For those who don’t know, Women in International Security (WIIS) is a global organization that fosters the network and advancement of women in the field. I happened to pay the 35 dollar subscription fee to join.
That’s because women make up less than 30 percent of senior level positions in the key foreign and security oriented government agencies, and only 13 percent of the senior positions in intelligence. I’m studying International Studies with a concentration in Security.
At my school, this isn’t rare, women made up about 25% of my American National Security Class, required in the major. You’re probably wondering, so what? So, women aren’t nearly as interested in Security or Foreign Policy, despite progress in gender equality. Since the 1970’s, the percentage of female ambassadors representing the U.S. has risen by 13 percent, from about 5 to 18 points. Female Undergraduates now make up a majority of participants in study abroad programs, in the 60-65 percentile.
No, really, why should I care? Because this means there’s a huge amount of growth about to happen. More women than ever are going international. And in a few years, there are going to be a lot of open, senior level positions up for grabs at major, influential organizations and departments. Before I chose this field, I was simply interested in seeing the world, and finding a major that would let me do that. The major was literally international, so I picked it. But once I declared, I realized how big and complicated the world was, and even more so, how important and influential international security was in deciding the direction of it. I found it intriguing. Why do extremist organizations expand after a conflict? What does religion have to do with modern warfare? Why are we so incredibly vulnerable when it comes to a cyber-attack? What can we possibly do in the event of a complete shut-down of society? Why would one person have the power to completely reshape the world? These are some of the questions that pop into my head when I think of problems to solve. I’m not looking at how to cure cancer, or how to build a better bridge, or how to pass legislation. But all of those problems are going to be solved because women are expanding their horizons. I’m just a big picture person, I like looking at the whole world and its interconnections.
Want to know another reason I declared IS? I can literally do anything I want. I can go into health care, or sports broadcasting. I can go plant trees or sell stocks. And the best part is, my choices keep getting better as I learn and as I gain experience. They’ll never get narrower. Yes, like everyone else, I still have to choose a general direction, like development, or security consulting. But even then, what defines security? What happens to the world if a new Ebola breaks out? What happens if a bunch of Europeans leave the EU? Our world is incredible complex, and incredibly interconnected. Which makes it ever more fragile and unstable. But the best part, it constantly changes and will always pose problems to solve and opportunities to grow and become better. I don’t want to make the world safe, I want to make it safer. And considering women make up half of this big blue planet, there’s always going to be an opportunity for us to shape that world and make it better for the future, we each just have to decide how.
Any Photos, Statistics, or Attribution can be Accredited to http://wiisglobal.org/
