Women in global economic governance: Scaling the summits

Introduction This chapter provides an examination of the roles of woman participating in global economic governance, with a particular focus on women representing their state in Group of 20 processes. This examination is for the purpose of understanding more deeply how gender dynamics play out in different aspects of diplomatic practice. Ideas explored include how women use their agency in the context of a leader-led economic summit often focused on crisis response; how gender issues are framed in the field of economic diplomacy; questions of institutional power where actors involved are frequently from central banks or treasuries rather than foreign ministries; and leadership on behalf of actors pursuing women’s economic rights and inclusive economic growth that reduces inequality between men and women, rich and poor. This chapter takes a feminist approach to diplomacy as a social practice,1 and therefore examine women's lived experiences of economic summitry, but also interrogates how masculine values and worldviews, such as the assumptions of mainstream economics, have shaped this area of diplomacy. The central argument posited is that economic diplomacy and trade are areas extremely resistant to the participation of women, as of 2016. Currently, 15 per cent of the heads of state of the G20 member countries are women.2 The figure for finance ministers, central bank governors, and sherpas' (a leader's personal representative) is also low, with roughly 15 per cent women. The official photo of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Sydney meeting in 2014 shows 10 per cent representation. This already represents a positive shift with Janet Yellen as the first female head of the US Federal Reserve and Christine Lagarde the first female head of the International Monetary Fund. The rise of economic diplomacy internationally and the investment of emerging economies in economic fora is both an opportunity and a threat to women in traditional diplomatic roles in foreign ministries. It is an opportunity because it is a traditionally soft' area of international relations, theoretically more open to women than traditional intelligence or security. It may be a threat because current economic summitry draws on technical personnel outside foreign ministries, such as finance and treasury officials, central banks, and the corporate sector, with low representation of women. Anne Marie Slaughter posits that these regulators are thenew diplomats (2004: 14). Summit processes also operate informally without scrutiny from the broader women's movement that organs such as the UN Security Council attract. This chapter takes the form of three distinct, but interlocking, sections. Part I presents a theoretical analysis of gender and diplomacy to date. Based on this analysis, Part II puts forth a central case study concerning the particular context of women involved in economic diplomacy at the most senior levels, as represented by the G20 forum. Here, I offer snapshots of some of the key women involved as sherpas, central bank governors, leaders, and heads of international financial institutions (IFIs). Cases of female representatives are presented showing great agency and leadership skills in influencing the G20 Summit outcomes. Part III then moves to outline the development of the outreach group that seeks to promote gender equality within the G20 processes, called the W20' (Women 20), as well as female leadership in the official engagement groups that seek to influence the Summit. I then conclude with some warnings to heed for progress on gender equality goals and diversity of actors in this increasingly important but quasi-informal summitry space.