Advancing the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy in 2020

Event Summary

On Thursday, June 11, AEI’s Mackenzie Eaglen hosted a panel of experts to discuss the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Strategy of 2019 on the same day that the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) released their plans to implement the strategy.

Amb. Kelley E. Currie from the State Department shared that she was pleased with the strategic imperatives of the implementation plans and their concrete and actionable elements. Stephanie Hammond said that the Department of Defense intends to raise awareness about WPS objectives in the US military. Ms. Eaglen reiterated the importance of discussing diversity and inclusion at a national level, and Cameron Quinn from the Department of Homeland Security agreed that the number of women in the national law enforcement ecosystem needed to increase. Julie Cram discussed USAID’s experience developing strong metrics to track the success of the WPS initiatives, using a case study from USAID’s efforts in Nigeria as a unique case study. The audience’s questions considered how the goals of the WPS agenda could be incorporated in US relationships with foreign partners around the world.

— Hallie Coyne

Event Materials

Event Transcript

Event Description

In 2017, the United States passed the Women, Peace, and Security Act to advance the position of women as agents of change in conflict and developing nations. After the US government released a strategy to implement this law in 2019, several federal agencies — including the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Agency for International Development — began to coordinate and develop plans to execute the strategy. As departments prepare to reveal their plans this summer, many questions remain. What will these plans achieve? How will we measure success? How will new initiatives be funded? And, most importantly, what will change?

Mackenzie Eaglen will host a panel of experts to address these questions and discuss how various federal departments crafted their plans to advance the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy.

Agenda

1:00 PM
Opening remarks:
Mackenzie Eaglen, AEI

1:05 PM
Panelists’ opening remarks

Panelists:
Julie Cram, US Agency for International Development
Kelley E. Currie, Office of Global Women’s Issues, US Department of State
Stephanie Hammond, US Department of Defense
Cameron Quinn, US Department of Homeland Security

Moderator:
Mackenzie Eaglen, AEI

1:25 PM
Panel discussion

1:45 PM
Q&A

2:00 PM
Adjournment

Related Materials

Departmental Implementation Plans for the Women, Peace and Security Strategy
US Department of State | June 11, 2020

Statement From Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman on the Release of the Women, Peace, and Security Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan
US Department of Defense | June 11, 2020

Esper is attempting the biggest defense reform in a generation
Mackenzie Eaglen | Defense One | January 15, 2020

Restoring civil-military relations: A conversation with the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee
Mackenzie Eaglen | AEI | December 5, 2019

The need for DoD gender parity
Mackenzie Eaglen | RealClearDefense | October 9, 2019

Contact Information

Event: Hallie Coyne | [email protected] | 720.548.0555
Media: [email protected] | 202.862.5829