I was selected to attend the national Women Leaders for Nuclear Security summit in Washington D.C. this past October.
Sponsored by the White House Project and Participant Media, we were trained in advocating for Senate ratification of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. In two days of intense training, I learned more than I thought possible about nuclear security and global stability.
The treaty, fully supported by our military leadership, was signed on April 8, 2010 by President Obama and Russian President Medvedev in Prague – replacing the former 15 year treaty which expired last December.
The highlight of the summit was meeting and being trained by former covert CIA agent, Valerie Plame, who spent almost two decades working in the trenches to reduce the threat posed by nuclear weapons. We were treated to an advance screening of “Fair Game” – based on Valerie’s autobiography of her work with the CIA and what happened when her covert identity was exposed. A lengthy Q & A session with her after the movie was incredible.
Why women leaders? For the first time in history, U.S. women are in leadership roles at every decision regarding nuclear security. A team of women led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher and chief negotiator Rose Gottemoeller – shaped the new START treaty with Russia. Today women hold almost 30 percent of the senior positions in the State Department, USAID, the Pentagon and other national and foreign policy agencies. The summit aimed to continue to build women leadership through the lens of nuclear security and keep women at the decision-making table.
UPDATE: THE TREATY WAS RATIFIED DURING THE LAME DUCK SESSION ON DECEMBER 22nd BY A VOTE OF 71 to 26. SEN. MCCASKILL VOTED YES. SEN. BOND DID NOT VOTE.