#OurFootprint: Role Models Series — interview with Dagmar Schumacher, Director of UN Women’s Brussels office

PWI Brussels is dedicated to helping women grow and succeed and to accelerate gender balanced leadership. We recognise the importance of highlighting stories of successful women that can inspire others and be our role models.

Today, we are talking to Dagmar Schumacher, Director of UN Women’s Brussels office, reflecting on her career, her own role models, as well as on the mission of UN Women, and the need for global engagement to achieve gender equality.

PWI Bxl: Dagmar, you have spent your whole professional career in the UN structures travelling across the globe — what has been your secret to adapt every time to a new place?

Dagmar: I have a lot of curiosity inside me. Each time, it’s a new adventure — meeting new people, discovering new regions, different cultures, and building bridges to advance the mandate of the United Nations.

I very much believe in the mission of the United Nations. In the current, challenging times, we need multilateralism much more than ever before. I am convinced that all of us can be global citizens and contribute to shaping our world the way we want it to be.

PWI Bxl: Looking back at the times when you were starting off your career, if you could give yourself one advice, what would it be?

Dagmar: I would have at least two. One would be: ‘invest in networking’. Establish your own network, reach out to people, listen to people, and engage with them.

The second one, particularly important for a young person starting a career in the sometimes overwhelming UN structure, would be: ‘don’t be shy’.

PWI Bxl: Who has inspired you most in your career to date and why?

Dagmar: I feel lucky because I had a number of people that really influenced me a lot. Let me mention two here: The late Sharon Capeling-Alakija — she was the Executive Coordinator of the United Nations’ Volunteers Programme where I worked, and previously the Head of UNIFEM, where I also worked as a Junior Professional Officer.

She was extremely inspiring, empowering and caring. Sharon treated everyone equally, regardless of whether they were high in the hierarchy or just starting their career. She opened many doors for me: through conversations, everyday guidance, as well as just by listening to me. I am really grateful for that.

The second one is my first boss in the UN system. She was coming from a political family and helped me to really understand how politics work. We had many intense conversations, which really guided me and inspired me to be a bit more political myself.

PWI Bxl: Indeed, it is very important to have someone that is not only an abstract role model but a guide in the day-to-day professional life, as well.

Dagmar: I remember that Sharon gave all of her team, at the time, a book — “The Web of Inclusion” by Sally Helgesen. I often think about it even though it was many years ago because I am convinced this is actually what our way forward should be — creating a web of inclusion, instead of always focusing on what divides us.

PWI Bxl: Brussels has been your longest posting. You have been leading the UN Women’s Brussels office for the past 8 years, from the moment of its creation.

Dagmar: Throughout my career I have worked in many different UN agencies but it was particularly interesting to come to Brussels when UN Women was being created. Accompanying the journey of a new organisation, being part of it and shaping it in its Brussels dimension with the wonderful UN Women Brussels’ team has been a unique experience.

Coming to Brussels, where we have such a strong UN presence — with many different agencies having representation offices here, has also been very rewarding because we can mutually support each other in the UN-EU work.

PWI Bxl: Can you tell us what the UN Women’s mission in Brussels is and who your key interlocutors here are?

Dagmar: Personally, as much as I consider myself a global citizen, I also feel very strongly European. Seeing the European project move forward is very close to my heart.

I believe UN Women and the EU share the same values when it comes to gender equality. We can be powerful allies in the context of the normative work, in setting standards and norms, both at the European and global level, but also when it comes to the implementation of those standards on a country level.

From the practical point of view, we have a Memorandum of Understanding with the EU. As much as it may be perceived as a purely bureaucratic document, it was an intentional step between the EU and UN Women to clearly state what we want to achieve together, what the areas we want to work on together are and how we want to do that. We agreed to work together in three different areas (i) policy dialogue, (ii) joint advocacy and (iii) joint programming.

We also collaborate with the Belgian government, a strong ally on gender equality, and with other EU member states through the EU Presidencies and the EU Council. We periodically present at CODEV, COHOM or, most recently upon invitation from the Austrian Presidency, at COHAFA, the EU Council’s Working Parties on Development Cooperation, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid, respectively.

At times, we engage on particular topics with individual EU member states. In 2018, for example, we organized, jointly with Sweden and the EU, an exchange on Women, Peace and Security with Syrian women in the context of the Syria Conference.

PWI Bxl: On the outset, it seems we may be witnessing a unique momentum to push for greater gender equality and more balanced leadership, with growing support and involvement of both women and men. How has your work in Brussels changed, if at all, throughout the last 8 years in that respect?

Dagmar: Personally, I believe we have made a lot of progress when it comes to Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), with Goal no. 5 focusing specifically on gender equality. We worked very closely with the EU to make sure there was such a standalone goal, while gender equality is also part of the other 16 SDGs. They include interlinked targets to address key structural barriers, such as discriminatory laws, violence against women and girls, unpaid care workas well as challenges such as climate change, the backlash against women’s rights and the shrinking space for civil society, and violent conflict.

Seeing how this agenda is picked up in Europe is key because implementing it will contribute to greater social cohesion, and will be an opportunity engage European citizens more.

In general to date, no country has achieved gender equality. We have also seen progress that is too slow and gains that have been eroded. Globally, there have been too many missed opportunities for big, bold, ambitious steps that could impact the billions of women who need change. Change has to be systemic and transformative, and it must be lasting change.

The year 2020 is 25 years after the Beijing Platform of Action, and five years into implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At that point, 2020, we want already to see real progress for women.

PWI Bxl: We are just at the beginning of a new year. What will you be focusing on most at UN Women’s Brussels office in 2019?

Dagmar: This year will be a year of transition for the EU: with the European Parliament elections and new European Commission. At the same time, I do hope for further action on gender equality.

We see great opportunities when it comes to collaborating with the EU on devising its new gender equality strategy, to be approved under the new Commission given that the current strategic engagement plan is coming to an end.

We will also continue working with the EU on the Spotlight initiative to end violence against women, which we see as one of the most challenging issue in terms of reaching gender equality.

The #MeToo campaign has shaped how gender equality issues are being perceived and, I think it will further strengthen the push within the EU and UN for zero tolerance to sexual harassment.

2019 will also be a stepping stone in preparations for the 25th anniversary of the Beijing platform of Action in 2020. We plan to review where we stand on the implementation of the platform’s commitments, where the gaps are, and where we may need to push more. It will be an exciting global initiative, and a very important one for Europe, where we have sadly seen growing backlash against civil society, in particular women’s organisations, and against gender equality.

Last but not least, we will surely keep an attentive eye on the EU’s new budget discussions. It will be crucial to have a gender responsible approach to that budget in order to advance the gender equality agenda.

PWI Bxl: If you were to convince someone in one sentence to support the UN Women initiatives, how would you do that?

Dagmar: Current world affairs and news headlines reminds us every day that the time is now, this is the critical moment, for all of us, to act on gender equality because we are talking about half of this world’s population.