Gender Equality Strengthens Our National Security
Though Gina Haspel’s appointment as the new CIA Director breaks barriers in the name of gender equality, few women in the national security community are cheering for it. Among other things, Haspel has a troubling history of condoning “enhanced interrogation techniques,” which is neither in line with our American values nor our long-term national security interests. Moreover, advancing gender equality in the realm of national security does not simply mean appointing a woman to a position of power.
Haspel’s pending appointment aside, adopting a more gender-equal approach to our national security is critical. After all, gender equality is not a photo opportunity; the number of women in positions of power is simply one easy-to-measure indicator of our progress. Advancing gender equality in the national security realm requires a multi-pronged effort and, among other things, involves how we formulate policy, uphold ethical practices, promote our people, and exemplify our principles.
Effective Policy
Using a gender lens in the policymaking process is not about being politically correct; it can, in fact, help us craft more effective policy and identify emerging threats. For example, from 2015 to 2016, Erin Saltman and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue tracked Western female ISIS recruits for more than 12 months and noticed a difference in movements: Male ISIS recruits were traveling to Turkey and Syria, while female ISIS recruits headed straight to Libya, where ISIS was working to establish statehood. Although foreign security and intelligence forces knew that ISIS’ strategy involved both gaining territory and establishing statehood, they hadn’t yet formulated a nuanced approach to prevent and address the threats posed by the different entities that are the ISIS combatant (predominantly male) and the ISIS statemaker (predominantly female). Recognizing and actively considering these differences between men’s and women’s movement in ISIS was not simply about gender equality; rather, in Saltman’s words, “it was about having a better grasp on the security issues at hand.”
Ethical Practices
Upholding ethical practices at home is another crucial avenue through which to incorporate a gender-equality lens that ultimately strengthens our national security. A chilling fact about the American military, for example, is that female soldiers are more likely to be assaulted or raped by their fellow soldiers than they are to see harm in war. It is truly stunning that more than 20 percent of female active-duty soldiers are sexually assaulted by their fellow soldiers, with less than 5 percent of cases resulting in a conviction. In November 2017, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense named “ensuring ethical conduct” — which involves preventing sexual assault — as one of the top ten management and performance challenges for the Pentagon in 2018. Frankly, this problem has been talked about for far too long: The time is now for the Pentagon’s leadership and rank-and-file to take concrete actions to not only ensure that the practices and culture of our military reflect our American values, but also emphasize their unwavering commitment to safety and respect.
Fair Promotion
It is often said that the mark of a civilized society is how it treats women; therefore, what does it say about American society if, and when, the very institution designed to protect our country holds back the women who serve within its ranks? Our military and intelligence forces don’t need to be photo op ready: They need to be inclusive. Essentially, inclusion refers to the ability to fully empower and leverage a diverse set of ideas, perspectives, and people to convene, coalesce, and carry out the best course of action. This means that ensuring women’s place at the table — and therefore their route for advancement within the ranks — is one of the critical components of inclusive national security. We cannot have women physically or structurally prevented from reaching positions of power. Whether in our military, intelligence forces, or policymaker ranks, the “room where it happens” must be populated with people who encompass and present different perspectives in order to, perhaps one day, attain inclusive security.
Stronger Principles
There are lots of reasons to adopt a gender-inclusive lens — data shows that organization with greater leadership gender parity perform better and constituents are better served by female legislators, among others — but all else aside, we cannot forget that gender equality is a moral imperative. We must exemplify our values and show principled leadership to the rest of the world, and doing so demands that we adopt and consistently demonstrate a gender-inclusive lens for policy, programs, and people.
To be sure, creating change in the sprawling infrastructure of our national security is difficult and will take a long time; however, the longer we put it off as a priority, the more difficult it will get and the longer policymaking will go without important voices. Ultimately, a safer, more secure America and global community requires that gender equality be a cornerstone within our approach to foreign policymaking, military culture and practices, promotion opportunities, and principled leadership.
Sherry Hakimi is a Security Fellow with Truman National Security Project and the Executive Director of genEquality, a 501(c)3 organization using behavioral insights and design to activate gender equality with and for everyone. Views expressed are her own.
