ABSTRACT
The position of women in international organizations is related to the situations that exist in various nations and to the link between international organizations and their member countries. Internal structures vary, but most international organizations consist of a ruling assembly or committee composed of representatives of member countries, delegations and permanent missions from member countries, and a secretariat. In relationships with male colleagues a woman may have to overcome traditional ‘gallantry,’ a reluctance to discuss serious matters, or being considered window dressing at meetings – all of which reinforce her ‘feminine’ identity at the expense of her professional identity. In 1967 the United Nations finally became aware that, although equality regardless of sex was called for in the United Nations Charter of 1948, women in member countries were still discriminated against in terms of political and civil rights.
