WIIS President, Chantal De Jonge Oudraat, visited Australia last month to deliver a keynote address at the Women In National Security Conference. She also spoke at Macquirie University at the Women In International Security-Australia Seminar.
Dr. de Jonge Oudraat delivering her speech at the Women In National Security Conference in Australia on October 25,2018.
Dr. de Jonge Oudraat was the keynote speaker at the Women In National Security Conference on October 25. In her address she provided an overall assessment of the WPS agenda, identified obstacles to progress, and drivers of progress. She concluded her remarks by outlining strategies for progress. Dr. de Jonge Oudraat pointed to the lack of gender parity in national and international security establishments, their lack of understanding gender dynamics and the framing of the WPS agenda as a “women’s” issue, as key obstacles to progress. She identified civil society as a significant driver of progress to the WPS agenda, as it pushes for better policies, laws, and regulations. Lastly, Dr. de Jonge Oudraat called for greater attention to gender when examining international security challenges and a re-framing of the WPS agenda into a WPS+GPS agenda.
The Women in National Security Conference is an annual event hosted by the National Security College, a joint initiative between Australian National University and the Australian Government. The two-day event used innovative formats to connect leading policy practitioners, civil society, university, government, and academics in engaging dialogue on Australian national security issues. Leading policy practitioners and academics connected to produce groundbreaking insights on contemporary security issues through the conference’s theme of power and change.
Dr. de Jonge Oudraat speaking on a panel at the Women In National Security Conference in Australia on October 25,2018.
In Sydney, Dr. de Jonge Oudraat presented on WIIS’ work to advance the roles of women in international security. Susan Harris Rimmer, Associate Professor of Griffith University and Sue Thompson, Senior Lecturer at the National Security College, The Australian National University shared their experiences in the international security field in Australia.
The seminar was hosted by The Macquarie University Department of Security Studies and Criminology and Women in International Security-Australia (WIISA).
