Berkley Center

Appointed in March 2016 as part of Secretary of State John Kerry’s Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society, a working group on religion, women, and peacebuilding was one of five sub-groups supported by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs. Berkley Center Senior Fellow Katherine Marshall was a co-chair. The group focused on specific actions that could enhance State Department religious engagement through greater participation of women in promoting peace. The group's report focuses on links to the U.S. National Action Plan for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, aspects of violent extremism that involve women, State Department guidance to posts (including scholarly resources) on the topic, and specific pertinent programs such as the International Visitor Leadership Program. It outlines the case to engage women in religious outreach, highlights common pitfalls, and recommends a series of short-term actions.