This weekend, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was in Germany speaking at an event supporting women in international security.  Secretary Clinton remarked "that when we think about peacemaking, which is, after all, one of the critical tasks of any of us in international security, that something is missing.  And that is women.  There are not enough women at the table, not enough women's voices being heard".   Women are underrepresented in peacekeeping forces and in international peace negotiations.  This is an unfortunate revelation, considering studies and experiences have show that the presence of women in peacekeeping operations can be extremely beneficial to the success of the effort.

Come join Citizens for Global Solutions, Senator Boxer (D-CA), Senator Casey (D-PA) and other women's right's experts at a hearing on November 2!  The hearing, "Women and the Arab Spring:  Spotlight on Egypt, Tunisia and Libya" will take place at 2:30 pm in room 419 of the Dirksen Senate Building.  Senator DeMint(R-SC) is also expected to attend. The hearing will focus on roles that women have taken in the recent social revolutions that have occurred all over the Middle East, focusing specifically on Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. 

Established in the United Nations Charter, way back in that post-war year of 1946, the Division for the Advancement of Women firmly rooted the drive towards gender equality in the international agenda. Sixty-four years later, gender equality and the empowerment of women remain on the forefront of the UN agenda, as shown by the recent creation of the new agency: UN Women. This historic, and unanimous, step that was taken by the UN General Assembly on July 2nd of this year stood proof as both a testament to the agenda of advancing gender equality, and also to the necessity of reform throughout the organizations multi-faceted body.

Looking for an icebreaker at your next holiday dinner party? How about asking guests what the United States has in common with Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga? It's not weather or cuisine, and it certainly isn't number of Starbucks; it's the fact that none of these countries have ratified the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (also known as CEDAW). CEDAW came into force on December 18, 1979 which is 30 years ago today and then President of the United States Jimmy Carter signed the Convention.