Women and Women's Rights | Council on Foreign Relations

Women and Foreign Policy Program

Virtual Roundtable: The Transformative Power of Girls’ Education

Virtual Event by Kakenya Ntaiya, Jennifer O'Donoghue and Ann Norris May 7, 2024 Women and Foreign Policy Program
Women and Women's Rights

Women’s Power Index

Find out where women around the world wield political power—and why it matters.

Interactive by Linda Robinson and Noël James March 14, 2024 Women and Foreign Policy Program
Women and Women's Rights

Abortion Law: Global Comparisons

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion for almost fifty years. How does regulation of abortion in the United States compare to that in the rest of the world?

Article by Women and Foreign Policy Program Staff March 7, 2024 Women and Foreign Policy Program

Experts in this Topic

Ann Norris

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Catherine Powell

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy (ON LEAVE)

Linda Robinson

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Women and Economic Growth

International Women’s Day, With Ann Norris

Ann Norris, a senior fellow for women and foreign policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss International Women’s Day and the challenges facing adolescent girls around the world and the solutions to address them.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Ann Norris March 5, 2024 The President’s Inbox
Women and Foreign Policy Program

Virtual Roundtable: Ending Child Marriage in the United States and Abroad

Virtual Event by Payzee Mahmod, Casey Swegman and Ann Norris January 12, 2024 Renewing America
Women and Women's Rights

Progress on the Status of Women and Girls Off Track in UN Assessment

The world’s nations are lagging woefully behind in meeting targets for achieving gender equality by 2030, but a new round of initiatives has stirred hope of progress.

In Brief by Linda Robinson September 21, 2023 Women and Foreign Policy Program

Women and Women's Rights

Virtual Roundtable: Addressing Threats to Women Political Leaders

Rising threats and online abuse affect political officials at the highest levels in many countries; studies have documented that women politicians are disproportionately targeted. Sigrid Kaag, deputy prime minister of the Netherlands and leader of the D66 party, recently announced her resignation from Dutch politics after several years of such threats. Minister Kaag and Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary general of NATO, discussed threats to women politicians and the growing phenomenon of toxic politics and how to address these issues.

Virtual Event by Sigrid Kaag, Rose E. Gottemoeller and Linda Robinson September 6, 2023 Women and Foreign Policy Program
Saudi Arabia

Mahsa Amini, Media, and the Saudi-Iranian Détente

The Mahsa Amini protests gave Riyadh leverage over Tehran and the Kingdom's media capabilities proved to be a tool capable of advancing the countries’ new mutual goal: preempting a women-led second Arab Spring

Blog Post by Simone Lipkind July 11, 2023 Women Around the World
Women and Women's Rights

Artificial Intelligence Enters the Political Arena

Politics is one of the latest industries shaken up by AI, the use of artificially generated content in campaigns could spell trouble for candidates and voters alike in the fight against mis- and disinformation.

Blog Post by Catherine Powell and Alexandra Dent May 24, 2023 Women Around the World
Conflict Prevention

Women’s Participation in Peace Processes

Peace negotiators often overlook a proven strategy to reduce conflict and advance stability: include women.

Interactive by Ann Norris , Jamille Bigio, Rachel B. Vogelstein, Alexandra Bro and Anne Connell May 5, 2023 Women and Foreign Policy Program
Women and Women's Rights

Glass Ceiling Index: Not Yet Shattered

Over its decade of tracking women’s progress in the workforce, the Economist’s Glass Ceiling Index has registered very little improvement, as gendered structural barriers endure.

Blog Post by Catherine Powell and Alexandra Dent April 17, 2023 Women Around the World
United States

It’s Time to End Child Marriage in the United States

Child marriage remains legal in most U.S. States. Before it can curb this harmful practice abroad, the U.S. must first end it at home.

Blog Post by Ann Norris March 13, 2023 Renewing America
United States

Biden’s Progress on Women’s Rights: Good Start, But Not Fast Enough

More than two years into his presidency, Joseph Biden has achieved some of his gender equality goals, and fallen short on others.

Blog Post by Linda Robinson March 6, 2023 Renewing America
Americas

Sorensen Distinguished Lecture on the United Nations

Sima Sami Bahous discusses women’s rights in areas of acute crisis and how UN Women is supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women around the world. The Sorensen Distinguished Lecture on the United Nations was established in 1996 by Gillian and Theodore C. Sorensen to highlight the United Nations and offer a special occasion for its most distinguished and experienced leaders to speak to the Council membership.

Virtual Event by Sima Sami I. Bahous and Linda Robinson February 16, 2023 Sorensen Lecture
Women and Women's Rights

Data is the New Gold, But May Threaten Democracy and Dignity

Few safeguards protect our private data in today’s information economy. What can be done about the fact that our personal images and data can be exploited, potentially threatening personal as well as national security?

Blog Post by Catherine Powell and Alexandra Dent January 5, 2023 Women Around the World