At 22-years-old Asha Clementi has helped dozens of young women get behind the doors of Canberra's embassies.
Interested in diplomacy since she was a tween, Ms Clementi launched a program in 2018 which positions young women in embassies over one to two days for a slice of the inner workings.
Her "Girls Run the World" program was based on a similar initiative by Plan International which sees young women step into powerful institutions for the day.
"I was interested to see if we could do the same thing in embassies because [they] are very closed off from a lot of public spaces, and it can be really hard to get into an embassy and really intimidating looking at it from the outside," Ms Clementi said.
"So I wanted to know, if I ask an embassy to let a young woman in, will they do it? What doors can you open just by asking? ... And a lot of them said yes."
On Thursday, Ms Clementi was named the 2022 ACT Young Woman of the Year for her "Girls Run the World" program, as well as co-founding the Girls Leadership Network with her mother Ritu Clementi.
Thirteen of the national capital's embassies participated in the program over the first two months of 2022, included the Embassy of Switzerland to Australia, having just accredited its first female ambassador in 61 years.
Ambassador Caroline Bichet-Anthamatten said a lack of flexibility around family commitments remains one of the main roadblocks for women pursuing careers in diplomacy.
"It's very difficult to balance both things at the same time. Myself, I have four kids. I think there are not many ambassadors having four kids, and it is a challenge," she said.
Ambassador Bichet-Anthamatten and husband, Emmanuel Bichet, also a diplomat, maintained balance through job sharing for some time, she said.
"We don't do this in Australia right now, my husband is taking care of the kids, but this we could do in other places, and I think that it's thanks to this and the flexibility of my employer that I could have such a career."
Ambassador Bichet-Anthamatten said this was just one example of how flexibility from employers could support gender equality in workplaces.
"I think finding the right work-life balance is of paramount importance to to let women keep working up to the top of the careers they wish to pursue."
For Ms Clementi, boosting the visibility of female diplomats is the priority when it comes to empowering women in international relations.
"Encouraging young women to go into diplomacy and to actually aspire to higher levels [is key]," she said. "It's the sort of thing that I would absolutely love to do: getting to meet diplomats and network and be in those spaces."
Ms Clementi added that she had never actually participated in such a program herself, just facilitated.
"I didn't think I would ever be sitting here," 20-year-old Shania Prasad said after completing her two days at the Swiss embassy alongside Zahra Moinkhah, 21, and Katherine Jolly, 20.
"Previously, my perceptions of diplomacy was that it was very male dominated -- and now to find that there is a space and it is being made for us, I feel like I can step forward with a lot more surety."
The participants spent their time preparing then presenting a report comparing Switzerland and Australia's national action plans on women, peace and security.
"I also found it quite interesting how every little detail about the embassy is spreading a message. And that's what diplomacy entails," Ms Moinkhah said.
"[I have] a lot more confidence that we will be taken seriously and that the opportunities are equal for us as well as other people," Ms Prasad said.
"It's a very good opportunity for people from the outside to see the inside world," Ambassador Caroline Bichet-Anthamatten said.
