Women and Foreign Policy Program

The Women and Foreign Policy program is a major component of CFR's Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy initiative. The objective of the Women and Foreign Policy program is to bring the status of women firmly into the mainstream foreign policy debate. Thanks in part to its efforts, there is now broad understanding of the importance of women's empowerment to a host of development, health, security, and other global priorities.

The program's current areas of focus include:

  • Improving maternal health in Afghanistan.
  • U.S. leadership in international reproductive health and family planning.
  • The role of technology and private sector resources in empowering women economically.
  • Entrepreneurs and market linkages in conflict and post-conflict environments.

Please see below for relevant publications:

Entrepreneurship: One Answer to Poverty

Author: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Huffington Post

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon argues that with the help of the private and public sector, women entrepreneurs are helping to combat global poverty, but more work is needed to overcome the challenges of access to finance, access to markets, and access to skills-building and networks.

See more in Poverty, Women

Malala, Others on Front Lines in Fight for Women

Author: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
cnn.com

Despite the fact that Malala Yousafzai, the fourteen-year-old Pakistani women's rights activist, survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban, similar attacks against women, like the one in India, are on the rise. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon says that these attacks are efforts to stamp out women's progress and the potential of women worldwide will not be realized if this type of violence is tolerated.

See more in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Children, Women

What's At Stake for Afghan Women

Author: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
cnn.com

Women have made strides in Afghanistan since 2001, but huge issues still remain. While the United States focuses on withdrawal, Afghan women are still in the fight and will be long after 2014, says Gayle Tzemach Lemmon.

See more in Afghanistan, Women

Ensuring Opportunities for Women

Author: Isobel Coleman
United Nations Association of the United Kingdom

Women in the Arab world have certainly played a prominent role in their countries' transition, writes Isobel Coleman, but cannot take for granted that their activism will translate into political influence or legal gains in the emerging systems.

See more in North Africa, Middle East, Women

Celebrating the International Day of the Girl

Authors: Isobel Coleman and Freida Pinto
Huffington Post

Freida Pinto and Isobel Coleman say that efforts like International Day of the Girl have helped girls make significant progress in recent years, but more resources, leadership and long-term commitments are still needed to close persistent gender gaps and improve the rights and well-being of millions of girls around the world.

See more in Society and Culture, Women, Gender Issues