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 1 day
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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Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

How to Strike a Deal

Judith Batty, former Senior Counsel at ExxonMobil and interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, discusses her dynamic career.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — June 7, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power

POSTPONED: Navigating the Maritime Domain: A Conversation with Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Vice Chief of Naval Operations of the U.S. Navy

On Monday, June 5, 2023, Smart Women, Smart Power will host Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Vice Chief of Naval Operations of the U.S. Navy, for a virtual discussion on the U.S. Navy’s priorities as it upholds the international rules-based order and protects U.S. interests across the maritime domain, including in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.

Event — June 5, 2023

Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

The Hollywood Episode

Writer and producer, Chris Levinson, joins SWSP to discuss the relationship between Hollywood and Washington D.C.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — May 31, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Why Male Allies Matter

SWSP is joined by its first-ever male guest, Don Steinberg, to discuss his role as an ally for women in a multitude of spaces. 

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — May 24, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Crunching the Numbers: Mathematician to CEO

Mollie Breen, CEO and Co-Founder of Perygee, discusses how her STEM background influences her leadership style.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — May 17, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Mental Resilience: Deploying Tech for Navy SEALS

Shannon Clark joins SWSP to discuss her role in deploying technology for mental resilience in U.S. Navy SEALS.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — May 10, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

The Establishment of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council

Kathleen McInnis sat down with Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, the former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, at the Reagan National Defense Forum.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — May 3, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

On the Ground in Iraq

Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Principal to Principal joins us to discuss her time working in Iraq in 2003 & 2004. 

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — April 26, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

A Practical Approach to Migration

Amy E. Pope, U.S. Candidate for Director General at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) joins us for a conversation on her approach to migration.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — April 19, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

The Only Woman on the Abraham Accords Team

On this episode, host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Morgan Ortagus who walked us through her role in the historic Abraham Accords, and more!

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — April 12, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power