Before the United States House of Representatives, March 22, 2016
Hearing: Women Fighting for Peace: Lessons for Today’s Conflicts
Testimony by Hassan Abbas, Professor National Defense University, Washington DC
Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for inviting me to testify about the role of women in resolving conflict and securing peace. It is truly an honor and a privilege for me to contribute to this process. Let me begin with my principle belief: Expanding the role of women in civilian law enforcement as well as the broader criminal justice system is not a matter of inclusivity or gender equality alone. My research and experience - both as an academic and a police practitioner - in the United States and Southwest Asia convinces me that it is the key necessary element to open the doors of peace and harmony around the globe. It is especially so in conflict zones and regions facing socioeconomic turbulence and instability. Simply put, a broader and enlarged role of women in policing and countering extremism in South Asia, the Middle East, and beyond is a critical need of the hour. The US capacity building programs in developing states must further invest in creating awareness about this valuable enabling factor. Promoting and facilitating higher rate of recruitment of female police officers will have a direct impact on stability as well as counterterrorism capacity of partner nations in turn creating a more secure world for us all.
For complete transcript, click here, and for complete hearing, click here
For PBS story on the hearing, click here, and a for a Council on Foreign Relations story on the impact of the hearing, click here
