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:
Please see below for relevant publications:
Isobel Coleman says "virginity tests" performed on women protesters in Egypt are a new twist in the longstanding mistreatment of Egyptian women by military and civilian men.
See more in Egypt, Democracy and Human Rights, Human Rights, Political Movements, Women
This roundtable looked at successful and sustainable agricultural innovations used to enhance productivity and women's income-generating abilities in the developing world.
See more in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Economic Development, Women
Joshua Kurlantzick reviews Mara Hvistendahl's Unnatural Selection.
See more in China, India, Society and Culture, Population
Experience has shown that community-based interventions not only reduce maternal mortality in Afghanistan, but also complement broader efforts to achieve stability and development in this war-torn country. Denise Byrd, an expert in maternal and child health, reproductive health, and family planning, described the challenges faced by maternal health providers in Afghanistan and discussed several successful intervention programs.
See more in Afghanistan, Women
This session was part of the Maternal Health in Afghanistan and Pakistan roundtable series.
See more in Afghanistan, Health and Disease, Women
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon says all eyes are on General Petraeus when it comes to translating what the news of Osama bin Laden's death means for Afghanistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, Terrorism
This meeting was part of the ExxonMobil Women and Development roundtable series, organized by CFR's Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative.
See more in Economic Development, Women
CFR's Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy and Director of the Women and Foreign Policy Program sits down with Anne-Marie Slaughter, Former Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Deparment, to discuss the State Department's approach to alleviating poverty and empowering women in the developing world.
See more in Women
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon examines what Osama bin Laden's death means for America's longest-ever war.
See more in United States, Afghanistan, Terrorism
A group of experts discuss the impact of family planning policies on U.S. Foreign Policy.
This session is part of the Family Planning and U.S. Foreign Policy Project.
See more in Women, U.S. Strategy and Politics
The United States should see family planning as a foreign policy priority that leads to healthier and more prosperous societies, and should increase funding, resources and support for those countries with the highest unmet need, argues CFR's Isobel Coleman.
See more in United States, Nation Building, Health, Science, and Technology, Global Health, Children, Women
CFR fellows Isobel Coleman and Gayle Lemmon convincingly argue that investment in voluntary international family planning is one of the most cost-effective ways to strengthen critical U.S. foreign policy objectives, including improving global health, promoting economic development, stabilizing fragile states, and encouraging environmental sustainability.
See more in Women, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Experts discuss the impact of family planning initiatives on U.S. foreign policy.
This session is part of the Family Planning and U.S. Foreign Policy Project.
See more in Women, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Family planning and reproductive health programs improve public health, foster stability, and enhance efforts to maximize economic growth. Consequently, investments in reproductive health and family planning are necessary for the success of U.S. foreign policy goals in high population growth countries, such as Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
See more in Women, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Current global population growth rates and consumption patterns are not environmentally sustainable because rapid population growth strains resources and contributes to environmental degradation. Integrated population and environment approaches allow governments to effectively address these at both a macro and micro level.
See more in Women, U.S. Strategy and Politics
U.S. foreign aid will be more effective if increased investments are made in high population-growth countries for reproductive health and family planning programs. These programs are cost-effective because they help reduce the stress that rapid population growth places on a country's economic, environmental, and social resources.
See more in Women, U.S. Strategy and Politics
One of the greatest challenges facing some of the poorest developing countries is the urgent need for comprehensive, integrated reproductive health services, including family planning. If unanswered, this challenge will jeopardize poverty reduction measures taken by governments, civil society, and aid-based organizations and threaten their long-term economic growth prospects.
See more in Women, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon says controversy surrounding Greg Mortenson, the builder of of girls schools in Afghanistan, threatens to overshadow and even discredit the heroines at the heart of his work.
See more in Afghanistan, Education, Women
Alyse Nelson, Co-Founder and CEO of Vital Voices, discusses the organization's work to empower women around the world with Isobel Coleman, Director of CFR's Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative.
See more in Africa, Democratization, Women
Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women and former president of Chile, discusses the empowerment of women around the world with CFR's Director of Studies, James Lindsay. Bachelet emphasizes the importance of contextualizing the support provided in each country, and the need to combine both top-down and bottom-up approaches.
See more in Minorities, Diversity and Foreign Policy, UN, Women, Gender Issues
For more on what the United States and others can do to foster open, prosperous, and stable societies, visit CSM&D.
