The concept of “human security” – the social, economic, and physical well-being of people – emphasizes the safety of individuals and the protection of human life rather than the security of territory and nation states. The deepening disparities in wealth, the eruption of violence in the name of ethnic, national, and religious identities, and the trafficking of people raise new questions about how human security can be achieved. What institutions can be held accountable in nation states, civil society, the international community, and the corporate sector? How do we ensure that women’s voices are fully represented in policy debates, public discussion, and decision-making? Join panelists in a conversation about issues that must be addressed as we define human security and its gendered components, explore the role of policy, and identify ways women can act collectively to effect change.

Moderator: Barbara Crossette, Journalist, New York Times
Amrita Basu, Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Amherst College
Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Director, Human Development Report Office, UN Development Programme
Kathy Rodgers, President, NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund
Victoria Sanford, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame
Saskia Sassen, Ralph Lewis Professor of Sociology, University of Chicago
Ellie Smeal, President, The Feminist Majority Foundation

4:45 p.m. Celebrating NCRW: 20 Years of Charting the Future

Over its 20 year history the NCRW network has illuminated issues and fostered change in laws, public policy, and everyday life. This tribute to NCRW leaders, including Founders, Board Members, Member Center Directors, and Funders, will look at themes that have run through NCRW’s work since its inception. Panelists will address the challenges that remain before us, and look to the future of NCRW and the women’s research movement.

Moderator: Caryn McTighe Musil, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Global Learning, Association of American Colleges and Universities
Mary Ellen Capek, Former Executive Director, NCRW
Mariam Chamberlain, Founding President, NCRW
Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Director, Women’s Research and Resource Center, Spelman College
Eleanor V. Horne, President, Educational Testing Services
Marjorie Lightman, Co-Founder, NCRW
Ruth Mandel, Director, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University
Donna Shavlik, Principal, The Timberline Group