In this discussion paper, I introduce a new methodological approach in the form of a framework for assessing women’s empowerment in foreign affairs. This framework aims to provide new theoretical and methodological pathways for evaluating the impact of women’s increased presence in foreign policy institutions on the content and implementation of foreign policy. The proposed methodology treats foreign policy as a holistic process and examines women’s roles and agency at all three stages of the policy cycle: foreign policy making, foreign policy content, and foreign policy outcomes. Such an approach is essential for informing policies that bring about institutional change, advancing gender equality both within MFAs and in foreign affairs, and ultimately improving the overall effectiveness of foreign policy.