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.

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Featured Event

Featured Analysis

Photo: K. Kassens/U.S. Army via DVIDS

Photo: K. Kassens/U.S. Army via DVIDS

Women: Mission Essential Personnel

Women in the joint force are a decisive U.S. advantage. In a strategic environment wherein China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are learning from each other, the joint force needs every advantage it can get if the Trump administration intends to defend U.S. interests.

Commentary by Kathleen McInnis — November 18, 2024

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Countering China and Russia: The Hidden Advantages of Women, Peace, and Security

Gender perspectives can be better utilized to identify means to more effectively collaborate with partner nations and strengthen U.S. deterrence. This brief argues that the Women, Peace, and Security tool kit should be utilized as a strategic enabler for DoD activities.

Brief by Kathleen McInnis, Benjamin Jensen, Audrey Aldisert, and Alexis Day — November 14, 2024

Photo: CSIS

Photo: CSIS

What Difference Does It Make?

What does having women sitting at international affairs decisionmaking tables actually get us? This Smart Women, Smart Power report sheds light on the powerful contributions that women make in some of the most influential spaces in the world.

Report by Kathleen McInnis and Alexis Day — October 15, 2024

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

Why Dictators are Afraid of Girls

Rethinking Gender and National Security

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

See full article

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
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All Smart Women, Smart Power Content

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Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

The Will of Ukrainian Soldiers

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Colonel Sarah Heer, the special advisor to the Commander of the Canadian Army, and a Peace With Women Fellow, at the 2023 Halifax International Security Forum.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — January 17, 2024

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

The Digital Storm

Karen Courington, Vice President of Trust and Safety at Google, and Alexandra Veitch, the Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at YouTube, join for a conversation.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — January 10, 2024

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

Pentagon Perspectives: Managing from Within

Beth McGrath, Deloitte’s Global Industry Leader for Government and Public Services (GPS), joins for a conversation at the 2023 Halifax International Security Forum.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — January 3, 2024

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

Breaking the “Brass” Ceiling

Heidi Grant, Vice President of Global Growth and Engagement for Boeing Defense, Space, and Security, joins SWSP.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — December 14, 2023

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

Understanding the Woman Voter

Ashley O’Connor, Managing Partner at Strategic Partners & Media, joins for a conversation on the evolution of political campaigning and advertising.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — November 29, 2023

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

Climate Change: A Threat Multiplier

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Sherri Goodman, a former senior defense official, for a discussion on her early work in climate security, and how climate change is impacting the national security landscape.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — November 15, 2023

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

A Moldovan Minute

Natalia Gavrilița, former Prime Minister of Moldova (2021-2023), joins for a conversation on her leadership of Moldova during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and more. 

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — November 7, 2023

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

Your Reputation Precedes You

Host Kathleen McInnis sat down with Mackenzie Eaglen, Senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), for a thoughtful conversation on the power of your reputation and credibility in Washington, DC.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — November 1, 2023

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

Let's Talk About Gender

Susan Markham, Director of the Peace With Women Fellowship program joins Kathleen at the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) for a conversation about the role of gender in foreign policy, including her experience implementing gender policy at USAID.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — October 25, 2023

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

Purpose and Care within the U.S. Army Reserve

Kathleen McInnis sat down with Lt. Gen. Jody J. Daniels, Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — October 18, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power