21th century lack a much-needed human security focus that is integral to the Women, Peace, and Security framework. In this second edition of Women, Peace, and Security, Johnson-Freese provides the compelling evidence demonstrating that women’s participation and voice in national security produces tangible impacts such as lowering violence, creating lasting peace agreements, lowering corruption, developing more trust in governments and improving health and education outcomes. Women, Peace and Security is a vital security topic—not just a social justice issue—that treats women as security agents rather than victims or bystanders and demands women be integral to security-related decision-making.'
Captain David G. Smith (USN Ret.), Associate Professor in the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and co-author of Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace and Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women.
Maryruth Belsey Priebe, Director for Women, Peace and Security Programs and Senior Fellow at Pacific Forum International
Kitty Pilgrim, journalist, author
Heather Huhtanen, Gender Expert, Geneva, Switzerland
(Note: The views expressed above are not the official position of the Department of Defense.)
Ambassador (ret.) Greta C. Holtz, Chancellor, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University
Tahina Montoya, Women, Peace and Security Subject Matter Expert, Department of Defense Gender Advisor, and Women in International Security Fellow
'This book is essential for students of International Relations, well as International Law. It not only provides the necessary background information regarding Women, Peace and Security, but then expands the information in ways that both students and practitioners will find helpful. Johnson-Freese clearly and concisely provides the 'bifocal' lens to the issue of gender equality in the area of security. The book provides a road map not only to how to attain equality, but how doing so will make the world a more secure place. In addition to many of the updates to this edition, I am thrilled to see the chapter on Environment and Climate Change included, as this will be a leading source of conflict in the next few decades.'
Nancy Kaymar Stafford, Immediate Past Chair, International Law Section, American Bar Association
Stephenie Foster, author, Co-Founder Smash Strategies, and former US Department of State official (2012-17, 2021-23)
Bojana Coulibaly, language of conflict in Africa specialist & Harvard African Language Program manager
Mary Beth Leonard, U.S. Ambassador (to Nigeria, the African Union, and Mali), retired
Susan Markham, Author, Feminist Foreign Policy in Theory and in Practice: An Introduction
Jacqui True, Director of Centre for Gender, Peace and Security, Monash University, Australia
Praise for the first edition:
‘Finally, a book that makes a comprehensive national security case for women not just serving in combat roles but being fully integrated into the training pipeline for all roles. As a journalist and government official in war zones, I have witnessed first hand the value women bring to a team, such as building trust in Afghan villages in ways that expand the security perimeter and offering new ways of thinking through complex problems. This isn’t about "women’s rights" but about what is right to keep America safe and the world more peaceful.’
Eileen O’Connor, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and former CNN war zone correspondent
‘To the Rumsfeldian category of ''known-knowns,'' Professor Johnson-Freese has added a corollary: ''knowns you were not aware you knew.'' For practitioners of diplomacy, development, and defense, this volume uncovers the roles women now play – or need to play – in securing a more stable and prosperous world. The ideas presented here deserve to be incorporated into education and training programs and become every day practice for diplomats, assistance experts, soldiers, and others engaged, or seeking involvement, in the international security realm.’
Gene Christy, US Ambassador (Ret.)
‘Women, Peace and Security: An Introduction – you might think that the author has written yet another book in the whatevernumber-wave feminist or post-feminist debate and so leave on the shelf. DON’T MAKE THAT MISTAKE – the book is essentially about the fundament and solidity of our democracy; a pointed understanding of effective democratic use and democratic control over the tools and mechanics of security policy. This is a must-read for all interested in security policy – professionals and laymen alike!’
Ole Kværnø, Royal Danish Defence College
‘Joan Johnson-Freese simultaneously educates policymakers and practitioners that gender equality is a critical dimension of security while empowering these same actors to achieve better security outcomes through their heightened awareness. The reader is treated to an interdisciplinary feast of gender and feminist theory explored and applied in a security context. Her wide-ranging case studies illustrate the phenomenal power the gender lens can wield to understand war, conflict, development, and politics. Women, Peace and Security fills a critical curriculum gap across all dimensions of security studies.’
Marybeth Peterson Ulrich, General Maxwell D. Taylor Chair of the Profession of Arms, US Army War College
'This publication represents a significant contribution to the ongoing discussion on Women, Peace and Security, and moves the debate beyond the confines of the United Nations and embeds it in practical security considerations that governments must grapple with on a daily basis. It exposes the bias that still exists towards the involvement of women in security discussions, operations and activities, and makes a strong case for women as positive actors in guaranteeing security at the community, state, regional and international levels; and not merely as beneficiaries of security.'
Rocky R. Meade, Chief of the Jamaican Defense Force
