FIRST WOMEN IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THE MINISTRIES OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE AND POLAND (NATALIA ZARUDNA, ANNA FOTYGA)

Abstract

The article highlights the activities of the first women in leadership positions in the foreign affairs ministries of Poland and Ukraine after the restoration of state independence. In Ukraine, the first woman to take a leadership position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, namely as Deputy State Secretary, was appointed on October 1, 2002. This position was held by Natalia Zarudna, who soon became the first woman – Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to Denmark and Germany and head of the OSCE Center in Astana.

In Poland, a woman first held the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2006. The appointment of Anna Fotyga to this position was considered politically justified. The Minister had a long political career as a representative of the 'Law and Justice' party. However, she also had experience in the field of foreign policy – she was the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Member of the European Parliament (working in the Foreign Affairs Committee), and the Vice President of the city of Gdańsk (responsible for international issues). After completing her ministerial term, Anna Fotyga served three terms in the European Parliament, where she demonstrated a principled position in support of Ukraine.

The article concludes that both unique women, despite their different professional paths and positions in management, had much in common in terms of values, approaches to self-organisation and attitude towards their duties.