Over the last decade, female participation in Afghanistan’s labor force has climbed steadily. Women-owned businesses in Afghanistan have created over 129,000 jobs, three-quarters of which are also held by women. However, this progress remains vulnerable—especially in the wake of the Taliban takeover.

SOURCE: "Women-Owned Businesses in Afghanistan Are in Jeopardy" by CSIS's Matthew Funaoile.

Past NATO enlargement helped create a Europe whole, free, and at peace, but future enlargement, should it occur, faces a hostile and militarily revitalized Russia. Although no membership enlargement is imminent, costs to the United States range from $11 billion per year to defend Ukraine to half a billion dollars or less to defend Sweden.

SOURCE: "Future NATO Enlargement: Force Requirements and Budget Costs" by CSIS's Mark Cancian.

The conventional view of Chinese foreign policy holds that Latin America is the least important region in its foreign policy hierarchy. However, in only three short years, 19 countries in the region have joined China's signature Belt and Road Initiative, with many more expected to do so in the coming years.

SOURCE: "Is Latin America Important to China’s Foreign Policy?" by CSIS's Ryan Berg and Thiago de Aragão.

According to USDA data, foreign investors owned at least 35.2 million acres of U.S. agricultural land in 2019—an area almost the size of Iowa. With an aging U.S. farmer population and not enough new farmers able to enter the industry, more land will inevitably be converted to other uses or sold to foreign and domestic investors unless policies are put in place to support the next generation of farmers.

SOURCE: "Foreign Purchases of U.S. Agricultural Land: Facts, Figures, and an Assessment of Real Threats" by CSIS's Caitlin Welsh and Jamie Lutz.