WIIS November Newsletter 

Announcements

WIIS Welcomes New Members to the Board of Directors

WIIS is delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to our Board of Directors: Marguerite Benson and Naureen Chowdhury Fink.

Marguerite Benson is a national security-focused analyst, consultant, and tech startup investor. She advises technology startups, investment groups, and corporate clients on geopolitical risk, strategy and analysis, and engagement with the US government. Marguerite is co-founder of an angel investment group composed of McKinsey & Company alumni and advisor to a data analytics startup and a new Venture Capital firm focused on innovation in support of U.S. national security.  Marguerite spent more than a decade in the U.S. federal government, primarily at the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense.

Naureen Chowdhury Fink is the Executive Director at the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT). Prior to this, she was the Executive Director at The Soufan Center, and before that, a senior policy adviser on counterterrorism and sanctions at the U.K. Mission to the United Nations, leading related negotiations in the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. She has previously worked at the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and UN Women. Before joining the United Nations, she was head of research and analysis for the Global Center on Cooperative Security, leading the multilateral security portfolio on the international response to terrorism and violent extremism, armed conflict, and political instability, and the role of international and regional actors.

WIIS Congratulates Dr. Diorella Islas on her Appointment as a WIIS Senior Fellow

Dr. Diorella Islas is a security and intelligence senior specialist, researcher, and lecturer. She has 15 years of experience working as a security analyst, operative in countering transnational organized crime, and intelligence project management. In the past, she worked as Deputy Director of Research at the Mexican Ministry of Security, as Director of Professionalization at the Graduate School of Intelligence, and as Adjunct Faculty in the Countering Transnational Organized Crime Course at the George C. Marshall European Center in Germany. Dr. Islas received her PhD from the University of Bath in 2020. Dr. Islas joined WIIS as a Fellow in December 2020. 

Publications

Gendered Implementation of the Global Fragility Act: A Case for Haiti

By Marvin Dee Mathelier and Tahina Montoya

Haiti is one of the priority partner countries the U.S. government has identified under the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability to help redefine how the United States can assist in preventing violence and advance stability in areas vulnerable to conflict. Marvin Dee Mathelier (Major and Civil Affairs Officer, United States Marine Corps Reserves) and Tahina Montoya (Special Advisor, Department of Veterans Affairs and Defense Fellow, WIIS) argue that Haiti’s implementation plan must integrate a gender perspective and knowledge of Haiti’s complex history and how it has contributed to the gendered dimensions of Haiti’s current violence. If implemented with and alongside Haitians, the strategy can provide a significant opportunity for change.

The Significance of United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1325 for the Role of Women in the Development of Peace and Security

By Aleksandra Gasztold

Aleksandra Gasztold (President, WIIS Poland) highlights the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. She discusses how the resolution represented a breakthrough in discussion about armed conflict and peace processes and how it laid the groundwork for  lasting peace around the world.

Events

WIIS Italy Attends Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Week

During WPS Week 2023, WIIS Italy was proud to host two side-events at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York. The first event, ‘From "Meaningful participation" to "Intentional Women-Led Mediation". Insights from Intersecting Crises’, was held in partnership with the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network (MWMN), the Pacific Women Mediators Network (PWMN), the Italian Permanent Mission to the UN and the Government of Tonga, focused on the vital role of Women Mediator Networks in addressing interconnected crises, including climate challenges and natural disasters.

The second event, “Afghan Women's Absence in the Taliban-controlled Political Arena and its Consequences” which was supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held within the framework of the Task Force of Afghan Women Leaders, an initiative of WIIS Italy. This event aimed to keep a spotlight on the situation of Afghan women. This multi-stakeholder debate focused on the consequences of women's absence in the Taliban-controlled political arena, reflecting on how the international community and the networks could keep Afghan women at the center of any diplomatic efforts and initiatives, empowering and protecting them.

WIIS Poland at the 2023 Warsaw Security Forum

On October 4, 2023, WIIS Poland, in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, the European Academy of Diplomacy, and the Casimir Pulaski Foundation brought together the brightest minds and special guests for a networking breakfast during the 10th Annual Warsaw Security Forum. They were joined by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Belarusian political activist), Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir (Minister of Finance & Economic Affairs, Iceland) and Kajsa Ollongren (Minister of Defense, The Netherlands) for an insightful discussion.

In the afternoon, WIIS Poland celebrated the closing of the transformative Young Female Leaders in STEM Mentoring Program. The participants received their well-deserved diplomas, marking the end of an amazing journey. The second edition of the WIIS Poland’s mentoring program will start in December 2023 and will have a broader focus on security. This program aims to provide female participants with the tools and network required to successfully navigate the world of international security and defense.

Women in Diplomacy: A Series of Conversations

During the 14th Festival of Diplomacy, Loredana Teodorescu (President, WIIS Italy) hosted a series of conversations with Ambassadors Elissa Golberg (Ambassador of Canada to Italy), Michèle Pranchère-Tomassini (Ambassador of Luxembourg to Italy), Monika Schmutz Kirgöz (Ambassador of Switzerland to Italy), Lendita Haxhitasim (Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to Italy), Chiara Porro (Ambassador of Australia to The Holy See), and Mira Daher (Ambassador of Lebanon to Italy).

During these conversations, the Ambassadors discussed the role and importance of female leadership in diplomacy,the meaning of a feminist foreign policy, and to share their own personal stories, from the beginnings of their careers to the messages they would like to convey to the new generations today. These interviews were conducted as part of a project presented by the Aspen Institute Italia and WIIS Italy.

Niravadhi Bhuvaneshwar:  Book Launch and Discussion

On October 23, 2023, WISCOMP (WIIS India) held a book launch and discussion on the works of the first absurdist playwright of Hindi literature, Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Shrivastava. His works challenged the mainstream representation of women in Hindi literature and his progressive writings on familial relations, women’s agency are now regarded as the earliest clarion call for feminism in Hindi literature. This event featured an eminent panel of speakers who shared their perspectives on the book and Bhuvaneshwar Prasad’s literary significance.

#NatSecGirlSquad | #NSGSCon 2024 Registration Discount

On January 8 and 9, 2024 #NatSecGirlSquad, a Project of Unicorn Strategies will host their Annual Meeting at The Conrad, Washington, DC. #NSGSCon attendees will network and explore creative methods of communication in national security. This event will feature multimedia and other ‘non-traditional’ creators that weave national security and defense into real life.
WIIS  Members can receive 15% off the registration price for #NatSecGirlSquad,’s #NSGSCon 2024. Login to your Member Portal to access WIIS' Discount & Offers to retrieve your registration discount code. 

Women Leaders: Short Cuts – Connecting the Global Dots

In WIIS Brussels November podcast, Ilana Bet-El (Advisory Board Member, WIIS Brussels) hosts Oksana Antonenko (Visiting Fellow, The Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies) for a lively discussion covering the latest moves of the US, the big picture on Russia’s posture and interests in the Israel-Hamas war, and the roles of Iran, China and the European Union the global disorder.

Opportunities 

The Catherine M. Kelleher Fellowship for International Security Studies

The Catherine M. Kelleher Fellowship for International Security Studies supports an exceptional graduate student pursuing their master’s or doctoral degree at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Professor Kelleher founded WIIS in 1987 and is also a founding faculty member of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, where she also founded the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM). Throughout her policy and academic careers, Professor Kelleher has been a champion for women in the field of international security policy. This fellowship is intended to ensure that future generations benefit from the kind of support that she has given to countless people in the field today. Catherine M. Kelleher passed away on February 15, 2023.

Saahas Awards: Celebrating Women’s Role in Nurturing Peace in South Asia

WISCOMP is now accepting applications and nominations for the Saahas Awards. This award celebrates the innovative initiatives of people and organizations working to strengthen women’s role in peace building in South Asia. Individuals who have been working with women in protracted conflicts in South Asia are invited to submit stories of how they spoke out, stepped forward, and took action. Women who are ‘change agents’ in areas that have witnessed protracted conflict, are especially encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted until November 30, 2023.