Purpose
The agenda of the Australia–US alliance is only growing in scale and ambition, with cooperation deepening in areas including trade and investment, diplomacy and development, defence, space and critical technologies, and climate resilience. The need for a large, diverse and accomplished cohort of experts shaping alliance cooperation is now greater than ever.
Women in the Alliance will bring a more diverse group of voices into the alliance agenda by facilitating cross-border and cross-sectoral dialogue, upskilling the next cohort of leaders and highlighting a diversity of experts in both countries.
Mission
Women in the Alliance focuses on work by women, rather than work about women. By investing in and upskilling the next cohort of leaders on alliance issues, the initiative will ensure diversity is an inherent characteristic of groups working on the Australian and US relationship into the future.
About
The initiative will bring together a diverse group of talented female professionals for exclusive opportunities designed to advance and accelerate their careers, amplify their expertise and expand their professional network.
The initiative revolves around four pillars:
- Women in the Alliance Network: A select group of early-career female professionals working in industries relevant to the Australia-US alliance will meet quarterly for closed-door roundtables with experts, professional development opportunities and issues-based workshops.
- Visiting Experts: American thought leaders will be invited to Australia to meet with young professionals, researchers and Australian officials to share their insights on our cooperation and grow their profile.
- Public Events: US and Australian experts will hold open-door events related to challenges and opportunities for alliance cooperation, connecting accomplished female experts with larger audiences.
- Commissioned research: Paid opportunities will be offered to female researchers to write and publish policy-oriented publications on pertinent alliance issues through the United States Studies Centre.
The Women in the Alliance program is supported by funding from the US State Department.
Women in the Alliance Network
The network is a highly accomplished group of female professionals working across industries related to the Australia-US relationship. Over their tenure, network members will receive exclusive opportunities designed to advance and accelerate their careers, amplify their expertise and expand their professional network.
The network meets quarterly for closed-door roundtables with distinguished US and Australian experts, professional development and issues-based workshops. Discussion themes and industries span the remit of the bilateral relationship including defence cooperation and Indo-Pacific strategy; investment and trade; technology, innovation and intelligence; climate change, the energy transition and our role in our region.
Through their participation, members of the Women in the Alliance network are equipped to contribute to national and bilateral leadership dialogue about the challenges and opportunities shaping the Australia – US relationship and our region.
Past workshops have featured former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy, Senior Editor for The Australian Financial Review Emma Connors, Australia's Ambassador for Climate Change Kristin Tilley, former Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, and Peter Dean Director of USSC’s Foreign Policy and Defence Program and lead author of the 2023 Defence Strategic Review.
Applications for the 2024-2025 Women in the Alliance Network have now closed.
Publications
Eleanor Shiori Hughes argues that Australia and the United States should work in concert to foster people-to-people exchanges in the Pacific and bolster US staying power in the region.
Kate Clayton advances the case for enhanced Quad cooperation on maritime security and climate change arguing that it will help streamline Quad programs to focus on achievable and inclusive initiatives that strengthen Indo-Pacific security.
Sophie Mayo assesses the AUKUS Defence Investors Network and the NATO Innovation Fund and argues for an AUKUS Pillar II innovation fund with a multi-sovereign public-private structure.
Amy McDonnell addresses the benefits and shortfalls of the Australian Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill 2023.
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