What does having women sitting at international
aairs decisionmaking tables actually get us? Are
decisions—and is organizational decisionmak-
ing—actually improved by the inclusion of more
women? Figuring that out is a tricky analytical prob-
lem. This is for at least two reasons: (1) restrictive cul-
tural norms within organizations that grapple with foreign
aairs and national security and (2) the lack of objective
metrics against which to gauge success.
In the rst instance, decisionmaking in international aairs and
national security spaces is inherently opaque due to the nec-
essarily secretive nature of the eld. Individuals with security
clearances tend not to be comfortable speaking about their work
in public settings. In turn, these cultural norms discourage the
kind of storytelling necessary to understand the impacts that indi-
viduals—and individual women—have had in their respective elds.
Second, unlike in the private sector, “success” in international
aairs and national security matters is not easily or objectively
measurable. This is because success can rarely be captured by
objective economic indicators such as prot margins. Further,
success is oen viewed as a subjective judgment based on
one’s own standing on a given issue.
Recognizing these analytic obstacles, the CSIS Smart
Women, Smart Power Initiative (SWSP) designed a
qualitative research agenda to improve understand-
ing of the contributions women have made in inter-
national aairs decisionmaking spaces. From April
2022 to December 2023, the Smart Women, Smart
Power (SWSP) podcast hosted 54 conversations
introduction
WHAT
DIFFERENCE
DOES IT MAKE?
October 2024
Kathleen J. McInnis
Alexis Day
Commander Laura Richardson, commander of the United States
Southern Command.
gerardo menoscal/afp via getty images
a report of the csis
initiative
by
