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26. Lessons learned, for better or worse, this year
Reflecting on the growth and challenges brought by a (very) long year, both in my life and in the world.
Maria Luísa Moreira
December 16, 2024
Welcome to (the new format of) The Gender Diplomat!
The end of the year means new beginnings, so I took a few weeks off to reflect on The Gender Diplomat in 2024, what I want to achieve in the next 12 months, and what I need to do NOW to get there. Why leave new beginnings until January when you can start on a random Monday in December?
Without further ado, here is The Gender Diplomat 2.0.
I hope you enjoy it!
In this edition
On my mind this week: lessons, lessons, lessons
As the year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the lessons 2024 brought—both personally and in the world. Some were hard-earned, others came unexpectedly. Many got me thinking days on end, others were a breeze.
2024 has been a year of stillness and movement – we’ve seen an endless cycle of elections, geopolitical shifts and breaking news that we’ve all struggled to keep up with, but we’ve also seen tiredness, pushbacks and lost hope.
To contrast with this speed, in December I enjoy taking quiet time for reflections and planning, whether on a personal or professional level. Perhaps most importantly, and because I’m obsessed with making lists, I like to ask myself what I’ve learned this year that has made me smarter and better prepared to tackle the next rollercoaster of 365 days.
Today, I’m sharing three lessons from my own career and three lessons I’ve learned from the state of global politics. I hope they resonate with you and inspire change, movement, rest and recharge as you prepare to step into 2025.
Political/Global lessons
The gender gap will take generations to fix, and we are all responsible for this
Despite years of progress, the gender gap in politics, economics, and leadership continues to widen in some regions and domains. For example, the proportion of women MEPs fell for the first time since 1979 in this year’s EU elections. Another concerning trend is the gender gap in voting behaviour, especially among Gen Z, as seen in the US election. Sustainable change won’t happen overnight: How can we bring public debate, votes and policies back to the center, without resorting to radical norms and discourses, whether from the far right or the far left? How can we engage everyone—not just women—in the fight for equality?
Different forms of violence are emerging, and we lack frameworks to combat them
As global instability rises, new forms of violence—social, psychological, and digital—are also emerging. I've seen first-hand how we lack the political and legal frameworks to deal with these evolving threats, particularly cyber-violence—from hate speech and disinformation to deepfakes and harmful social media content. Without updating our tools and responses, and with social media platforms in the hands of reckless billionaires, we run the risk of letting these new forms of damage get out of hand. Cyberviolence requires urgent attention, as discussed at this year’s Gender Equality Forum panel.
We need to redefine political leadership in a world in crisis
Traditional models of leadership are no longer adequate in the face of polycrises like climate change, digitalisation, human insecurity, hybrid warfare, and geopolitical tensions. There is growing criticism of democratic institutions and political systems, with many people feeling that they are out of touch with everyday concerns, new forms of interaction and the polarisation of opinions. We need a new kind of leadership - one that prioritises people, peace and the planet; multilateralism and collaboration over individual gain; the defence of international law, democratic principles and human rights over narrow national interests, and one that listens to diverse voices. A crucial first step would be closing the gender gap in decision-making.
Career lessons
If you're not sure about going, go anyways
Everything that's happened to me—or that I’ve made happen—this year has been an experience and a lesson I wouldn’t have absorbed if I had simply sat out. Not all of them were good experiences, but they all taught me something, and I’d much rather look back with a lesson learned than wonder what could have been. Saying yes to the things you’re overthinking or scared about—whether it’s a job, project, or invitation—is not necessarily fateful: you can always opt out, change your mind, improve, or ask for help. So, if in doubt, say yes.
Opening doors is not just good for others—it’s so, so good for you too
There’s nothing worse than being successful or given an opportunity, only to feel like you’re in an empty room because others were left behind along the way. In 2024, I took the time and mental space to get crystal clear on what is and isn’t aligned with my priorities, and whatever falls outside those boxes gets rejected or sent to someone else. I don’t allow myself to overstretch out of ego or FOMO. For instance, this year, I said no to dozens of panel invitations and recommended others to replace me each time.
PS – Linking this to the issue of new leadership: Do we really need to speak dozens of times, or should we trust that someone else is either better suited or would benefit far more from the space? This year, I became highly (self-)critical of the space I take and the space I share. I’d love to see more people opening space in 2025 because success and milestones taste so much better in good company.
Be delulu (delusional) in your optimism
I’ve developed a mindset where I believe in the best-case scenario regardless of my course of action, because if I plan for things to go wrong, I subconsciously seek signs of failure out of confirmation bias. As such, this year, I learned to just keep swimming – some days, that meant posting content with fewer likes, not hearing back from stakeholders, or dealing with rejections and ghosting for The Gender Diplomat. But if you keep swimming—starting, showing up, investing, and letting go of expectations — things eventually work out, often better than predicted.
And if things don’t work out… Well, who cares?
What should’ve been on the news
Launched last week in Brussels, the EU Gender Equality Index 2024 scores 71/100, indicating minimal progress towards equality. There are persistent gender gaps in decision-making (the “power” dimension), which is an area that has historically and traditionally been associated with men and male leadership (I'm genuinely worried and trying to figure out how I can contribute to changing this situation... How can we bridge the gender gap in political power? Let's talk! Send me an e-mail).
Sweden wins the EU ranking, but it’s the second year in a row that it looses percentage points. Countries like Romania and Hungary lag behind. Importantly, most data for this year’s Index is from 2022, highlighting the challenge of measuring, monitoring and addressing gender inequalities effectively.
Why This Matters: Uneven progress risks EU cohesion, especially with a rightward shift in the European Parliament. Did you know 11 EU Member States have quotas for national elections and some also for European elections? Read more here.
From my desk
This week, I’m applying what I preach to friends and colleagues by turning my 2025 goals into actionable baby steps. Instead of tackling the entire year as one big chunk, I’ve broken it down into quarters, dedicating each to a specific priority area. For instance, in Q1, I’ll record a series of episodes for The Gender Diplomat podcast and reach out to a list of stakeholders I want to partner with. In Q2, I’ll focus on something else, and so on.
I’ve come to realize that splitting big, ambitious plans into bite-sized, no-nonsense daily steps is far more productive and rewarding, which significantly boosts my motivation. While I have grand plans for The Gender Diplomat, it can feel overwhelming if I don’t know exactly what I should be doing on any given day.
I use Notion for literally every detail of my work and personal life. There are lots of templates that you can download, buy or create yourself.
Brain food for diplomats at heart
If you like poetry, check out these two poetry slams at this year's Gender Equality Forum in Brussels (part 1 and part 2).
António Costa: Why would Trump want a trade war with Europe? @ Financial Times
NATO SG Mark Rutte's 2024 recommended reading list @ NATO
What comes next for Syria’s women? A revolution that doesn’t free them is no revolution at all @ The Guardian
Class of 2025 annual ranking of the most influential people in Europe @ POLITICO
Countering China and Russia: The hidden advantages of Women, Peace, and Security @ CSIS
A conversation with Bill Clinton on America’s future @ The New York Times
Finding community in a new city by Tom Moylan @ TEDxBrussels
Ways to support The Gender Diplomat
If you enjoyed this edition, consider subscribing and sharing it with your network. For feedback and partnerships, send me an email: [email protected].
