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Opinion | Melinda French Gates: The Enemies of Progress Play Offense. I Want to Help Even the Match. A philanthropist is focusing on gender issues around the world, including abortion access in the United States.

Great book events in DC.

In addition to talking about , I’m happy to say that my first book, Take Action Fighting for Women & Girls has now been updated with new data, statistics and organizations to support!

Take Action: Fighting for Women & Girls Take Action: Fighting for Women & Girls

Dear Friends,

It is with mixed emotions that we are announcing the closing of Smash Strategies at the end of September. We have had a great time building Smash and working with all of you to advance women’s leadership, gender equality and equity, and the opportunities available to all. We are immensely proud of the work we have done via Smash. We have decided to use other platforms to continue our work on gender equality. We are excited to co-author a book on Feminist Foreign Policy, due out next year.

In the short-term (at least), Stephenie will continue to work on behalf of Afghan women and girls. Susan will focus more on international security and foreign policy. A formal announcement will be made soon.

Thank you for your collaboration over the past 5½ years and your ongoing passion for the issues we care about.

Stephenie and Susan

Reconciling Two Key Frameworks:
Feminist Foreign Policy and Women, Peace & Security by Smash partner Susan Markham and Joan Johnson-Freese https://wiisglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Reconciling-Two-Key-Frameworks-Policy-Brief.pdf

Smash partner Stephenie Foster gave a book talk today during the grand opening of the Vital Voices office space.

New from Smash partner, Susan Markham

Why a Focus on Gender Increases National Security If a society does not value half of its population, the chances are that society and its leaders will not value international agreements or the rule of law.

In year 1, the administration has started advancing our core goals of gender equality, human rights, bodily autonomy, environmental integrity & peace. Still, they've fallen short of a comprehensive .

The Coalition for in the U.S. scorecard:

Feminist Foreign Policy in the U.S.: A Scorecard on the Biden-Harris Administration's First Year - ICRW | PASSION. PROOF. POWER. The Biden-Harris administration took office in the wake of a number of reversals of women’s rights, human rights and gender equality efforts by the U.S. government, promising to “build back better.” 2021-2022 has also been a time of global reflection on the status of women and girls around the...

May your holidays and 2022 be merry and bright!
Best Wishes, Stephenie and Susan

Our partner Stephenie Foster is moderating this important conversation today on the nexus between gender and climate change. Please join. COP27 - Climate Change Conference - Smash Strategies Wfpg Staff COP26 Climate Action Plan

Take Action - A NEW Book from Smash partner Stephenie Foster. It's a a comprehensive resource on what each of us can do - large actions as well as small - to fight for women and girls. Whether you want to run for political office, secure equality in education, speak out against violence or merely talk about unfairness around your dinner table, this vital toolkit is a must read. Stephenie walks the reader through every step that leads to moving the needle towards a more equal world.

Our partner Stephenie Foster was the keynote speaker yesterday for India's Day of the Girl event. Many thanks to our friends at Room to Read India and Lucina Di Meco for including us. Your work is so critical in building support for girls' education and keeping girls in school every day.

Feminist Foreign Policy: One Path Forward in U.S.-China Relations - a new piece by Stephenie Foster, Susan Markham and Rachel MacKnight

Feminist Foreign Policy: One Path Forward in U.S.-China Relations The Biden-Harris administration can elevate the role of feminist organizations in China and the voices of women in both countries.

The Community of Democracies is creating a Women Leading in Crisis series. The first segment features Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren of Mongolia interviewed by Stephenie Foster. Oyun has championed many critical issues including , , and the .

Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren – CoD Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren is a trailblazer both in her native Mongolia and globally. She has championed many critical issues including democracy, gender equality, and the environment.

As you all know, at Smash, we are committed to gender equality and women's leadership, and girls' education is foundational to those goals. Our partner Stephenie Foster is honored to be on the Global Advisory Board for Aide et Action - Officiel, which does tremedous work around the world promoting access to education and life skills. Here's a short video she did highlighting the organization's work.

EFWN PORTRAIT - MEET WITH STEPHENIE FOSTER Stephenie Foster, Founding Partner of Smash Strategies and Campaign Committee member, tells us why and how she is committed to supporti...

At Smash Strategies, we are honored to be part of the Poligage expert network, the world’s first online marketplace for public policy insights and government affairs services. For this , we wrote about why a focus on gender equality, diversity, and women’s leadership is not just a philanthropic goal, but is central to business success and must be integrated into business operations.

https://www.poligagehorizons.com/blog/international-womens-day-2021

Driving Meaningful Impact out of International Women’s Day — Poligage Horizons By Stephenie Foster and Susan Markham of Smash Strategies Successful companies not only meet their customers’ needs, they invest in innovation and new markets, build communities, and ensure they have a diverse staff. In today’s marketplace, companies play a critical role as corporate citizens an...

New from Smash Strategies partners Stephenie Foster and Susan Markham:
Robust Gender Analysis Will Be Key to Effective US Policy Development

Robust Gender Analysis Will Be Key to Effective US Policy Development Securing equality in foreign policy and national security means implementing requirements and ensuring they apply to all government decision-making.

Smash partner Susan Markham on gender equality and women's health as global priorities.
https://www.paxtecumglobal.org/the-global-podcast/2021/2/28/episode-64-global-priorities-for-womens-empowerment-and-health

Episode 64: Global Priorities for Women's Empowerment and Health — Pax Tecum Global Consultancy COVID-19 has forced many policy makers to have key issues on gender equality and women’s health take a backseat. But just because there is a pandemic, does not mean that these issues will be on hold. What are the key global priorities for 2021 for gender equality and women’s health? And what can...

Great profile of our partner Stephenie Foster!

Gender Equality and Diversity in the Workplace is More Nuanced Than We Realize, Foster Says Empowering women is good for business—just ask Stephenie Foster L’86. As Co-Founder of Smash Strategies, a consulting firm dedicated to helping institutions advance their missions by being strategic around gender equality,

Our latest - the impact of COVID on women entrepreneurs globally.

Women Entrepreneurs in the Year of COVID – Smash This article focuses on the impact COVID has had on women entrepreneurs and policies to address these issues.

Listen in to our partner Stephenie Foster talk about feminist foreign policy.

‎State of the World on Apple Podcasts ‎Politics · 2021

The Joe Biden administration has an opportunity to think more broadly about women’s human rights and embed these issues within the national security context. Our new paper, Transforming the US Human Rights Report to Reflect Gender Rights — and Security

Transforming the US Human Rights Report to Reflect Gender Rights -- and Security The Trump administration damaged the annual report's credibility. It is critical to rethink the data, especially on women and girls.