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When we think of diplomacy, we often imagine grand halls, national flags, and formal agreements between world leaders. But diplomacy, in its truest form, doesn’t always start at the negotiating table.
Sometimes, it starts with a simple question:
“Do you know how much you’re spending this month?”
On the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, I was invited to speak about how my work in economic literacy intersects with diplomacy. It made me reflect on something I’ve long believed:
Economic literacy is diplomacy at the individual level.
Economic Security Is a Prerequisite for Peace
In my work — particularly with young women across Kuwait —I’ve come to see that if we want peace, stability, and prosperity, we need to begin by equipping people with the tools to understand and influence the systems they live in.
And one of the most overlooked tools in that equation? Financial knowledge.
Without it, even the most visionary strategies for peace and development remain fragile. Because how can you lead, negotiate, or dream of a better future when your present is filled with economic insecurity?
The Gendered Cost of Financial Blind Spots
In our region, women are graduating at record rates. They’re educated, ambitious, and ready.
But too often they’re left out of conversations around investment, policy, and financial decision-making. Not due to a lack of ability — but because the systems weren’t designed with them in mind.
When women don’t understand how credit, interest, risk, or financial policy shape their lives, they’re denied a seat at the table before they even arrive.
What We’re Building at Lei Wa Lakom
At Lei Wa Lakom, we’re building more than awareness; we’re building agency.
We do this through:
- Interactive workshops
- Behavioral science tools
- Digital platforms that teach women not only how to manage money — but how to think like investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.
Because when a woman tracks her spending, she’s not just budgeting — she’s building strategy.
When she begins to invest, she’s not just growing wealth — she’s creating leverage.
And when she understands the psychology behind money, she stops reacting to systems — and starts shaping them.
Diplomacy in the 21st Century
In today’s world, diplomacy isn’t confined to embassies or ministries.
It’s happening in homes, classrooms, and apps. Wherever values are taught and futures are shaped.
If we want resilient communities and effective leadership, we must meet people where they are and give them tools that help them navigate complexity with confidence.
Redefining Diplomacy: One Dinar at a Time
As we celebrate women in diplomacy, I invite us to expand our definition of what diplomacy is and where it begins.
It starts when we teach a girl to understand her financial worth.
When we empower a woman to see herself as a decision-maker in her home, her company, her community, and her country.
Because a woman who knows her value in dollars, dinars, and decisions — is unstoppable.
And that, to me, is the most powerful kind of diplomacy.
