female Face of Diplomacy”, aimed at highlighting the role of women in shaping Ukraine’s foreign policy and promoting gender equality in the diplomatic sphere.
The project was presented by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa, Head of the Public Diplomacy Center of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and co-founder of the “Association of Spouses of Ukrainian Diplomats” Tetiana Sybiha, and Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy and Communications Viktoria Lialina-Boiko.
The “Woman in Diplomacy” project was launched in 2024 by the Scholarly Society for the History of Diplomacy and International Relations and Professor Iryna Matiash, in cooperation with the “Association of Spouses of Ukrainian Diplomats” and its co-founder Mrs. Tetiana Sybiha, as well as the publishing house Buk-Druk, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine.
“For me, it is especially important that the voices of diplomats’ spouses are heard in these books. Voices that until recently remained unheard. But today, we see new faces of diplomacy — among them the spouses of diplomats, who are active players in cultural diplomacy and initiators of charitable projects,” emphasized Tetiana Sybiha.
As part of the presentation, a special edition was introduced — “Woman in Diplomacy: A Time of War”. The new volume includes interviews and recollections of career female diplomats and diplomats’ spouses, along with essays about the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska and the wife of the Crimean Tatar leader, Safinar Dzhemileva.
“Ukraine has become a prime example of successful wartime diplomacy. Through our courage, persistence, integrity, and creativity, we prove every day that the impossible is possible. We have built unique coalitions in support of Ukraine and fully mobilized international efforts. This allows us to effectively resist Russian aggression,” emphasized Mariana Betsa.
The event also featured addresses from Ukraine’s Ambassadors to the United States — Oksana Markarova, to Mexico — Oksana Dramaretska, to Switzerland — Iryna Venediktova, to Ireland — Larysa Herasko, and to Portugal — Maryna Mykhailenko.
During the event, the book “The Fairy Tale of Prince La-fi-Chan, Warrior Soy, and the Girl Kio” was also presented — a prose work by renowned Polish writer, diplomat, and translator Kazimiera Iłłakowiczówna, published for the first time in Ukraine.
Background:
The Book Arsenal is an international event organized by Mystetskyi Arsenal. The festival has been held annually since 2011 and has become one of the most influential literary and artistic events in Eastern Europe. In 2019, it was awarded the title of Best Literary Festival in the World. The mission of the International Book Arsenal Festival is to foster interactions between people, communities, and institutions, where the combination of aesthetic experience and intellectual engagement through books enhances the capacity of individuals and society.