Report Card on Women in International Security

Background

Women have made enormous strides in the past two decades in international affairs. In the United States, three women have served in the position of Secretary of State. Women are in Congress, on the Supreme Court, and in many senior positions in government. However, equal representation is not yet a reality, especially at the senior levels of policymaking, academia, think tanks, and in the corporate sector.

The need is evident for both qualitative and quantitative data gathering on women’s presence in key decision-making roles in international peace and security. Although it is generally acknowledged that women are under-represented in various sectors of international affairs, the actual numbers are not easily assessable, and there is little comprehensive data on how women are entering and advancing in the international security field. Such information is crucial for governments, multinational organizations, civil society, and the private sector to identify the gaps that need to be addressed and steps that need to be taken for women to achieve equal opportunities for advancement. The Report Card on Women In International Security is a multi-part project that will examine the status of women in international security decision-making positions and the opportunities and challenges for increasing women’s leadership opportunities in various sectors.

First Study: Women in the U.S. Executive Branch

The first study in this project will examine women’s representation in international security positions in the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government. The study will present comprehensive data on women in senior decision-making positions, including available statistics and data gathered from numerous interviews and focus groups, and analyze career paths and experiences in this sector.

U.S. Agencies and Departments

Although a number of offices of the U.S. Government are engaged in national security and international affairs work, the WIIS Executive Branch study is focusing on women’s representation and career paths in the following key agencies and departments:

• U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development
• U.S. Department of Defense, primarily the Office of the Secretary of Defense
• National Security Council
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• U.S. Intelligence Agencies

Forthcoming Report and Activities

The report on women in the Executive Branch will be completed in fall 2009. The report will include key findings and policy recommendations. Throughout 2009-10, WIIS will continue to work in partnership with governmental and nongovernmental institutions to advocate for the implementation of its recommendations. WIIS will also continue to utilize its “Plum Book” of qualified candidates for positions in the Obama Administration to promote the consideration of talented members of its network for national security and foreign policy positions.

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