Women diplomats in Hong Kong have broken through the glass ceiling
With ten out of 60 consuls general in Hong Kong now women, some say they empathise better than men and are superior mediators
Hong Kong's diplomatic corps has undergone a gender shift that may warrant a tweak to Theodore Roosevelt's enduring quote on the key to good diplomacy. Perhaps it should now read: "Speak softly and carry a big handbag; you will go far."
As the city's role as a centre for international deal-making develops with China's growing economic might, women are becoming increasingly prominent in the traditionally maledominated world.
In line with global trends, 10 out of the 60 consuls general in the city today are women, and they are convinced the change is irreversible.
For Rita Hammerli-Weshcke, Switzerland's top diplomat in Hong Kong, women "bring another sense" to diplomacy.
"We bring empathy more than others which probably makes cultural exchanges easier," she said.
Every few months, she organises a lunch where the invitation is exclusive: you must be a woman and a consul general: "It's an exchange where we can share our experiences and it's more relaxed than seeing each other at official events."
Austrian consul general Claudia Reinprecht - the city's newest woman diplomat - supports the idea of an informal women-only network.