Press
Balance Aside, Experts Tout Vital Role Women Play in Peace Talks
This article was originally published by Courthouse News Service. On heightened alert after terrorist attacks in Brussels that morning, members of Congress focused Tuesday on the vital role women play in countering violent extremism. When women participate in peacemaking efforts, those processes result in agreements 98 percent of the time, and are 35 percent more […]
Press
Time for Congress to Take the Lead on Inclusive Security
This article was originally published by The Hill. Consider an all-too-familiar scenario. A civil war smolders, hundreds of thousands have died. With U.S. interests at stake, we’ve invested billions of dollars and countless hours of diplomacy to convince the warring parties to reach an agreement. These negotiations aren’t just about securing a temporary ceasefire; they […]
Post, Video
VIDEO: Ambassador Swanee Hunt: “We’re Talking About Security”
Ambassador Swanee Hunt recounts her conversation with a US general in 2003, who said of Iraq: “When we get the place secure, then we’ll be able to talk about women’s issues.” She counters that, in order to build security, we need to draw on 100% of our resources. This video is from the opening of […]
Press
INFOGRAPHIC: Women’s Inclusion in the Syria Peace Talks
This piece was published by Syria Deeply. As the next round of negotiations commences in Geneva, Syrian women have more seats at the table and in prominent advisory bodies than ever before. Though numbers are only the first step toward meaningful inclusion, these women are poised to shape the future of their country. Here’s what […]
Big Idea, Press
7 Rules for Avoiding All-Male Panels
This article was originally published by Foreign Policy. Tuesday is International Women’s Day, which means that in conference rooms and auditoriums across the globe, panels of predominantly female experts will tackle pressing issues. It’s a refreshing picture, to be sure. But we shouldn’t have to designate a date to get women on stage. In most […]
Post
Why Are We Settling?
Why do we settle for half of our potential? While political and military leaders often draw on just half of available talent, ISIS and Boko Haram do not make the same mistake. A new edition of PRISM, jointly produced by the National Defense University and The Institute for Inclusive Security, highlights the need for the […]
Post
South Sudanese and Sudanese Women Advocate to Opposition Leaders, Government
I recently joined fellow members of the Taskforce on the Engagement of Women in Sudan and South Sudan to meet with government officials, opposition leaders, international policymakers, and other advocacy groups to push for women’s inclusion in peace processes in both countries. This is the third year we have advocated to leaders at the African […]
Press
16 Women Who Are Standing Up to Violence
This article was published by Public Radio International and syndicated by YES! Magazine and The Christian Science Monitor. Violence takes many forms. The pernicious abuses behind closed doors, hidden by family members in the name of honor. Structural and economic violence that disadvantages particular groups, condemning them to lifelong marginalization and insecurity. The encompassing devastation […]
Big Idea, Press
Want Peace in Syria? Put Women at the Negotiating Table
This article was originally published by Defense One. With a fresh diplomatic push under way to restart Syrian peace talks this month, we should absorb a critical lesson from the Bosnia conflict as we grapple for a way out of the Syria deadlock: To create sustainable peace, women must have a seat at the negotiating […]
Press
Women in Arms
This article was originally published by The Boston Globe. Empowering women living in the midst of conflict and civil unrest may be one of the most sensible and effective ways to build peace. “The hypothesis is that women are quicker to compromise, that they know how to get into places that men can’t go because […]
