Women and National Security

For this episode of Hidden Figures: of Women, by Women, for Women", we interviewed Valerie Hudson, a foreign policy expert and professor.  This episode was inspired by a speech given by Hillary Clinton in 2010 where she talks about how securing women's rights and empowering women should be considered an issue of national security. Since then, it has been generally acknowledged that there is a significant correlation between nations that fail to protect the physical security and rights of women and the nations most at risk for conflict and perpetuating crimes against humanity. This view now known as the Hillary Doctrine has been influential in shaping American foreign policy. As such, we want to talk about why empowering women worldwide should be a cornerstone of the US national security agenda. Below are some of the resources that we used to make the podcast and some books that you might be interested in reading~ "Sex and World Peace" by Valerie Hudson "The First Political Order How Sex Shapes Governance and National Security Worldwide" by Valerie Hudson, Donna Lee Bowen, and Lynne Nielsen "The Hillary Doctrine: Sex and American Foreign Policy" by Patricia Leidl and Valerie Hudson "Bare Branches by Valerie Hudson"

For this episode of Hidden Figures: of Women, by Women, for Women", we interviewed Seema Nanda, former CEO of the Democratic National Committee.  This podcast focusing on the role of women in politics is inspired by the current election cycle with Senator Kamala Harris as the Vice President to Joe Biden on the DNC’s ticket. In the 2016 election cycle former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was unsuccessful, but this year’s election might be different. That being said, we also want to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage by examining the distance women have traveled in politics while still addressing some of the persistent issues. Below are some of the resources that we used to make the podcast and some books that you might be interested in reading~ "DNC Announces Seema Nanda as CEO" (https://democrats.org/news/dnc-announces-seema-nanda-as-ceo/) "Party Platform" (https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/)

For this episode of "Hidden Figures: of Women, by Women, for Women", we interviewed Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State. This episode focusing on the role of women in politic was inspired by the 2016 election with Hillary Clinton as the candidate for a major party, former UN Ambassador Samantha Power’s recent visit to our college’s Athenaeum, and more recently, Kamala Harris as the first woman of color to be Vice President of the DNC’s main ticket. Specifically, we noticed the misogyny that Hillary Clinton faced throughout her campaign in 2016, a significant year when we really began to be socialized in politics. This highlights an even bigger trend of the impact of sexism in democracy and why women are still globally underrepresented in politics. As such, in today’s episode, we want to address the current way people view women in politics, and the role women play in this critical aspect of International Relations. Below are some of the resources that we used to make the podcast and some books that you might be interested in reading~ "No Higher Honour" by Condoleezza Rice "Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom" by Condoleezza Rice "Extraordinary, Ordinary People" by Condoleezza Rice "Condoleezza Rice:  A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me" by Condoleezza Rice "To Build a Better World: Choices to End the Cold War and Create a Global Commonwealth" by Condoleezza Rice

For this episode of Hidden Figures: of Women, by Women, for Women", we interviewed Gina Bennett, a senior analyst on counterterrorism for the CIA. This week’s podcast focusing on the role of women in national security efforts is inspired by our acknowledgment that our life span of fewer than twenty years is often thought of as living in a “post 9/11” world.  Every year since September 11, 2001, the way that Americans perceive national security has never been the same. National polls have shown that about 75 percent of Americans believe that strengthening national security against terrorism should be a top priority of the White House. National security threats and current events consistently make the front pages of newspapers with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in response to 9/11, headlines about the shooting of  Osama bin Laden, the founder of the pan-Islamic militant organization al-Qaeda, and controversial debates about Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing on the National Security Agencies’ surveillance… just to name a few. As such, in today’s episode, we want to address the current national security threats facing the US, and the role women play in this critical aspect of International Relations. Below are some of the resources that we used to make the podcast and some books that you might be interested in reading~ "National Security Mom: Why "going Soft" Will Make America Strong" by Gina Bennett "America Needs A Time-Out: National Security Mom 2" by Gina Bennett "How Kids Can Be Good Citizens" by Gina Bennett