Smart Women, Smart Power

SWSP is creating space for women in one of the most powerful decision-making spaces in the world: national security and foreign affairs

The Smart Women, Smart Power (SWSP) Initiative has a simple starting point: people are policy. We are committed to creating a platform for respectful and inclusive discussion of the many ways in which women influence and impact the international security, foreign policy and business agendas. The Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative launched in December 2014.

Contact Information

  • Alexis Day
  • Program Manager and Research Associate, Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative and Outreach Manager, International Security Program.
  • aday@csis.org

Featured Event

Live in 2 days
Webcast

Smart Women, Smart Power @ 10

Presented by Smart Women, Smart Power
October 15, 2024 • 3:00 – 5:15 pm EDT

Featured Podcasts

Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Beating Putin’s Playbook

Marie-Doha Besancenot, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO, joins to discuss the different ways NATO is prioritizing this space.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — July 12, 2024

See all podcast episodes by the SWSP Podcast

Featured Events

Photo: Rafael Henrique via Adobe Stock

Photo: Rafael Henrique via Adobe Stock

The Future of NATO is Female

July 10, 2024 • 10:00 – 10:30 am EDT
Video On Demand
Hosted by Smart Women, Smart Power
Photo: JACK TAYLOR/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: JACK TAYLOR/AFP/Getty Images

Lessons from Myanmar

May 1, 2024 • 10:00 – 10:30 am EDT
Video On Demand
Hosted by Smart Women, Smart Power
See all events by Smart Women, Smart Power

Featured Analysis

Photo: Paval Hadzinski/Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed)

Why Dictators are Afraid of Girls

Gender plays a powerful role in the construction and promulgation of power and identity that is particularly meaningful in authoritarian regimes.

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Photo: Jeremy/Adobe Stock

The Overturn of Roe v. Wade Raises Fundamental Questions

The overturn of Roe v. Wade will likely have significant implications for the composition, organization, and management of the U.S. armed forces—raising a number of practical questions for the U.S. military, many of which do not yet have answers.

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All Smart Women, Smart Power Content

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Secrets and Sacrifices: CIA, Benghazi, and Motherhood

The Honorable Sue Gordon joins CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power for a conversation on her career in the CIA, including her time in the CIA during the 2012 Benghazi attacks, all while balancing it all as a mother of two.

Event — August 21, 2024

Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Secrets and Sacrifices: CIA, Benghazi, and Motherhood

Sue Gordon, a 25-year CIA veteran, joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis and Lauren Bedula to discuss balancing her career and motherhood, as well as her experience during the 2012 Benghazi attacks, where she realized the changing nature of secrecy.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — August 21, 2024

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power

What Does Infant Formula Have to do with National Security?

Laura Modi, co-founder/CEO of Bobbie, joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis and Lauren Bedula for a discussion on how her company was defined during a national infant formula shortage, including how symbolic it is to everything broken in our society for parents.

Event — July 24, 2024

Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

What Does Infant Formula Have to do with National Security?

Laura Modi, founder of the first U.S. based manufactured organic formula company, joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis and Lauren Bedula, the Managing Director at Beacon Global Strategies, for a discussion on how her company was defined during a national infant formula shortage.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — July 24, 2024

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Audio Briefs

Advancing Women, Peace, and Security through Security Cooperation in NATO

An audio version of “Advancing Women, Peace, and Security through Security Cooperation in NATO,” a new commentary by Courtney Clarksen, Tyler McAnally, and CSIS's Kathleen McInnis. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Courtney Clarksen, Tyler McAnally, and Kathleen McInnis — July 19, 2024

Audio Briefs
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Beating Putin’s Playbook

Marie-Doha Besancenot, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO, joins to discuss the different ways NATO is prioritizing this space.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — July 12, 2024

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power

Advancing Women, Peace, and Security through Security Cooperation in NATO

In the future, NATO may advance its women, peace, and security agenda by mandating gender considerations in security cooperation, encouraging female participation in capacity-building activities, and ensuring operational effectiveness and resilience across the alliance.

Commentary by Courtney Clarksen, Tyler McAnally, and Kathleen McInnis — July 12, 2024

The Future of NATO is Female

Irene Fellin, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis to discuss what’s on her mind as NATO celebrates its 75th year and heads in to the Washington Summit.

Event — July 10, 2024

Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

The Future of NATO is Female

Irene Fellin, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis, Senior Fellow, International Security Program and Director, Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative, to discuss what’s on her mind as NATO celebrates its 75th year and heads into the Washington Summit.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — July 10, 2024

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power

The Role of UNICEF USA in the World

Michele Walsh, Executive Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer, at UNICEF USA, joins Smart Women, Smart Power to discuss her role at UNICEF USA.

Event — June 26, 2024