Smart Women, Smart Power

In the final episode of our Women’s History Month SWSP x Girl Security series, Suzanne Spaulding sat down with Girl Security scholar Amanda Kay and Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit Assistant General Counsel Kemba Eneas Walden. The group discussed diversity and inclusion in the cybersecurity field, digital crimes, and more.

In the third episode of our Women’s History Month SWSP x Girl Security series, Suzanne Spaulding shared the microphone with Girl Security scholar Kelly Huang who interviewed cybersecurity professional and dual Harvard Georgetown MPP/JD Candidate Winnona DeSombre. The group discussed cyberattacks and defense, as well as different pathways to a career in cybersecurity.

In the second episode of our Women’s History Month SWSP x Girl Security series, Suzanne Spaulding is joined by Ilinca Drondoe, Girl Security Scholar, and Molly Kellogg, Gender, Climate and Security Advisor at the United Nations Environment Program. The group discusses the intersection of climate, gender, and security, as well as steps to take to get more involved in climate action.

 In celebration of International Women’s Day, Suzanne Spaulding was joined by the Honorable Michèle Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, for a conversation on gender equality and sustainability challenges. In addition, they discussed her participation in an unofficial delegation to Taiwan amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the role China is taking on during this crisis.

In the first episode of our Women’s History Month SWSP x Girl Security series, Suzanne Spaulding is joined by Girl Security scholar Rachel Rochford and retired career diplomat Ambassador Laura Kennedy. The group discusses past and present international relations issues, the role of Foreign Service Officers, and Ambassador Kennedy’s incredible career path.

This week we partnered with #SharetheMicInCyber, where Suzanne Spaulding spoke with Zinet Kemal, Associate Cloud Security Engineer at Best Buy and author of a new children’s book, “Oh, No…Hacked Again!” and Juliet "Jules" Okafor, CEO and Founder of RevolutionCyber. They discussed what led them to the cybersecurity field, their legal backgrounds, the work they do today, and more.

China continues to make headlines, from the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China-Russia relations, and the humanitarian crisis in the Xinjiang region to the future of Taiwan. Suzanne Spaulding spoke with Dr. Bonny Lin, senior fellow for Asian security and director of the China Power Project at CSIS, where they discussed these headlines in more depth.

Suzanne Spaulding spoke with Liz Schrayer, President and CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), whose work focuses on strengthening America’s civilian-led tools — development and diplomacy — alongside defense. The pair discussed the work of the coalition, the role of the U.S. in foreign policy issues, and the value of bipartisanship.

Strategic challenges from Russia and China, the one-year anniversary of January 6, and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic set the stage for the defense and security outlook of 2022. Christine Brazeau hosts the next-gen women associates of the CSIS International Security Program, Rose Butchart, Catrina Doxsee, Devi Nair, and Makena Young, for a conversation on national and international security challenges ahead in the new year.

On the end of the year episode, host Suzanne Spaulding spoke with CSIS experts Dr. Katherine Bliss, Rachel Ellehuus, and Marti Flacks on security and foreign policy challenges the world faced in 2021, from the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines to the fall of Kabul, as well as what to expect in the upcoming year.