Every year, we celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March. Ambassador for a Day is an initiative aimed at encouraging young women to become leaders. The British Embassy in The Hague invites all girls aged 15-18 in the Netherlands to take part. All you have to do is send in a video, in which you answer the following question: 

If you were Ambassador for a day, how would you campaign for gender equality? 

Successful applicants will be invited to The Hague for a day in March 2025, to meet British Ambassador Joanna Roper and learn about working in government, diplomacy and international organisations. Travel and catering expenses will be covered by the embassy. Participants below the age of 18 can bring one chaperone (parent, teacher, guardian). Chaperones must be 18 years or older. It is not obligatory to bring a chaperone.  

The video can be in either Dutch or English, with a maximum length of 2 minutes. Please record it in landscape mode. We encourage girls from all backgrounds to apply. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what you would like to do - we’re looking for potential! 

Please apply using the Microsoft Forms link. After completing the form, send your video to embassywebsite@gmail.com, using a Wetransfer link in the email. Kindly write ‘My Entry to the A4D Initiative’ in the subject line, and make sure your full name is in the email text and in the video file name. 

The deadline to send in your entry is 21 January, 17:00. Participants should be girls aged 15-18 on this date and resident in the Netherlands. Be aware that successful applicants will require permission from their school to spend the day in The Hague, and in case they are aged under 18 years, parental permission to travel to The Hague, too. The full terms and conditions for this initiative can be consulted under ‘downloads’ below. 

Successful applicants will be informed in early February. 

Why is the Ambassador for a Day initiative only open to girls?

  • Data shows that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making worldwide, which highlights the importance of having measures and networks targeted at girls and women. (Source: World Economic Forum)  
  • Projecting current trends into the future, the overall global gender gap will close in 134 years – roughly five generations beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target. (Source: World Economic Forum)
  • At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for many years. Across economies included in the 2024 Global Gender Gap Index, there are 25 women heads of state in office across 24 economies. Approximately 22.5% of the global population live in countries with a female leader. This is due to diminishing tenures of women sitting as Heads of States over the past 50 years. (Source: World Economic Forum)