Press Briefing: Previewing the NATO Summit
June 20, 2025 • 10:00 – 11:00 am EDT
Video On Demand
U.S. Action for Women’s and Girls’ Health Security
October 31, 2019 • 9:15 am – 1:30 pm EDT
In today’s world of dramatically expanding disorder and crises, women and girls face critical health and safety risks. 34 million women and girls of reproductive age are estimated to be in emergency situations, often explicitly targeted with sexual violence as a weapon of war, and five million of these women are pregnant. Inadequate access to maternal health, family planning, and gender-based violence prevention and response services compounds the health and safety risks women and girls face in emergency settings. While the United States has made significant progress in responding to these challenges in recent years, gaps persist. Important existing U.S. government capacities are not integrated into coherent, prioritized interventions when crises arise. Expanded, strengthened capacities are urgently needed to address the distinct health and safety needs of women and girls in humanitarian and crisis settings.
On October 31st, 9:15 am to 1:30 pm, in the Hart Senate Office Building, the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security will host a conference on women’s and girls’ health security in disordered settings. This conference will examine how to address gender-based violence and how to ensure access to women’s and girls’ health services amid disorder. A new CSIS report analyzing these challenges and proposing concrete U.S. policy actions will be launched at the conference.
This event is made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
On October 31st, 9:15 am to 1:30 pm, in the Hart Senate Office Building, the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security will host a conference on women’s and girls’ health security in disordered settings. This conference will examine how to address gender-based violence and how to ensure access to women’s and girls’ health services amid disorder. A new CSIS report analyzing these challenges and proposing concrete U.S. policy actions will be launched at the conference.
FULL AGENDA:
BREAKFAST AND REGISTRATION – 8:45 AM
WELCOMING REMARKS – 9:15 AM
Julie L. Gerberding
Executive Vice President & Chief Patient Officer, Merck & Co., Inc., and Co-Chair of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
OPENING PLENARY – 9:25 AM
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
Member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
Member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
BREAK– 9:35 AM
PANEL I: WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO STOP GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE? – 9:40 AM
Lisa Carty
Director, Humanitarian Financing & Resource Mobilization Division, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Sheba Crocker
Vice President for Humanitarian Policy and Practice, CARE USA
Fatima Imam
Executive Director, Rehabilitation, Empowerment, and Better Health Initiative and Network of Civil Society Organizations, Borno State, Nigeria
Moderated by:
Janet Fleischman
Senior Associate, CSIS Global Health Policy Center
Director, Humanitarian Financing & Resource Mobilization Division, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Sheba Crocker
Vice President for Humanitarian Policy and Practice, CARE USA
Fatima Imam
Executive Director, Rehabilitation, Empowerment, and Better Health Initiative and Network of Civil Society Organizations, Borno State, Nigeria
Moderated by:
Janet Fleischman
Senior Associate, CSIS Global Health Policy Center
BREAK– 10:45 AM
PANEL II: HOW ARE WE TO EXPAND ACCESS TO WOMEN'S AND GIRLS' HEALTH SERVICES AMID DISORDER? – 10:50 AM
Lara Ho
Deputy Director, Health Unit, International Rescue Committee
Beth Schlachter
Executive Director, FP2020
Hannah Tappis
Senior Measurement, Evaluation and Learning Advisor, Jhpiego, and Associate Faculty, Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health
Moderated by:
Ambassador Karl Hofmann
President & CEO, Population Services International, and Member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
Deputy Director, Health Unit, International Rescue Committee
Beth Schlachter
Executive Director, FP2020
Hannah Tappis
Senior Measurement, Evaluation and Learning Advisor, Jhpiego, and Associate Faculty, Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health
Moderated by:
Ambassador Karl Hofmann
President & CEO, Population Services International, and Member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
Lunch Break – 11:55 AM
PANEL III: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONGRESS TO ADVANCE THIS AGENDA – 12:15 PM
Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA-7)
Member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
Congresswoman Susan Brooks (R-IN-5)
Member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
Moderated by:
J. Stephen Morrison
Senior Vice President and Director, CSIS Global Health Policy Center
Member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
Congresswoman Susan Brooks (R-IN-5)
Member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security
Moderated by:
J. Stephen Morrison
Senior Vice President and Director, CSIS Global Health Policy Center
CLOSING REMARKS – 1:20 PM
J. Stephen Morrison
Senior Vice President and Director, CSIS Global Health Policy Center
Senior Vice President and Director, CSIS Global Health Policy Center
This event is made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
