A New Threat to Women in Politics: Online Gender-Based Violence

Wednesday, March 27 // 10–11:00 am (ET)

In the last decade, women’s participation in public life has increased despite continued challenges to achieve gender parity. New technologies have transformed the way societies engage, creating opportunities to reach a greater number of people and increasing access to information. Unfortunately, the digital realm has become an increasingly violent space, especially for women, faced with the decision of having to choose between their professional aspirations and their personal security, especially in countries suffering from democratic backsliding, authoritarian regimes, and increased levels of insecurity.

In Arab States, nearly half of women internet users report feeling unsafe from online interactions. While in active conflict, technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV) is a rampant issue in Ukraine and Russia, where women activists are subject to online bullying and harassment. And in Latin America, one of the most violent regions in the world for women, female political candidates continue to be socially stigmatized.

In honor of International Women’s Month, please join the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, Latin America Program, and Middle East Program for a conversation with female public figures from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, to discuss how public female figures can be better protected against online attacks; the challenges they face as they become influential figures; and the role of the state in providing legal frameworks that support and protect them.

Still to Come this week

Nicaragua Must Survive: Sandinista Revolutionary Diplomacy in the Global Cold War

Monday, March 25 // 4–5:30 pm (ET)

Highlighting the importance of non-state actors in foreign relations, Eline van Ommen sheds light on the international and transnational dimensions of the Nicaraguan Revolution. The innovative revolutionary diplomacy of the Sandinistas, she argues, created an international environment that was beneficial to the Nicaraguan Revolution and challenged the United States’ role in Central America. The role of Western Europe was crucial in this regard, shifting the inter-American balance of power—at least for the time being—in the Nicaraguan revolutionaries’ favor.

A Free and Open Economic Order and Japan’s Vision for the Global South

Tuesday, March 26 // 9–10:00 am (ET)

Join us for a discussion on the role Japan can play in finding solutions to the most pressing concerns confronting the divergent economies of the Global South, and explore policies that Japan together with the United States and other advanced economies can pursue to support sustainable growth in emerging markets.

Book Launch: Battle of Powers

Tuesday, March 26 // 11:00 am–12:00 pm (ET)

In 2013, Brazil faced political and social upheaval, amid widescale public protests over economic challenges and startling revelations of corruption in the Operation Car Wash investigation. The crisis led to a presidential impeachment and the election of a far-right politician, Jair Bolsonaro, in 2018. In a new book, Battle of Powers, Oscar Vilhena Vieira examines the historical and institutional context of this tumultuous period in recent Brazilian history.

Ambiguous Inclusion: Transforming Migrants into Compatriots on Russia's Border with China

Wednesday, March 27 // 2–3:00 pm (ET)

In this talk, Title VIII Research Scholar Lauren Woodard presents findings from her draft book manuscript, Ambiguous Inclusion, about how migrants and officials negotiate Russia’s migration policies on its border with China, including Russia's Resettlement of Compatriots Program. Based on 13 months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Moscow and Vladivostok between 2015 and 2017, Woodard will show how debates about nationality, language, and culture reproduce and mask racial hierarchies despite Soviet era commitments to anti-colonialism and anti-racism.

Competition at Sea: Building Resilience in a Maritime Enterprise in Crisis

Thursday, March 28 // 1–2:00 pm (ET)

Please tune in for a thought-provoking panel discussion on the challenges confronting the United States in maritime resilience. Co-hosted by the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition (WISC) and the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, this event will explore critical issues in the maritime industry that affect the strategic interests of the United States. From assessing China's strengths to navigating domestic concerns like shipbuilding and workforce issues, as well as navigating the intricacies of ports and infrastructure, this event will provide a deep-dive into global competition across the maritime enterprise.