Bridging the Gap in Women's Health Research

Tuesday, Dec. 10 // 10–11:30 am (ET)

Women globally face barriers in the health care system stemming from a lack of research and education on women-specific conditions and how general conditions may affect women differently than men. Frequent reports of health care professionals dismissing women’s health concerns, discriminating on the basis of age, gender, or race, and ignoring women’s pain and discomfort exacerbate the existing gender biases in research and investments in women’s health. For example, women are seven times more likely than men to have a heart condition be misdiagnosed or be discharged during a heart attack.

On March 18, 2024, President Biden signed the Executive Order on Advancing Women’s Health Research and Innovation and called on Congress to invest $12 billion investment in women’ s health research. Globally, a recent publication from the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, highlighted the need to close the women’s health gap to realize a $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies. Such gaps are present both in sex-specific conditions such as endometriosis and menopause, and general health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and other non-communicable diseases.

Join the Wilson Center’s Maternal Health Initiative, in collaboration with EMD Serono, the healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, for a panel discussion on the need to increase research and education on women’s health. Panelists will highlight ongoing efforts to close the gap in women’s health research, which health conditions are receiving the most attention, which countries are spearheading innovation, and which conditions remain underfunded and neglected. The panelists will also discuss actionable strategies to improve women’s health globally.

STILL TO Come THIS WEEK

Vietnam's American War: A New History

Monday, Dec. 9 // 4–5:30 pm (ET)

The American war in Vietnam was so much more than the sum of its battles. To make sense of it, we must look beyond the conflict itself. We must understand its context and, above all, the formative experiences, worldview, and motivations of those who devised communist strategies and tactics. Vietnam's American War, now in its second edition, remains a story of how and why Hanoi won. However, this revised and expanded edition offers more extensive and nuanced insights into Southern Vietnamese history, politics, and society.

A Latin America Agenda for a New White House and Congress

Tuesday, Dec. 10 // 3–4:00 pm (ET)

As a new administration arrives in Washington and the 119th Congress begins, most foreign policy discussions are focused on Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The Western Hemisphere should also find a place on the agenda, and not only because of persistent challenges such as migration and illegal drugs. US neighbors are potential partners on a range of issues, from strengthening supply chains and mining minerals for new technologies to defending democracy and supporting Taiwan.

Bridging Digital and Democratic Spaces: Social Media’s Role in Electoral Engagement and Peacebuilding in Uganda

Wednesday, Dec. 11 // 12:30–2:00 pm (ET)

Join the Wilson Center for a public event on the role of social media in electoral engagement and peacebuilding in Uganda. Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding scholar Latifah Namutebi will lead a panel discussion unpacking the long-term consequences of Uganda’s increasingly online electorate and the role social media is playing in democratization in the country. Discussion will focus on the tradeoff between social media as an open platform and the ability of self-interested actors to censor and curate the content reaching users’ feeds.

Matter More: A Canadian Strategy for a Changing United States

Thursday, Dec. 12 // 10–11:00 am (ET)

Matter More offers a fresh perspective on the emerging challenges and opportunities Canada faces in an evolving geopolitical environment. The report’s authors call for a renewed, robust Canada-US partnership that would reinforce Canada's role both on the continent and in the global arena through a handful of high-impact sectoral initiatives that focus on economics and security. This panel will feature two of the report's authors in a moderated panel discussion on the future of Canada-US relations and outlook for policy action in the Arctic, critical minerals, energy and environment, and technology.

James H. Billington Lecture | Reading and Learning from Political Prisoners Today: Beyond the Dissidents

Thursday, Dec. 12 // 1–2:00 pm (ET)

In this presentation, Billington Fellow Anastasiya Osipova will discuss why a pre-Gulag tradition of writing about political imprisonment may be becoming increasingly relevant now in the context of the intensifying repressions. She will focus on the legacy of the publishing activity of the Society of Political Prisoners and Exiled Settlers (1921–1935) and the lessons that it carries for Eastern European political prisoners today.

North American Leadership Summit Energy and Innovation Working Group: Report Launch

Friday, Dec. 13 // 10–11:00 am (ET)

We welcome you to the launch of the final report of the NALS Energy and Innovation Working Group, entitled "Ensuring Energy Security, Maintaining Competitiveness and Expanding Innovation in North America." This report launch will feature a discussion of the report's key findings, informed by dialogue with our colleagues and North American energy experts throughout this year's workshop series.