About Women In International Security
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For over 20 years, WIIS has provided a unique forum for sharing expertise, making connections, and professional growth.
Our Mission Statement
Women In International Security (WIIS) is the only global network actively advancing women’s leadership, at all stages of their careers, in the international peace and security field.
Our Values and Core Characteristics
1. WIIS defines international security broadly, inclusive of a range of disciplines such as conflict resolution and human rights, but focuses on the intersection or nexus of these issues with security.
2. WIIS bridges the divides among:
- issues (traditional security and human security);
- generations of women;
- and sectors (academic, practitioner, policymaker).
3. WIIS educates and inspires women at all stages of their careers – the multigenerational aspect of its network is one of WIIS’s greatest strengths.
4. WIIS builds local, national and global communities that empower women in many different countries.
5. WIIS encourages the active civic engagement of women and men who understand the importance of inclusive and diverse participation in peace and security.
6. WIIS is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that advocates for women’s inclusion and leadership in the peace and security fields, but does not lobby on specific pieces of legislation.
7. WIIS provides valuable services and resources to build a global network of women in these fields, and increases the number and visibility of women across sectors and around the world.
Our Background and Affiliation
Established in 1987 by a small group of women experts in foreign and defense affairs, today WIIS has 1,500 members—women and men—in 47 countries from academia, think tanks, the diplomatic corps, the intelligence community, the military, government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, the media, and the private sector.
WIIS is a part of the Center for Peace and Security Studies (CPASS), in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. The School of Foreign Service is the oldest and largest school of international affairs in the United States. CPASS, which encompasses WIIS and the internationally renowned Security Studies Program, is Georgetown’s organizational home for teaching, research, events, and publications in international peace and security studies.