Women’s representation in global leadership has slowed and, in some places, backslid in recent years. We ask why this is occurring – and where women’s leadership is thriving – with Ambassador Susan Page. Ambassador Page was the first U.S. Ambassador to the newly independent South Sudan and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
Celebrate International Women’s Day and explore where women are leading – from Ukraine to Mexico to Italy – where women leaders are facing increased challenges, and what it means for the world when women are in power.
This celebration of International Women’s Day is part of an annual collaboration between the Women’s Leadership Center at the University of Saint Joseph and the World Affairs Council of Connecticut.
The Details
When: Thursday, March 5 | 11:00AM – 11:40AM CT
Where: Zoom Webinar
RSVP HERE
Featuring
Ambassador Susan D. Page
Former U.S. Amb. to South Sudan; Director, Weiser Diplomacy Center; Professor of Practice in International Diplomacy at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and Professor from Practice at the University of Michigan’s Law School
Ambassador Susan D. Page, a former diplomat, joined the Ford School faculty and the Weiser Diplomacy Center in 2020 as a Professor of Practice in International Diplomacy. She also serves as a Professor from Practice at the Law School. Page has served the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations in senior roles for decades, across East, Central, and Southern Africa, and in Haiti and Nepal.
Page was the first U.S. ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan and served as deputy assistant secretary of State for African Affairs, covering Central and Southern Africa, and Sudan; legal adviser to the IGAD-led peace process that resulted in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) for Sudan. Page also served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH). Among her many roles, she was attorney-adviser for Politico-Military Affairs in the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser, USAID regional legal advisor in Kenya and Botswana covering East and Southern Africa, and political officer in Rwanda.
Page earned a JD from Harvard Law School and an AB in English with high distinction from the University of Michigan. She was awarded a Rotary International Postgraduate Fellowship to Nepal where she conducted research on women’s and children’s rights. In addition, she received certificates of merit and distinction from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland before attending law school. Ambassador Page is an elected member of the American Academy of Diplomacy, a board member of Road Scholar, and a member of the Association of Black American Ambassadors.


