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.

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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 Pentagon Puzzle

Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project and a senior fellow in the International Security Program at CSIS, discussed the Pentagon’s organizational design.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — June 28, 2023

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

Academia vs. the Policy World

Dr. Heather Williams, director of the Project on Nuclear Issues and a senior fellow in the International Security Program at CSIS, joins to discuss leaving academia for policy.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — June 21, 2023

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

“Employee No.1” in Homeland Security

Ashley Davis, former Special Assistant to the Director of Homeland Security, discussed her experience in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, including her role in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — June 14, 2023

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
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