first-lady diplomacy
As the Obamas get ready to leave the White House on January 20th, their legacy has become a topic of interest nationally and internationally. Michelle Obama, the United States’ first black First Lady, has spearheaded and organized numerous successful initiatives in the past eight years [...] While the First Lady’s initiatives domestically should not be understated, it is her most recent program that has, and will continue to have, the largest global impact.
![Photo by HaRee | CC BY-NC 2.0](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/11MarchTWiPD_0.jpg?itok=MPkJRmOW)
In recognition of Women's History Month, this roundup looks at the role of women in public diplomacy.
India wants to know: where has Michelle Obama been all day? This is unusual for the Harvard-trained lawyer who has made important international trips by herself to project American soft power.
Azerbaijan`s first lady, head of the Azerbaijan-France interparliamentary friendship group at the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament), president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva has met with president of the French Senate Gerard Larcher in Paris.
Iriana Widodo is our latest First Lady and since last Monday she began her new era as the Ibu Negara of the world’s third largest democracy. People say behind each great president, there is a great first lady – and behind her is a great team.
When Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan got off the presidential plane in Korea with President Xi Jinping, her fashion sense caught the attention of the media. Peng, who was a renowned Chinese contemporary folk singer and performing artist, is regarded as an icon of the soft power in Beijing, successfully softening her husband's strong image.
The unveiling of Peng and Cheng is notable, as Chinese leaders' wives have usually kept a low profile. They might not play the same roles and hold the same power as Clinton and her fellow ex-secretaries of state, but both the "first lady" and "second lady" have done their part in boosting China's soft power and raising its global profile.