Throughout history, women have played crucial leadership roles during wartime, even if their contributions were not always well-documented or recognized. In times of conflict, societal norms sometimes shift, allowing women to step into positions of authority that might have been traditionally reserved for men. Despite indisputable evidence of women’s leadership and bravery during conflict, however, women continue to be construed as “victims” and “passive actors”—rather than the political agents, leaders, soldiers, and visionaries that they are.

The research presented in this article was subsequently published in a peer-reviewed article: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/spp-2023-0029/html

Sub-Saharan Africa’s sluggish economic growth and brittle political structures are clear challenges for the region. And two major development theories—one strictly political, the other demographic—seem to steer parallel courses in explaining them.

A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

Possibilities for Peace and Conflict at COP28

October 2023 was the world’s warmest month in history, a fact which underscores the escalation of the climate crisis. It also supports official reports on adaptation and emission gaps which provide pessimistic outlooks for the future of peace in conflict-affected areas.

A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

Why is COP Important?

Governments, policymakers, advocates, and observers have entered another annual UN climate conference cycle. Known as a “COP” (or “conference of parties”), these annual government-level gatherings focus on climate action, including assessments of progress toward the Paris Agreement and the creation of even more ambitious plans.

The annual multilateral Conference of the Parties (COP) has become one of the most important meetings on the global agenda. So the fact that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host COP28 starting this week in Dubai—on the coattails of another Arab country, Egypt, hosting COP27 in 2022—is a big deal. Bringing such important international meetings to the Global South is a step forward in decentering and reorienting global climate action.

The Dot-Mom column of the Environmental Change and Security Program’s New Security Beat blog serves as a platform to shed light on diverse perspectives and insights from experts in maternal and reproductive health, gender equity, and peace and security. In 2023, the Dot-Mom column was marked by an incredible number of guest contributor articles.