Participation

Asked to describe war, most Americans would probably throw out words like troops, tanks, guns, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Our historical and cultural understanding of war is shaped by our focus on the men who fight -- and it is still overwhelmingly men who fight -- and the tools they use, and this has become the prism through which we understand war and its consequences.

Defying authority and often braving physical harm, female protesters in Arab Spring demonstrations from Bahrain to Egypt have shown they are ready to speak out on public issues. Since the protests began early this year, these women have emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the Middle East -- a development reflected in the decision to award Yemeni activist Tawakkol Karman the Nobel Peace Prize this year.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will participate in a special session of the APEC 2011 CEO Summit on “Women and the Economy” in a conversation with FORTUNE Washington Columnist and Senior Editor Nina Easton.

The discussion follows up on Secretary Clinton's speech on the inclusion of women as an economic growth strategy in September in San Francisco and will take place on November 11, 2011.

Early in Yemen's uprising, about 20 women with banners demanding equal rights marched into the heart of the capital, joining the thousands who were calling for the ouster of the president. They were greeted with cheers. The women settled into a spot below the stage in the middle of Change Square. But as the days passed, "the women's section" became off-limits to men. A fence went up around it.

On November 2, the Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy, and Global Women's Issues and the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Central Asian Affairs organized a testimony for the Senate Foreign Relations committee on the role of women in the Arab Spring.

This week marks the 11th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. Passed unanimously on October 31, 1999, this seminal resolution was the first of five focused on the need for and the value of increased women's participation and protection in efforts to prevent, resolve, and rebuild following conflict.

Last month women worldwide were delighted to hear that three women from the global south were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman were honored for their nonviolent struggles for justice in Liberia and Yemen, and for the right of women to fully participate in peacemaking.

Thank you. I am honored to be here this afternoon with my colleague Dr. Tamara Wittes to discuss the status of women in the Arab Spring and their participation in the political transitions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. We also will talk about U.S. government efforts to empower and enable the women to continue and enhance their participation in the political, economic, and social lives of their societies.

Asked to describe war, most Americans would probably throw out words like troops, tanks, guns, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Our historical and cultural understanding of war is shaped by our focus on the men who fight -- and it is still overwhelmingly men who fight -- and the tools they use, and this has become the prism through which we understand war and its consequences.

Over the past week Libya's interim prime minister Abdel Rahim al-Keib has made numerous statements about human rights, at times announcing high priority to the protection of rights in his administration, at others hinting that some Libyan citizens (notably women) shouldn't expect too much.