Events & Outreach 

Symposium Highlights

Participants reflected on historical examples where the exclusion of Women, Peace, and Security perspectives from decision-making led to destabilizing outcomes, while also engaging in forward-looking discussions to identify strategies that will sustain and strengthen the WPS agenda in challenging times.

Key Voices & Perspectives

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, widely recognized as the “Father of UNSCR 1325,” reflected on the resolution’s 25th anniversary by situating it within both its historical significance and today’s evolving security challenges. Drawing on his experience as President of the UN Security Council at the time of its adoption, he emphasized that UNSCR 1325 fundamentally reshaped how peace and security are understood by centering women’s participation as a core component of durable peace. While acknowledging important progress, he cautioned that implementation has often remained symbolic or uneven. He urged a shift from commitments on paper to sustained practice, stressing that meaningful progress depends on localized implementation and the inclusion of women at the community level. His remarks challenged policymakers and practitioners to treat Women, Peace, and Security as an essential framework for effective security policy rather than an aspirational add-on.

A taped message from Ambassador Swanee Hunt was played, in which Hunt articulated the lessons she had learned about the importance of WPS in her experience as a US ambassador, as one of the founders of Vital Voices, and as a professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Delia Cheney and Chelsey Goines (Bush School) presented the final S/GWI capstone project, which was a 25 year overview on WPS, with a specific focus on the United States. They presented an overview on WPS globally, examining trends with National Action Plans on Women, Peace, and Security. Cheney and Goines then presented a history of US WPS involvement, examining National Action Plans, agency implementation plans, and reports pursuant to the WPS Act of 2017. They call for a renewed push for the examination of human security issues within the national security establishment.

Kayla McGill (Bush School Alumna, former S/GWI senior advisor) brought a practitioner’s perspective from her work on Women, Peace, and Security within the U.S. Department of State, as she was formerly a senior advisor at the State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues before that office was terminated on 2 June 2025.. Drawing on her experience navigating policy processes, she addressed the divide between peacebuilding and security communities. McGill argued that integrating a gender perspective is not simply a normative goal but a practical and evidence based approach that improves policy effectiveness. She decried the bureaucratization of WPS, which she feels led to WPS failing in its potential to be transformative. WPS needs partners more than allies at this point, and she exhorted for a new push on educating those in disparate fields to understand how WPS could be of use to their efforts.  In a sense, WPS must succeed without funding. McGill also advocated for a better emphasis on the prevention pillar of 1325 as we move forward.   WPS represents hope, and we must rekindle it.

Tanya Henderson (Mina’s List) focused on the untold story of how Afghan women were abandoned by Americans. Starting with the exclusion of women in the lead-up to the negotiations with the Taliban on US withdrawal under the Trump administration, and extending to the cancellation of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in spring 2021 where women were to have their voices heard, the USA abrogated all of its WPS commitments. Furthermore, as the withdrawal date approached, there was no US government plan in place to protect or evacuate female politicians and civil society leaders from Afghanistan, which prioritized Afghan men who had worked with the Department of Defense.  In the wake of catastrophic US government failure, the White Scarves coalition formed, of women both within and without the US government, both American and non-American, to try and evacuate as many such women as possible. Mina’s List played a key role in this undertaking. “The US withdrew its moral support of WPS at the very moment it was most needed. . . . The WPS agenda was never meant to only inspire; it was meant to obligate.” That it did not do so is something with which those wishing to see WPS continue must wrestle.

Dr. Saira Yamin is the Swanee Hunt Chair of WPS at the Naval War College. She provided a global outlook on the current precarious environment, ultimately placing her hope in the next generation of leaders to claim their power and drive real change.  She points out, for example, that the children born after 1998 in Northern Ireland are called “peace babies” because they were the first generation to be born into peace. Dr. Yamin pointed out that women are disproportionately affected, not only in war time, but also in peace time, pointing to the situation of girls such as Malala Yousafzai. Yamin also noted that in the negotiations to end the Mindanao insurgency in the Philippines, the government negotiators were female, and this prompted the insurgents to add women to their negotiating team.  This built trust.  Building peace is harder than waging war, and women have important skills to contribute.

A spirited panel discussion, followed by brief remarks by Dr. Valerie Hudson (Bush School), wound up the symposium.

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Symposium Videos

• • VIDEO: 2025 Introduction and Ambassador Chowdhury
  • VIDEO: 2025 Delia Cheney and Chelsey Goines
  • VIDEO: 2025 Kayla McGill
  • VIDEO: 2025 Tanya Henderson
  • VIDEO: 2025 Saira Yamin
  • VIDEO: 2025 Panel and Conclusion – Featuring appearance from Ambassador Swanee Hunt

Symposium Highlights

On Friday, Nov. 15, the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University hosted the 10th annual Texas Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Symposium. Sponsored by the Bush School’s Women, Peace and Security program, this year’s event was titled “National Security and Homeland Security: The Contribution of Women, Peace and Security.” The event focused on the various ways a WPS policy framework is applied to national and homeland security efforts. Speakers included representatives from NORAD, NORTHCOM, CYBERCOM, the United States Air Force Academy, the Irregular Warfare Center, and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Women, Peace and Security evolved from United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, adopted in October 2000, which addresses the impacts of war on women and the pivotal role women play in conflict prevention, conflict management, and sustainable peace efforts. WPS promotes a gendered perspective and women’s equal participation in peace processes, peacebuilding, and security. It also highlights the ways war impacts women and the importance of protecting women’s rights.

“Applying a gendered lens allows us to see how men and women are affected differently by crises,” said Dr. Sumin Lee, assistant professor in the Department of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University. This perspective is vital to creating effective and comprehensive security strategies.

Dr. C. Silva Hamie, a professor at the Bush School, emphasized, “Women usually bear the burden of disaster-related impacts, from sexual violence to caregiving roles. This leads women to become negligent of their own healing and recovery.” Her statement underscores the importance of considering gender-specific impacts in security and disaster response policies.

“Nations can’t achieve national security without considering what’s happening with half of their population,” said Valerie M. Hudson, Ph.D, University Distinguished Professor and George H.W. Bush Chair, Professor of International Affairs, Texas A&M, and director of the WPS program, who was the keynote speaker for the event. “What we have found in our research is that the worse the situation is for women, the worse the national profile—whether defined in terms of conflict, government corruption, economic prosperity, or environmental preservation. All of these factors are linked to the status of women.”

The symposium reinforced the necessity of integrating WPS principles into security policies and practices to enhance the effectiveness of national and homeland security efforts. By fostering dialogue and collaboration among military and security professionals, the event highlighted the path forward for embedding WPS policies into broader security strategies, advancing global peace and security.

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Symposium Videos

• VIDEO: 2024 Introduction
• VIDEO: 2024 First Panel
• VIDEO: 2024 Second Panel
• VIDEO: 2024 Major Leaton
• VIDEO: 2024 Karen Pound
• VIDEO: 2024 Dr. Valerie Hudson

Symposium Highlights

Organized by Bush School’s distinguished professor, Dr. Valerie Hudson, the symposium sheds light on global issues impacting the lives of women. Dr. Hudson welcomed Acting Dean of the Bush School, Dr. Frank B. Ashley III. Other distinguished guests included Dr. Elise Stephenson, Deputy Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at the Australian National University. Dr. Stephenson was followed by Dr. Melissa Johnston of the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland.

Dr. Sumin Lee and Sami Jabarkhail were keynote speakers for the day-long symposium. Dr. Sumin Lee is an ACES Assistant Professor in the Department of International Affairs at the Bush School. Dr. Lee discussed “Impunity for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in East and Southeast Asia.”

Dr. Lee, Sami Jabarkhail, a doctoral candidate at the School of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University, presented “The Law of Culture: Understanding the Gender Role in Afghanistan.”

Katrina Mulherin, a second-year Master of International Affairs student organizer, stated, “Overall, we had a great event and were very pleased with the turnout and engagement of students, faculty, and members of the general public.”

The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Hudson, who brought the symposium to a close.

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Symposium Videos

• VIDEO: 2023 Introduction with Dr. Stephenson
• VIDEO: 2023 Dr. Lee
• VIDEO: 2023 Dr. Johnston
• VIDEO: 2023 Sami Jabarkhail
• VIDEO: 2023 Conclusion

Symposium Highlights

The Bush School’s Dr. Valerie Hudson welcomed guests to kick-off the event and was followed by Dr. Jennifer Sciubba, Associate Professor at Rhodes College and author of 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World. The Honorable Andras Doncsev, Consul and Trade Counselor of Hungary in Houston, followed Dr. Sciubba.

The first of two keynote speakers followed Doncsev – Dr. Nancy Folbre, Professor Emerita of Economics and Director of the Program on Gender and Care Work at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Senior Fellow of the Levy Economics Institute at Bard College in the United States.

After a one-hour lunch break, a Virtual Washington, DC Panel discussed “Recognizing Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan.” The panelists included Metra Mehran, human rights activist and Fellow at NYU School of Professional Studies; Karima Bennoune, Professor of Law at the UC Davis School of Law and previous UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; and Zubaida Akbar, women’s rights and civil society activist.

Ann Crittendon, author of The Price of Motherhood, and If You’ve Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything, followed serving as the second keynote speaker of the day.

Following a short break, Dr. Theresa Morris, Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M and Coordinator of the Women and Gender Studies Program, spoke followed by an all Texas-based panel discussion and closing remarks by Dr. Hudson.

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Symposium Videos

• VIDEO: 2022 WPS Introduction with Dean Welsh and Dr. Valerie Hudson
• VIDEO: Dr. Jennifer Sciubba
• VIDEO: The Honorable Andras Doncsev
• VIDEO: Dr. Nancy Folbre
• VIDEO: DC Virtual Panel
• VIDEO: Ann Crittendon
• VIDEO: Dr. Theresa Morris
• VIDEO: In-person Panel Discussion
• VIDEO: Conclusion with Dr. Valerie Hudson

Symposium Highlights

The event brought together a powerful set of speakers who focused on the meaning of the Kabul fiasco for those who have worked to improve the situation of Afghan women and for the larger endeavor of Women, Peace, and Security.

During the event, we heard from keynote speakers Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ambassador Adela Raz, Ambassador Rahmani, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Ret. Colonel Cornelia Weiss, Dr. Sima Samar, Metra Mehran, and the Bush School’s Dr. Valerie Hudson. All of these speakers provided their insight on the integral value of women and girls to strong, stable, peaceful societies—and why this matters here at home. The symposium highlighted important perspectives and created awareness within Texas and the nation on these issues.

On behalf of the WPS concentration and the Bush School, we would like to thank everyone who participated, and we look forward to our next symposium in the fall of 2022.

Full video of the event

Symposium Highlights

The event brought together various academics, practitioners, military experts, and politicians to discuss the progress that has been made in the past twenty years by UNSCR 1325 and the implications that its continued usage has for the future.

During the event, we heard from keynote speakers Ambassadors Anwarul Chowdhury, Kelley Currie, and Roya Rahmani, along with Dr. James Minnich and Dr. Jeannette Haynie. All of these speakers provided their insight on the progression of UNSCR 1325 and its applicability in military and political settings, both domestically and abroad. The discussion was engaging and informative.

On behalf of the WPS concentration and the Bush School, we would like to thank everyone who participated, and we look forward to our next symposium in the fall of 2021.

Full video of the event

Symposium Highlights

• Keynote Speaker: Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley (Ret.), Founder of The Leadership Council for Women in National Security
• Additional speakers and panelists:
  • Sanam Anderlini, Executive Director of the International Civil Society Action Network
  • Catherine Bertini, 2003 World Food Prize Laureate, Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Management
  • Lyric Thompson, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women
  • Elsa Murano, Director of the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
  • Radhika Prabhu, Executive Director of the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council
  • Dyan Gibbens, CEO of Trumbull Unmanned
  • Laura Schilling, President of Pumpco Services, Inc.
  • Claire Harvey, CEO of Gryphon Oil and Gas

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Symposium Video

Chapter 1 (Introduction by Dr. Raymond Robertson)

Chapter 2 (President Michael Young – 25th President of Texas A&M University)

Chapter 3 (Ervin Massinga – Deputy Assistant Secretary of Pakistan Affairs at the State Department)

Chapter 4 – (Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani – Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington D.C.)

Chapter 5 – (Opening Keynote Address by Dr. Sania Nishtar – Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Special Assistant)

Chapter 6 – (Radhika Prabhu – State Department Office of Global Issues) 1:28:43 – 1:54: 24 (Introduction of Panelists and Panel Talk – Inga Litvinsky, Shaista Mahmood, Esperanza Jelalian)

Chapter 7 – (Second Panel Addressing Women’s Labor Force Participation)

Chapter 8 – (Fireside Chat with Dr. Elsa Murano from the Borlaug Institute and Kalsoom Lakhani – CEO of Invest2Innovate)

Chapter 9 – (Diaspora Roundtable – Nayab Khan, Nawaid Isa, Maha Khan, Kalsoon Lakhani, Dr. Sumera Haque)

Chapter 10 – (Panel on Adolescent Girls and the Next Generation – Tessa Pennington, Nell Merlino, Dr. Maliha Khan)

• Symposium Highlights

  Opening Remarks with Dean Mark A. Welsh III

  • Mark Welsh III, Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and Dr. Valerie Hudson, Director of the Bush School’s Program on Women, Peace, and Security, give their opening remarks at the 4th annual Women, Peace and Security Symposium.
  • Watch Opening Remarks with Dean Mark A. Welsh III
  • Video length: 7:28

  Opening Keynote Speaker – Jamie Dobie

  • Jamie Dobie, Executive Director of Peace is Loud, highlights new projects at Peace is Loud in her opening remarks at the 4th annual Women, Peace and Security Symposium.
  • Watch Opening Keynote Speaker – Jamie Dobie
  • Video length: 43:16

  New Research on Women, Peace, and Security

  • Dr. Valerie Hudson, Texas A&M University, Dr. Michelle Taylor-Robinson, Texas A&M University, Dr. Maria Escobar-Lemmon, Texas A&M University and Professor Natalie Wright Romeri-Lewis, Brigham Young University, discuss new research on women, peace and security.
  • Watch New Research on WPS
  • Video length: 51:08

  Texas Perspectives of Women, Peace and Security

  • Dr. Melissa Torres, Director of Human Trafficking Research Portfolio at the University of Texas at Austin, Dixie Hairston, Research Program Manager for the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault at The University of Texas at Austin, Janet Kasper, East Texas Regional Administrator for the Texas Governor’s Office Child Sex Trafficking Team, and Ashley Alley, former intern with the Child Sex Trafficking Team from the Office of the Texas Governor, come together to discuss how Women, Peace and Security is reflected in human trafficking policy throughout the state of Texas.
  • Watch Texas Perspectives of Women, Peace and Security
  • Video length: 56:07

  Council on Foreign Relations, Women and Foreign Policy Program – How the Status of Women Advances U.S. Foreign Policy

  • Rachel Vogelstein, Director of Women and Foreign Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations, Jamille Bigio, Senior Fellow in the Women and Foreign Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Adjunct Senior Fellow in the Women and Foreign Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations and Sarah Boyd, Fulbright Scholar, Harvard Kennedy School (Gender and Foreign Policy) discuss how the Women and Foreign Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations works towards promoting the status of women in U.S. Foreign Policy.
  • Watch Council on Foreign Relations, Women and Foreign Policy Program – How the Status of Women Advances U.S. Foreign Policy
  • Video length: 54:38

  Council on Foreign Relations, How Women, Peace and Security Initiatives are Reflected in Security Policy

  • Lt. Col, Bradley Orchard of U.N. Women, Cmd. Suzanne Mainor, Joint Staff/J5 Stability and Humanitarian Engagement Division at the Department of Defense, Olivia Holt-Ivry, Independent Consultant and Elizabeth Weingarten, Senior Fellow at New America, discuss the specifics of the WPS agenda in security policy.
  • Watch Council on Foreign Relations, How Women, Peace and Security Initiatives are Reflected in Security Policy
  • Video length: 1:11:08

  Council on Foreign Relations. Q&A

  • Jamille Bigio, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and Rachel Vogelstein from the Council on Foreign Relations field questions from the audience at the Women, Peace and Security Symposium.
  • Watch Council on Foreign Relations. Q&A
  • Video length: 11:51

  Closing Keynote Speaker – Jacqueline O’Neill

  • Jacqueline O’Neill, Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, provides the closing remarks for the 4th annual Women, Peace and Security Symposium.
  • Watch closing remark s with Jacqueline O’Neill
  • Video length: 29:25

Symposium Highlights

Opening Remarks with Dean Mark A. Welsh III

• Opening remarks from the third annual Women, Peace, and Security Symposium with Dean Mark A. Welsh III, Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.
• Watch Opening Remarks with Dean Mark A. Welsh III
• Video length: 13:27

Opening Remarks and Discussion with Ambassador Catherine Russell

• Ambassador Catherine Russell, former Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, U.S. State Department
• Watch Ambassador Catherine Russell’s Opening Remarks
• Video length: 1:01:58

New Research on Women, Peace, and Security

• Panel Introduction: Emily Sellars, Bush School of Government & Public Service
• Panel Speakers:
  • Natalie Gonnella-Platts, George W. Bush Institute
  • Valerie M. Hudson, Bush School of Government & Public Service
  • Ellen Haring, Women in International Security (WIIS) & Dr. Megan MacKenzie, The University of Sydney
  • Sabrina Karim, Cornell University
  • Moderator: Leslie Ruyle, Scowcroft Institute, Bush School of Government & Public Service
• Watch New Research on Women, Peace, and Security
• Video length: 1:13:08

Health as a Security Priority for Women and Nations

• Panel Introduction: Silva Hamie, Bush School of Government & Public Service
• Panel Speakers:
  • Kathleen O’Reilly, Department of Geography, TAMU
  • Sarah Evans, Well Aware
  • Jacob Allen, Mary’s Meals Board of Directors
  • Moderator: Brandie DePaoli Taylor, School of Health, TAMU
• Watch Health as a Security Priority for Women and Nations
• Video length: 56:04

Women as Peacebuilders in Afghanistan

• Panel Introduction: Metra Mehran, Bush School of Government & Public Service
• Panel Speakers:
  • Farhat Popal, George W. Bush Institute
  • Razia Jan, Razia’s Ray of Hope
  • Nilofar Ibrahimi, MP, Wolesi Jirga, Afghanistan
  • Moderator and Discussion Leader: Sabrina Karim, Cornell University
• Watch Women as Peacebuilders in Afghanistan
• Video length: 58:58

Texas Perspectives on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)

• Panel Introduction: Beverly Hill, Gendercide Awareness Project
• Panel Speakers:
  • Anita Marcos, PeaceMakers, Inc. of Dallas
  • Justine Cherutich, Women’s Federation for World Peace
  • Jan Langbein, Genesis Women’s Shelter of Dallas
  • Rena Menard, US National Committee for UNWomen
  • Moderator: Amanda Schnetzer, George W. Bush Institute
• Watch Texas Perspectives on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)
• Video length: 56:52

The Honorable Kay Granger, US House of Representatives

• Congresswoman Kay Granger delivers the keynote address at third annual Women, Peace, and Security Symposium at Texas A&M University.
• Watch The Honorable Kay Granger, US House of Representatives
• Video length: 32:48

Evening Remarks with Judy McClennan

• Judy McClennan delivers her evening remarks at the third annual Women, Peace, and Security Symposium at Texas A&M University. McClennan served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women under Present George H.W. Bush.
• Watch Evening Remarks with Judy McClennan
• Video length: 51:25

Closing Reflections with Dr. Valerie Hudson

• Closing reflections from the third annual Women, Peace, and Security Symposium with Dr. Valerie Hudson, the George H.W. Bush Chair at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.
• Watch Closing Reflections with Dr. Valerie Hudson
• Video length: 8:01

Symposium Highlights

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Dean Mark Welsh’s Opening Remarks

• Dean Mark Welsh’s Opening Remarks

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Sahar Aziz on Migration Waves and Women

• Sahar Aziz on Migration Waves and Women

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Valerie Hudson on Why Women, Peace, and Security Matters

• Valerie Hudson on Why Women, Peace, and Security Matters

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Representative Bill Flores

• Representative Bill Flores

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Secretary Deborah James on Combat Integration

• Secretary Deborah James on Combat Integration

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: LTC Christine Rice on Integration in the US Military

• LTC Christine Rice on Integration in the US Military

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Natalie Gonnella Platts

• Natalie Gonnella Platts

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Ellen Haring on Integration in the US Military

• Ellen Haring on Integration in the US Military

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Beverly Hill on Foreign Policy and Gendercide

• Beverly Hill on Foreign Policy and Gendercide

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Deborah Cavin on the National Action Plan

• Deborah Cavin on the National Action Plan

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Brigadier General Joseph Ramirez on Integration of the Corp

• Brigadier General Joseph Ramirez on Integration of the Corp

Women, Peace, and Security Symposium: Brainstorming

• Brainstorming

Recapping The 2015 Texas Symposium on Women, Peace, and Security

The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Symposium provides a timely opportunity to address the challenges and opportunities of the WPS agenda by discussing them in a bi-partisan environment, developing connections between Texas, regional, and national stakeholders. This symposium was held on September 11, 2015, at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University.

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Symposium Highlights

Women in Foreign Policy Conference, part 1

View the Women in Foreign Policy talk, part one

Women in Foreign Policy Conference, part 2

View the Women in Foreign Policy talk, part two

Women in Foreign Policy Conference, part 3

View the Women in Foreign Policy talk, part three

Women in Foreign Policy Conference, part 4

View the Women in Foreign Policy talk, part four