Smart Women, Smart Power

SWSP is creating space for women in one of the most powerful decision-making spaces in the world: national security and foreign affairs

The Smart Women, Smart Power (SWSP) Initiative has a simple starting point: people are policy. We are committed to creating a platform for respectful and inclusive discussion of the many ways in which women influence and impact the international security, foreign policy and business agendas. The Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative launched in December 2014.

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Featured Event

Featured Analysis

Photo: K. Kassens/U.S. Army via DVIDS

Photo: K. Kassens/U.S. Army via DVIDS

Women: Mission Essential Personnel

Women in the joint force are a decisive U.S. advantage. In a strategic environment wherein China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are learning from each other, the joint force needs every advantage it can get if the Trump administration intends to defend U.S. interests.

Commentary by Kathleen McInnis — November 18, 2024

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Countering China and Russia: The Hidden Advantages of Women, Peace, and Security

Gender perspectives can be better utilized to identify means to more effectively collaborate with partner nations and strengthen U.S. deterrence. This brief argues that the Women, Peace, and Security tool kit should be utilized as a strategic enabler for DoD activities.

Brief by Kathleen McInnis, Benjamin Jensen, Audrey Aldisert, and Alexis Day — November 14, 2024

Photo: CSIS

Photo: CSIS

What Difference Does It Make?

What does having women sitting at international affairs decisionmaking tables actually get us? This Smart Women, Smart Power report sheds light on the powerful contributions that women make in some of the most influential spaces in the world.

Report by Kathleen McInnis and Alexis Day — October 15, 2024

Photo: Paval Hadzinski/Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed)

Why Dictators are Afraid of Girls

Rethinking Gender and National Security

Gender plays a powerful role in the construction and promulgation of power and identity that is particularly meaningful in authoritarian regimes.

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Featured Podcasts

Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Beating Putin’s Playbook

Marie-Doha Besancenot, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO, joins to discuss the different ways NATO is prioritizing this space.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — July 12, 2024

See all podcast episodes by the SWSP Podcast

Featured Events

Photo: Rafael Henrique via Adobe Stock

Photo: Rafael Henrique via Adobe Stock

The Future of NATO is Female

July 10, 2024 • 10:00 – 10:30 am EDT
Hosted by Smart Women, Smart Power
Photo: JACK TAYLOR/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: JACK TAYLOR/AFP/Getty Images

Lessons from Myanmar

May 1, 2024 • 10:00 – 10:30 am EDT
Hosted by Smart Women, Smart Power
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All Smart Women, Smart Power Content

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Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

A Fresh Perspective on National Security Policy

Dr. Kathleen McInnis joins Nina Easton to discuss leading SWSP and shaping research on U.S. security challenges.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — October 24, 2025

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Inside the CIA: Confronting China’s Digital Strategy

On this episode, Host Kathleen McInnis digs into the “why” of this story and dives in deeper on Jennifer’s career in the CIA and State Department. 

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — August 27, 2025

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

An Icelandic Perspective Inside NATO

Iceland has no standing military—so how did Brynja Huld Óskarsdóttir, an Icelandic civilian, find herself working for NATO in Afghanistan and now holding a key role at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly?.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — June 25, 2025

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Inside Modern Defense Tech

Erin Biggers on scaling Vannevar Labs' mission to equip U.S. public servants with cutting-edge defense technology.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — June 11, 2025

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Putin's Next Soldiers: Ukrainian Children

Host Kathleen McInnis speaks with Nobel Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk on Russian war crimes against Ukrainian children.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — May 29, 2025

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power
Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast

Why We Need Women in Special Forces

Jessica Yahn, executive producer and U.S. Special Operations veteran, joins for a conversation about the human-experience surrounding conflict.

Podcast Episode by Kathleen McInnis — May 14, 2025

CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power

Trust the Work, Trust Yourself

Dr. Kathleen McInnis sits down with Gargee Ghosh, President of Global Policy & Advocacy at the Gates Foundation, for a conversation about her impactful career and her work driving progress in international development.

Event — April 30, 2025