Press
Iranian Scholar’s Daughter Tells of Mother’s Distress
This article was originally published by NPR. The United States Senate is calling for Iran to release detained scholar Haleh Esfandiari immediately. Esfandiari is being held in Iran on suspicion of espionage. The scholar’s daughter, Haleh Bakhash, speaks openly about her mother. She’s joined by Carla Koppell of the Institute for Inclusive Security. Together, they […]
Big Idea, Press
Imagining a World with More Female Heads of State
This article was originally published by The Christian Science Monitor. On Sunday, millions of French men and women will determine whether a woman should become their president. Socialist Ségolène Royal is running against conservative Nicolas Sarkozy. Should she win, both France and Germany, two of the major countries in Europe, would be presided over by […]
Press
“Gender is Society”: Inclusive Lawmaking in Rwanda’s Parliament
This article was originally published in Critical Half. While the development community has shifted toward a gender and development (GAD) paradigm that emphasizes relations between women and men, rather than focusing on women alone, GAD programs often fall short of truly including men. However, a 2006 legislative campaign by Rwandan female parliamentarians, in which they […]
Press
Powerful Voices
This article was originally published by NPR. A group called the Initiative for Inclusive Security, which recently hosted its eighth annual conference in Washington, wants to increase political participation among women in “high conflict” and post-conflict areas. The conferences allow women leaders to learn skills from each other as well as from other political and […]
Press
Conflict-Zone Women Lobby in Washington
This article was originally published by Women’s eNews. Mariam Alsadig Almahdi is an ex-combatant in Sudan, a medical doctor, a mother of six and a current high-ranking official in Sudanese party politics. Now she can add one more line to her lengthy resume: U.S. lobbyist. Almahdi, the general secretary assistant for communications in Sudan’s Umma […]
Press
Kennedy School Program Offers Proponents of Peace Forum to Share, Learn
This article was originally published by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. As Iraq’s first post-Saddam minister of the environment, Dr. Mishkat al-Moumin MPA06 has had to overcome her share of challenges: building a ministry from scratch, defying death threats and surviving attacks on her life, all while helping her country overcome years of environmental abuse. […]
Press
In War-Torn Sudan, Women Wage Peace
This article was originally published by The Christian Science Monitor. When the farming tribes of Darfur took up arms more than two years ago against what they saw as a neglectful Arab-dominated government, Samia Ahmed Nihar’s brothers, uncles, and male cousins joined the struggle. But as a lecturer in development studies at Khartoum University in […]
Press
Women Politicians, Community Leaders in Sudan Call for More Influence on Government
This article was originally published by Voice of America. This past week, a meeting of Sudanese women from across the political spectrum ended in Khartoum urging that women be included at all levels of governance and peace making. The meeting was arranged by The Initiative for Inclusive Security – a program of Hunt Alternatives Fund […]
Press
Dutch Activist Discusses Islam
This article was originally published by The Harvard Crimson. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a member of Dutch Parliament and human rights activist, addressed issues ranging from the culture of arranged marriages to the compatibility of Islam with open societies in Western Europe at several venues across campus yesterday. She began her tour at the Harvard Coop, […]
Press
Iranian Regime Erases Progress on Women’s Rights
This article was originally published by The Washington Times. Despite International Women’s Day celebrations today, women in Iran still struggle for basic rights. The country’s conservative authorities forbid women from simple activities such as watching the World Cup qualifying soccer game live in a stadium. More prominent are restrictions on their legal and civil rights. […]
