WCAPS Priority Issues for the First 100 Days

Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration December 2020

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security & Conflict Transformation

WOMEN OF COLOR ADVANCING PEACE, SECURITY AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration Table of Contents 1. Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Policy

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2. Climate Change

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3. Conflict Prevention, Peacekeeping and Peacemaking

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4. Cyber Securities and Emerging Technologies

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5. Defense and Intelligence

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6. Global Advocacy and Diplomacy

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7. Global Health

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8. Human Rights

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9. Illicit Trafficking

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10. International Development

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11. Latin American and Caribbean Region

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12. Redefining National Security

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13. South West Asia and North Africa

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These recommendations are provided in individual capacities and do not reflect the views of any professional affiliations outside of WCAPS

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

WCAPS thanks all the contributors, the team of editors led by Neda Shaheen, Esq and Hillary Maravilla, MA, and Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins for her vision to raise the voices of women of color as the U.S. prepares for a new administration.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Policy Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Sylvia Mishra and Wardah Amir

Background One of the most pressing challenges of our time is the development, proliferation, and use of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. The threats posed by the proliferation of CBRN and their means of delivery, advanced conventional weapons, and sensitive dual-use technologies impact both United States’ national and international security. To maintain peace and stability, it has become increasingly vital to identify, discuss and understand CBRN threats and promote efforts to prevent their proliferation.

Below are WCAPS CBRN priorities and recommendations for the Biden administration:

1. Make Nonproliferation and Arms Control Issues Front and Center of Policy Considerations and Action The new administration should de-emphasize the role of nuclear weapons, and re-build the trust and transparency required to prevent nuclear proliferation and a new nuclear arms race. To promote global peace and security, the United States needs to show commitment and leadership to advance the important tracks of nonproliferation, arms control, and disarmament.

The previous administration’s abdication of major nuclear weapons agreements such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and withdrawal from arms control treaties - the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty - has undermined United States’ national security. Extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty 2010 (New START) in February 2021, the last remaining bilateral arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, will revive and revitalize the spirit of arms control agreements between the two countries. This would also provide an opportunity to build on other arms control and nonproliferation initiatives between US3

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Russia at a time when both countries are focused on large-scale nuclear modernization.

Making progress on the New START extension would strengthen strategic stability and initiate the process of regular dialogue and engagement between the two nuclear weapon states.

Additionally, in the backdrop of the deep dissatisfaction of the non-nuclear weapons states (NNWS) on the slow pace of progress on disarmament initiatives, the U.S. must take the lead in initiating discussions on advancing multilateral global disarmament efforts.

2. Hold Users of Chemical Weapons Accountable The norms of the Chemical Weapons Convention have been grossly violated by both state and non-state actors. Russia and Syria have violated their obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention by using chemicals for assassinations (in 2018 and 2020) and against civilians respectively (over 200 alleged incidents recorded by Syrian civil society since 2012). North Korea, a non-state party, has been accused of using VX nerve agent for assassination in Malaysia in 2017. Non-state actors have also used chemical weapons in Syria and Iraq. To keep the credibility of the Convention intact, it is imperative that the next administration takes steps towards accountability to uphold the norms of the Chemical Weapons Convention. While Russia may be an obstacle in the UN Security Council, we recommend setting up an international tribunal for prosecuting violators of international law in Syria. OPCW findings and reports on confirmed use of chemical weapons and related attributions to perpetrators can be shared with the international tribunal for prosecution. We also recommend prioritizing legal capacity building in partnership with OPCW states parties that currently do not have national legislation that penalizes violations of the Convention to mitigate legal safe havens for perpetrators.

3. Rescind Executive Order (EO) 13950 CBRN weapons are indiscriminate in their effect. However, in a disaster that follows their use, women bear the brunt of the effects. Studies have shown that women are often the ones most affected due to psychological impact, displacement, social stigma and discrimination. As primary caregivers at home and in communities, as in any disaster, women carry the burden of caring for their families despite the circumstances they may find themselves. In this respect, having both a gender and cultural lens on US policies is important. The CBRN field has not adequately included diverse voices and viewpoints.

While we must aim to bolster and amplify diverse insights and perspectives offered in 4

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

this space, we must also combat systemic racism. EO 13950, however, shuts down diversity training and events in the federal government. We recommend rescinding EO 13950 immediately so CBRN discussions, training, and events can be unrestricted and effectively delivered through a gender and diversity lens.

4. Lead Efforts on Regional Nuclear Stability The United States has a vested interest in promoting regional peace and stability: preventing a nuclear arms race in the Western Pacific with China; a denuclearized North Korea; averting any nuclear-flare ups in South Asia escalating from border skirmishes between India and Pakistan; and avoiding a nuclear-armed Iran and an arms race in the Middle East. China poses a unique challenge to the United States and has been building up a massive military and asymmetric technologies. It is important that the United States devise strategies that engage China in strategic stability discussions and determines the rules of engagement on the deployment and use of new technologies like hypersonic, cyber weapons, and anti-satellite missiles. Overall, the U.S. efforts should be aimed towards lowering the likelihood of a conflict in the regional hotspots while restoring the U.S. leadership in nonproliferation, counter-proliferation and arms control.

5. Countering Bioweapons and Bioterrorism The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed to the world the indiscriminate threat of a virus on global citizens and the economy. As the pandemic has severely impacted billions of lives and has far-reaching consequences to health security, it is important that the U.S. government undertakes active leadership to deter state and non-state actors from developing natural or artificially engineered viruses and pathogens that could be used as bioweapons. The U.S. government must focus its efforts on countering bioweapons investments, creating comprehensive immediate and long-term strategies for health security preparedness and early warning, guidelines for individual preparedness in the event of a CBRN attack, and a strengthened rapid response. The U.S. government should also reconsider negotiating the creation of a verification mechanism for the Biological Weapons Convention to ensure that a technical body exists to oversee the effective implementation of the Convention.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Climate Change Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Kaidie Williams and Dr. Ruda V. Kapila

Background Today more than ever before, climate change is at the top of the list in discussions surrounding our environment. WCAPS is heartened to see that environmental justice is central to the Biden Plan for climate change and clean energy. Below, we highlight key recommendations for the first 100 days, which would prioritize Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color (BIPOC), at both the global and national level.

Below are WCAPS climate change priorities and recommendations for the Biden Administration.

1. Climate Diplomacy Day One: rejoin the Paris Agreement as a signal to the world about the U.S. commitment to tackling climate change.

Strengthen the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) The 2015 NDC may no longer be valid or relevant for a post-COVID world. Focus should be on more ambitious targets of reducing greenhouse gases, but that is also achievable. The aim being, to demonstrate credibility and long-term sustainability to the world, along with an overall objective of immediacy. However, this will require inter-agency coordination, congressional collaboration, and outreach to domestic stakeholders. Therefore, the NDC may not be ready within the first 100 days. Technically, an NDC is required to be in place within 30 days, though a ‘placeholder’ NDC could be used to signify intentions.

Ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), because the impacts of climate change are not gender-neutral. It is essential to link gender equality with sustainability and climate change, all within the context of disaster risk reduction. Ratification will signal a commitment to women, especially rural and indigenous women who are on the frontlines of extreme weather events that further exacerbate inequalities.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Note: We understand that ratification of CEDAW is a tall order with the likely composition of the Senate, however the significance of General Recommendation 37 (GR37) should be recognized and incorporated into the NDC and relevant domestic climate policies.

2. Climate Policy Implement an Indigenous Guardianship Program, similar to those in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Such programs have increased the sustainability and efficacy of resource management programs to meet climate and conservation targets. This should include a full management provision, rather than the current ‘co-management’ policy.

Increase funding to support indigenous science and management practices to reduce risk of wildfire. For example, such programs should coordinate with other state/local forestry agencies, which include community-based solutions, building a broad coalition of indigenous rangers and land owners, with fire ecologists.

Equity and Environmental Justice (EJ) should be rooted into all governance structures across all Agencies and the Executive. We recommend that a special council is formed to coordinate interagency EJ policies, in particular to reverse/revisit over 100 policies that focus on air, land and water quality, which significantly impact low-income communities and BIPOC. Establish an Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) division within the Office of the Attorney General. We believe it is critical to show a strong commitment to ECJ enforcement, and accountability for polluters that target BIPOC.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Conflict Prevention, Peacekeeping and Peacemaking Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Asha Akosan, Christie R. Jones and Ona Wang

Background The Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation (WCAPS) aims to ensure women of color play a meaningful role and have a voice in conflict prevention and reconciliation, human security, peacebuilding, and peacekeeping in the United States and abroad.

Below are WCAPS conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacemaking priorities and recommendations for the Biden administration.

1. Gun violence in the United States Increased gun violence should be addressed as both a public safety and public health issue. We recommend: ● Enacting the key components of the Brady Comprehensive Plan;1 ● Funding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) evidence- based research on the gun violence epidemic; and ● Redirecting Federal funding from the militarization of Federal/state/local law enforcement agencies toward community-initiated, community-based programs aimed at stemming gun violence, with a focus on gender-based violence, school violence, and violence in minoritized communities.

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https://www.bradyunited.org/the-brady-plan

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

2. Immigrant and Refugee Protection Immigration policies that separate children and infants from parents or guardians and “roll back” protections for refugees and women (both cisgender and transgender) experiencing violence must end. We recommend: ● Eliminating automatic detention and family separation at the U.S./Mexico border; ● Reinstating the refugee status for Central American immigrants fleeing state violence and strengthening immigration policies protecting women and members of the LGBTQ+ community fleeing domestic, partner, and community-based violence; and ● Locating all children forcibly separated from their families and ensuring responsible governmental agencies work cooperatively with non-governmental organizations to safeguard the children’s well-being and reunite them with their families.

3. Gender-Based Violence Gender-based violence is a public health crisis and a barrier to peacemaking and gender mainstreaming. Survivors must shape the national conversation on sexual violence. We recommend: ● The enactment of policies, education, resources, and initiatives put forth in the 2020 Survivors’ Agenda.2

4. Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Reparations Racial equity and reconciliation require a process to address past grievances and ensure equitable and just policies for the future of the country. We recommend: ● The creation of and necessary support and resources for efforts towards a reparations commission, such as H.R. 40: Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act;3 ● Dialogue with Native American and Indigenous communities to include their voices in the plan for such a commission; and

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https://live-survivorsagendaorg.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-0919_SurvAgenda_English-1.pdf 3 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/40

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

● Adherence to current treaties honoring Indigenous rights to their own land.

5. Nuclear Disarmament The previous administration requested $44.5 Billion for FY 2021 to increase and upgrade the U.S. nuclear stockpile. In the belief that nuclear weapons are a threat to both national security and global peace, we recommend: ● Adherence to the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) making nuclear weapons a violation of international law; ● Ending the plan to replace the U.S. nuclear arsenal with modernized, enhanced weapons; and ● In agreement with our colleagues on the CBRN Working Group, the renewal of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the US and Russia that is set to expire on Feb. 5, 2021.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Ayan Islam, Sean Shank and Sayako Quinlan

Background The WCAPS Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies Working Group (CETWG) recognize the importance of including diverse voices in the policies and decisions made on cybersecurity and in the advancement of new developments in emerging technologies.

Below are WCAPS cyber security and emerging technologies priorities and recommendations for the Biden administration.

1. Reform of the federal judiciary is a must.

Although this issue is seemingly unrelated to matters of emerging technology, U.S. district judges, appellate judges, and the Supreme Court will likely face a variety of cases related to emerging technologies in the near term. The federal judiciary will no doubt make long-lasting determinations on the extent to which major corporations, social media firms, and a variety of unregulated data brokers can or cannot use our personal data, aid law enforcement, and assist employers in ways that risk the privacy rights of women and communities of color. A federal bench that has been disproportionately shaped by the forces of institutional white supremacy, patriarchy, and unchecked corporate power is undemocratic, and must be corrected through court expansion and the appointment of progressive jurists.

2. The Biden-Harris administration should closely examine and publicly highlight the harmful role that social media outlets play in allowing white nationalist and authoritarian groups to spread disinformation and augment their online following.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Elected officials sympathetic to these groups and their causes may be temporary in terms of their time in office; however, the threats from these groups’ ideologies and their increasing popularity in the American political mainstream appears less fleeting. Social media firms that haphazardly amplify messages of hate end up threatening women and communities of color, and the very fabric of our democratic system of government.

“Band-aid” measures, such as the labeling of disputed information, is particularly insufficient when deplatforming is a viable alternative. Additionally, social media literacy is vital to combatting future disinformation campaigns by hate groups and statesponsored adversaries.

3. The growth of the cybersecurity industry represents a potential benefit to society at large, but the economic fruits of that growth still largely redound to the benefit of white male professionals.

We urge that the Biden-Harris administration work with states and advocates to develop legislation that promotes the development and hiring of women of color in cybersecurity, as well as support for Black-owned cybersecurity and other minority-owned/led technology firms. At a time when the development of and access to new technologies, including artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), cloud computing, and 5G, reflects the unconscious biases of white subject matter experts, greater enfranchisement for women of color in this field will prove beneficial for all from a national and international security perspective.

The aforementioned policies are initial recommendations for the first 100 days of the administration. While there are many other policies to consider, we recommend these policies with the goal of creating a sea-change in how women of color are included in the field.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Defense and Intelligence Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Carolyn Washington and Alexandra McCargo

Background The importance of defense and intelligence to the national security of the United States requires the input of diverse perspectives to ensure we are protecting the interests of all Americans.

Below are WCAPS defense and intelligence priorities for the Biden administration.

Revoke President Trump’s Executive Order 13950 on “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping,” issued on September 22, 2020, stating that various diversity, equity and inclusion training and awareness (i.e., color blindness, white privilege, meritocracy, action bias) highlighting inequities in race, sex and other protected class are contrary to the fundamental premises of our country.

In agreement with our WCAPS colleagues, this EO should be revoked. Denial of the everincreasing reality of systemic racism has further divided the country and its impact deeply ingrained in our institutions, schools, and government. Unfortunately, evidence of the need for diversity, equity and inclusion is found in the defense, diplomatic and development agencies. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reported the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) failure to represent the diverse composition of our nation. In the military, over 43% of the force is composed of minorities, however, general officers and senior leaders are majority white/male. Diverse leaders are needed champions for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Expand existing hiring paths within the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This effort would specifically target female veterans in the O6 grade, especially women of color for selection to the Senior Executive Service (SES).

Diversity in leadership at the strategic levels of government is a key to greater diversity and inclusion. Military personnel have several transferable skills to provide strategic leadership and qualify for these jobs. SES applicants must also serve at least one year at 13

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

the GS-15 level. GS-15 is the equivalent grade for military officers at the O6 grade, that is Colonels in the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps and Captains in the Coast Guard or Navy. Military specialties in all services can enhance the leadership in these agenciesintelligence, law, transportation, aviation, and finance to name a few, but especially in the area of National Security.

Implement measures for review of security clearance decisions. This would ensure that people, especially people of color, are not having their security clearances denied or suspended because of discrimination or retaliation.

We want diverse people working for the Intelligence Community (IC) who understand different regions of the world and possess language capabilities. If your clearance is revoked, there is almost nothing they can do to dispute it. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that security clearance determinations are exclusively within the purview of the Executive Branch and cannot be second-guessed by courts (see Department of the Navy v. Egan, 1988). The courts are barred from even reviewing the stated reasons for an agency’s security clearance decision, nor can they assess whether those stated reasons were a pretext for discrimination or retaliation.

Provide more initiatives, such as internships, for young women of color, in various academic fields. These fields would include STEM, fine arts, liberal arts, etc. within the Intelligence Community (IC), focusing on high schools and colleges. The IC needs to increase its diversity and look more like America.

Revitalize the U.S government’s engagement with Sub-Saharan Africa. The Obama administration had its “U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa” for engagement priorities and strategy on the Continent. Given the disdain towards African countries voiced by the Trump administration, policies and programs put forth by the new administration, that are designed to assist and support sub-Saharan African countries, should be well received by most African countries, particularly those linked to the African Diaspora and economic envelopment on both sides of the Atlantic. The Africa Command (AFRICOM) would play a major role in this engagement.

References 1. Heidi Gilchrist, A Security Clearance Nightmare, JustSecurity, September 6, 2017, Retrieved from https://www.justsecurity.org/44753/security-clearancenightmare-scarier/.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

2. The White House, Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping, 22 September 2020, Retrieved from: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidentialactions/executive-order-combating-race-sex-stereotyping/ 3. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), 27 January 2020, The State Department: Additional Steps Are Needed to Identify Potential Barriers to Diversity, Retrieved from: https://www.gao.gov/reports/GAO-20-237/.

4. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), June 2020, USAID: Mixed Progress in Increasing Diversity, and Actions Needed to Consistently Meet EEO Requirements.

5. U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, Retrieved from https://20092017.state.gov/documents/organization/209377.pdf.

6. USA Jobs, Explore Hiring Paths, Retrieved from https://www.usajobs.gov.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Global Advocacy and Diplomacy Working Group Working Group Chair Maritza T. Adonis Authors Maritza T. Adonis, Marielle Ali and Kristina Biyad Contributors Mari Faines, Jade Vasquez, Allison Henry-Plotts and Christina Bache

Background The WPS Act of 2017, when intentionally championed, not only ensures that women are equipped with the necessary skills and support to succeed, lead, and contribute meaningfully in all facets of national security, it also increases the durability and quality of peace both locally and globally. Consequently, this includes the new Administration taking swift action to repair the workforce diversity issue across the U.S. Departments of State, Defense, and USAID which would better position the 3D Agencies to successfully administer the implementation of acts such as WPS Act of 2017 and establish the infrastructure necessary to execute the U.S. renewed commitment to multilateralism. The U.S. minimal formal engagement with key multilateral organizations and withdrawal from international agreements have arguably left a vacuum for other developed nations to intercede. The new Administration is in a unique position to revitalize and redefine the U.S. position and brand on the global stage. As a result, GAD submits the following priority positions to the Biden-Harris Administration (“new Administration”) for consideration within and beyond the first 100 days of the new administration: (1) Women Peace and Security Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-68); (2) Championing Diversity at the State Department and related agencies; and (3) Reigniting Commitment to Multilateralism.

WCAPS is strategically positioned to inform policy makers on the issues of international diplomacy and global advocacy as thought leaders and managers. Below are WCAPS advocacy and diplomacy priorities and recommendations for the Biden Administration.

These recommendations are provided in our personal capacities and do not reflect the views of our professional or affiliations outside of WCAPS respectively.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

1. Women Peace and Security Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-68) Civil Society Organizations positioned the United States (“U.S.”) as a global leader in promoting the participation of women in politics, particularly during democratic transitions, conflict prevention, management, and resolution and post-conflict relief and recovery efforts through advocacy for and passage of the Women Peace and Security (WPS) Act of 2017. On October 6, 2017, the U.S. became the first country in the world to pass a comprehensive domestic law on WPS and subsequently integrate its implementation through a whole-of-government strategy primarily led by the U.S. Department of State (“State”), Department of Defense (“DOD”), and U.S. Agency for International Development (“USAID”). As a result, the new administration should integrate and champion the following recommendations within the new administration’s congressionally mandated WPS Strategy: ● Increase funding to provide technical assistance and training to women negotiators, peace builders, and stakeholders (including but not limited to NGOs and private sector entities engaged in or affected by conflict prevention and stabilization, peace building, security or related efforts) via crystallizing set-aside funding through the National Defense Authorization Act, State and Foreign Operations and related FY bills. ● Initiate a Presidential Commission on WPS comprised of diverse women from all stages of professional experience to: (1) address and deploy mechanisms that eradicate security-related barriers to women’s participation; (2) liaise with the Congressional WPS Caucus to support oversight of the implementation of the WPS Strategy and raise both public and congressional awareness on issues related to WPS priorities, policies, and key conflicts through programming and publication. ● Curate governmental public-private partnerships to increase and diversify women’s participation in U.S.- funded programs that provide both domestic and foreign nationals with law enforcement, rule of law, and/or military education training, simultaneously fostering collaboration with diverse women’s peace building local and national organizations where appropriate.

The WPS Strategy should ultimately champion the diverse roles that women play as agents of change in preventing and resolving conflict, countering terrorism and violent extremism, and building post conflict peace and stability, while also intentionally increasing women’s meaningful leadership in political and civic life.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

2. Championing Diversity in the U.S. State Department and Related Agencies Under the new Administration, State, USAID, and Defense (“3D agencies”) must build workforces that reflect the diverse composition of the U.S. and implement structural changes to ensure equal opportunity for hiring and promotion throughout the civil service, with an emphasis on increasing the racial diversity of the workforce. The new Administration can signal its commitment to championing diversity within the 3D agencies through the diverse appointments to its Transition and Agency Action teams.

As a result, the new administration should integrate and champion the following within the new administration’s Executive Order-led initiative to diversify the workforce of the 3D agencies: ● Design, implement and publish bold diversity and inclusion goals for each agency and establish a plan to review progress on these goals annually (to include but not limited to a critical review of the 3D agencies’ attrition rates, particularly for employees of color). ● Develop more effective recruitment and outreach strategies (with a special emphasis on targeting young people of color within their respective communities with the goal incentivizing them to pursue a career in civil service, simultaneously building awareness for Rangel, Pickering, Payne, and related programs). ● Creating an Assistant Secretary of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion position for each 3D agencies, supported with a full budget to build a team of Under Secretaries, Directors, and related respectively that will construct a review board to account for some (but not limited to) the following: (1) Revitalization of anti-bias training and mandating department wide professional development and training; (2) Eliminating potential for bias in the recruitment process by implementing mechanisms such as blind hiring, diversifying interview panels, and updating evaluation metrics.

3. Reigniting Commitment to Multilateralism As the U.S. prepares to “Build Back Better” post-COVID, it is imperative that the new Administration re-engage the U.S. as a global team player, effectively reigniting the U.S. commitment to multilateralism for a more sustainable, just, and equitable world. While the U.S. most imminent threats may be domestic, renewing international cooperation positions the U.S. and its allies to solve issues that transcend both locally and globally such as health, climate change, housing, immigration, extreme violence, poverty, gender 18

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

equality, and many more. As a result, the new administration should integrate and champion the following within the new administration’s bold plan to reignite the U.S. commitment to multilateralism:

a. Rejoin United Nations’ Agencies and International Agreements The new Administration must begin the administrative process of rejoining key United Nations’ agencies and mechanisms such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the United Nations Human Rights Council, among others. The new Administration must also rejoin key agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the United Nations Global Compact for Migration. Outside of the United Nations (UN), it can also work on strengthening its relationships with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

b. Ratify Existing International Law Treaties Although the U.S. aims to set human rights standards abroad, it has not ratified key international human rights treaties such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The new Administration must work closely with Members of Congress and the Department of State to sign and ratify these agreements.

c. UN Sustainable Development Goals Decade of Action The deadline to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is quickly approaching.

As cities throughout the country localize the Sustainable Development Goals, the new Administration should commit to submitting a voluntary national review at an upcoming session of the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. It would be the first submission from the United States since the adoption of the goals in 2015.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

d. United Nations Security Council In March 2021, the United States assumes the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council. An in-person visit and a strong, positive message from the new Administration at the opening session of the UN Security Council in March 2021 can set the tone for how the United States will engage both with the United Nations and its Member States in pursuit of peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development. This is an opportune moment that should not be missed.

e. Increased Number of Americans in International Organizations The State Department must be commissioned to develop, maintain, and execute a robust international appointments strategy to promote the hiring of more American nationals (including securing a multitude of senior positions) in multilateral institutions such as the UN, NATO, WTO, and many others. This includes but is not limited to the increased involvement in the UN, NATO, WTO and related multilateral organization’s Young Professional Programs, to include robust government funding to support Junior Professional Officer positions in key departments and agencies and expenses incurred

by Americans participating in voluntary global leadership and related within all multilateral organizations for which the U.S. is a member State.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Global Health Security Policy Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Jennyfer Ambe and Rahwa Osman Authors: Palmira Mangae, Tausi Suedi, Christine Kirithu-Kamamia, Katherine Perry, Audrey Jackson, Falgunee Parekh and Jennyfer Ambe

Background The Global Health Working Group, WCAPS, is requesting that the following topics are addressed by the new administration in the first 100 days; Equity and Justice; Maternal Health, and Global Health Security. We feel that this administration must tackle health equity from a holistic approach that encompasses all social determinants of health including racism and implicit bias. We know that we are all inextricably linked and are aware that these topics cannot be solved within a short time due to the systematic longterm practices that have occurred in different regions of the world, from colonialism to the Atlantic slave trade. However, there needs to be a concerted effort to address the challenges presented through the lens of equity, justice, and solidarity; decreasing barriers and challenges and improving access to health care which is a human right. We believe as we eliminate these barriers, together, we will improve the lives of people all over the world.

1. Equity as a Human Right Country governments need to act upon Equity and Justice, which are human rights that would provide the scaffold to improve the lives of underserved and vulnerable populations. Health equity means that people can access education and favorable socioeconomic and environmental conditions to live their best, healthiest lives possible. It means that minorities and vulnerable populations through universal health care mechanisms, can have access to high quality health care; facilities, therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics. It means access to education on healthy lifestyles; access to transportation, nutritious food, and other resources to overcome the barriers to good health. It would also mean access to COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. It is important to have health equity that supports women in their lifetime, and not only during their reproductive years. Women of color around the world are exceptionally vulnerable 21

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

especially when there is a disease outbreak of any magnitude. Women of Color also represent the majority of the frontline health care workforce, as we continue to see the challenges and burdens being experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Maternal Health Although the majority of maternal deaths occur in developing countries, in the United States, there is a disproportionate burden of maternal mortality that cuts across socioeconomic and educational attainment levels. Statistics show that African American women are most at risk for complications during labor and delivery resulting in alarming death rates. In the area of maternal health, there is a need for action, policies, funding, and change. This is an immediate call to action to mitigate this problem. Women and mothers are the bedrock of society. Informed by data, members of our working group know that if we focus on these issues, children, families, and communities will thrive.

3. Global Health Security It is abundantly clear from the ongoing pandemic that global health security will be a priority for the WCAPS members who are supporting the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and the GHSA Consortium. WCAPS members have seen how prior and ongoing investments in GHSA contributed to the COVID-19 global response, and we believe these efforts must be strengthened. We would be remiss not to include this in our summary.

The reasons for the support of GHSA are self-evident, as people of color are being affected the most during this pandemic. This will have a long-term and lingering impact on our communities of color globally. A whole-of-society approach to health security must include governments working together with civil society in a multi-sectoral global approach.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Human Rights Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Ronnate Asirwatham, Pratima T. Narayan and Jacklyn Waight

Background WCAPS focuses on ensuring WOC have a voice in the human rights space, while promoting human rights as a pillar of peace and security, national security and foreign policy. In addition to promoting the needs of communities of color in the US and abroad, WCAPS is particularly committed to amplifying the voices of human rights defenders at the grassroots level. We work to maintain WCAPS involvement in activities at the national, regional and interregional levels, including those at the UN, with a mission to encourage coordination and collaboration among WOC working in the human rights field to maximize impact.

Below are WCAPS human rights priorities and recommendations for the Biden administration.

Priority Issues for Next Administration 1. Immigration and Migration On a global scale, the past two years have witnessed unprecedented levels of migration spurred by conflict, extreme violence, climate change, a global pandemic and other humanitarian crises. Now, more than ever, it will be important for the US to rejoin and lead within the Global Compact for Migration where the country’s rich history can serve as a model and resource for other States, improving cooperation on international migration.

Domestically, the Trump Administration set a record low admissions target of 15,000 for refugees in 2021, and the Biden Administration has committed to receiving 125,000 refugees annually. It is integral that criminalization be taken out of the immigration narrative and that new, just, humane and feminist immigration policies are enacted for refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants. In the first week, we ask the new administration to: ensure families seeking asylum are not held in detention; halt deportations until a full review of the system can be conducted; and reunify families and 23

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

introduce a task force on reparations for asylees and refugees, especially those from Black migrant communities who may have been tortured in detention.

2. Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Across the world, women and girls of color are disproportionately impacted by sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) with relative impunity and a lack of access to adequate care. We would also like to call attention to the situation of male and LGBTQ survivors of SGBV. Transgender women, in particular, are more likely than others to experience sexual violence, with Black transgender women being the most affected.4 [1] WOC’s increased representation in decision-making bodies – from government delegations to community-level planning committees – would not only promote preventive approaches to dealing with SGBV, but also foster public discourse and raise awareness about the prevalence and impact of systemic sexism in our communities. In keeping with the Global Responsibility to Protect, the new administration should continue to develop and include gender-specific indicators in early warning and data collection frameworks, while strengthening support for organizations that provide timely and actionable information on gender-based emerging risk factors. Within the US, where the criminal justice system has repeatedly failed to adequately protect the human rights of WOC (ie. United States v. Morrison and Jessica Lenahan), we also call for renewal of a Violence Against Women Act that recognizes harm to our communities and provides for a Civil Rights Remedy.

3. Human Rights Diplomacy The US departure from the international human rights system has weakened the global regime for fighting impunity for human rights violations. Thus, as a matter of urgency, the US should return to the UN Human Rights Council and ratify core international human rights treaties. The new administration should foster greater cooperation with the International Criminal Court and reverse the Trump Administration’s Executive Order on Blocking Property Of Certain Persons Associated With The International Criminal Court.

Finally, given recent demands to protect the rights of marginalized groups in the US, the new administration should establish an independent National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) charged with monitoring and reporting on violations of human rights domestically,

4

Since 2013, there have been at least 137 reported victims of anti-transgender violence, with 81% of them being WOC. Human Rights Campaign 2019 report, NCAVP fact sheet.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

in keeping with previous recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review and the UN Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice.

4. Climate Change Most international statements on human rights and climate change emphasize the adverse impacts of climate change on nearly all aspects of life – the rights to life, food, water, health, housing, development, culture and self-determination. After rejoining the Paris Agreement, the Biden-Harris administration should commission a study on the impacts of environmental degradation on communities of color, particularly Indigenous communities, and the types of remedies and means of adaptation necessary to enjoy lives of human dignity.

5. Systemic Racism and Equality In the year 2020, the murder of George Floyd and countless incidents of police violence against Black people in the US sparked global outrage, prompting reflection and further studies on the causes and consequences of systemic racism. Within the criminal justice system, for example, WOC are disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration. We request that the principles of racial equality and non-discrimination be integrated into frameworks for addressing criminal justice reform, as well as the other key issues we have prioritized.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Illicit Trafficking Working Group Working Group Chair Kara Hernandez References EIA, WOLA, CSIS, Small Arms Survey

Background WCAPS seeks alternative ways to allow our members and the public at large to have more in-depth discussions on trafficking, including natural resources, drug, animal and human trafficking, which will provide both a gender and a cultural lens to relevant policies.

There has been an erosion of trust in the U.S. government as a credible leader for human rights and rule of law and has allowed economic and political elites to tear down anticorruption and good governance efforts. The Biden Administration has to work to build trust in our own country and around the globe.

Below are WCAPS illicit trafficking priorities and recommendations for the Biden administration.

General Recommendations ● Re-engage with regional governments, United Nations, and other international institutions. We need to rebuild multilateral cooperation. ● The United States should further leverage the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Magnitsky Act and State Department designations of corruption. ● Support countries and international agencies (like Costa Rica, WHO, etc.) in a global fight against Covid-19 and technology sharing. ● As noted by other working groups, recommitment to the Paris Agreement ● COVID-19 has increasingly pushed individuals towards engaging in illicit activities.

The Administration should focus on mitigating the impact of increased human interaction with the environment and of China’s increased disregard for environmental norms in the region through its continued development of its Belt and Road Initiative.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Humanitarian Drug Policy The United States must rethink harsh drug laws and sentencing policies, which have failed to make any dent in drug markets or the drug trade. Sentences need to be commensurate with the gravity of the crime committed, mandatory minimums should be eliminated, and the use of pretrial detention should be the exception rather than the rule, among other reforms. The United States should remove criminal penalties for possession and small-scale cultivation of drugs and drug crops, and create legally regulated markets, beginning with cannabis and other less dangerous substances, in order to take organized crime, and the violence and corruption it generates, out of the drug trade. Rather, we must provide alternatives to incarceration, creating movement on the United Nations “Bangkok Rules,” with the intention of improving the treatment of women and women of color in prison and promoting non-custodial alternatives.

A humanitarian drug policy also supports ending aerial fumigations in Colombia and across the globe. Not only does aerial fumigation have no long-term results, in a 2015 literature review published by the World Health Organization, they found that glyphosate, the chemical used in aerial fumigation, was “probably carcinogenic to humans.” It is antiIndigenous and ineffective.

Humanitarian Arms Trade •

Stop drone wars and the expanding use of drones, Special Forces raids, and relying on foreign partners to fight wars.

• Revoke the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force.

• Stop bad arms deals, including the $23 billion weapons sale to the United Arab Emirates. U.A.E. has been accused of committing war crimes in Libya, paying for child soldiers, and undercutting the transition to democracy in Sudan. Also, stop arms deals to Saudi Arabia. ● Recommit to the Arms Export Control Act and leadership surrounding the Arms Trade Treaty.

Addressing Human Trafficking To address human trafficking, focus must include sexual exploitation in addition to labor exploitation. Sex work should be legalized and/or decriminalized, and the voices of 27

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

survivors must be included at all levels of government and decision-making, including in the Biden Administration.

Immigration policy must improve to support foreign victims and address the backlogs of pending T Visa applications. There must be a stronger connection between human trafficking initiatives and cybersecurity forces, including budgets. The United States must also increase federal resources for tribal programs, expand tribal authority, boost coordination among law enforcement agencies, and improve data collection and exchange to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Children, and Two Spirits.

Addressing Wildlife and Natural Resources Trafficking We should denounce the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) weak ban that is ridden with loopholes pertaining to the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic (HFO). If the IMO would leave the Arctic, the Indigenous communities and wildlife would not face the risk of a HFO spill for another decade. In addition, the United States could support Indigenous and artisanal mining, fishing, and natural resource extraction across the globe.

Re-engage the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act. Address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and support seafood traceability. Increase funding, resources and capacity for Fish and Wildlife Service Inspectors working at U.S. ports of entry, so the U.S. can gather more data and detect more illegal shipments entering and transiting the country (San Francisco, Anchorage). We should link illegal resource extraction to larger anti-corruption efforts.

Address the impacts of resource extraction activities funded by international trade and finance institutions such as the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Trade Organization (WTO).

The U.S. should support surveillance and tracking of wildlife crimes, implement strong justice reform in order to correctly trace the masterminds, owners, and perpetrators of illegal mining and resource extraction. Engage ethical privacy data with civil society members in order to ensure any tracking is done correctly.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

International Development Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Jamila White and Gabrielle Gueye Authors: Dr. Christina Bache and Dr. Ashley D. Milton

Background Development, which as one of the pillars to promoting and protecting peace and security and U.S. National Security interest, needs to promote women’s empowerment, women’s inclusion, and diversity and inclusion.

Below are WCAPS international development priorities and recommendations for the Biden Administration.

Priority Issues for the Next Administration: 1. Women’s Meaningful Inclusion across the Peacemaking Landscape and Development Efforts The Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, comprising UNSCR 1325 and eight subsequent resolutions, is an essential blueprint for transforming global power dynamics that favor traditional security perspectives. Since September 2020, 86 countries have adopted a National Action Plan in support of UNSCR 1325. Despite progress on specific aspects of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, women continue to be denied strategic roles and are systematically shut out from important decisions that intimately affect them.

Research findings demonstrate that an agreement is 20% more likely to last at least 2 years and 35% more likely to last at least 15 years - if women are included in the decisionmaking process. Governments, especially those that have enacted a National Action Plan, must recognize the importance and contribute to the meaningful inclusion of women – where women from diverse backgrounds have decision-making authority – across the peacemaking landscape. If we want to bolster the womanism roots of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, we must act now to dislodge the patriarchal cultures and 29

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

institutions that impede women’s agency and meaningful participation across all spheres of society.

2. Importance of Women’s Economic Inclusion Women’s economic inclusion is central to realizing women’s rights, gender equality, and women’s meaningful inclusion across the peacemaking landscape and development efforts. Despite progress in labor force participation, women’s capacity to absorb economic, political, and social shocks is still typically less than that of men due to structural inequalities. Women earn less, hold less secure jobs, and are more likely to be employed in the informal sector, preventing them from accessing essential social protections, resources, savings, and capital. Women also comprise the majority of singleparent households and perform the majority of unpaid work. Thus, a development agenda driven by women’s economic inclusion and empowerment will have a positive trickledown effect, increasing children's education, household savings, and investment.

3. Increased Diversity and Inclusion in Leadership Roles as a Matter of National Security Development leaders inclusive of diverse women of color with various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds are essential for developing policies that meet the global challenges of the 21st century. Inclusive development must reflect the myriad of voices and lived experiences that make up America and foster development innovations that are inherent where diversity is prioritized. Research findings demonstrate that minorities represent 22% of the officer corps in the military and far less in enlisted forces, Black Americans represent 15% of the total workforce at the Department of State and only 6% of the Foreign Service, and overall minorities remain in low- to mid-career positions. To increase the number of diverse women of color in critical leadership roles, we must act by acknowledging that diversity is not a source of weakness but one of our greatest sources of strength.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Latin America and Caribbean Region Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Deyanira Murga and Maria Jose Espinosa Carrillo

Background WCAPS assists women in the Latin America and Caribbean region achieve their goals by becoming the focal point for all security disciplines that will support and promote women's leadership and equality in Latin and Caribbean countries, through the empowerment and inspiration of our leading professionals.

We have identified two important issues that have affected the development of the role of women, that need to continue to be part of our government administration agenda.

However, new strategies also need to be considered, together with models that will implement more effective support mechanisms and manage to transform women's lives towards better opportunities and safe spaces.

Below are WCAPS Latin America and Caribbean region priorities and recommendations for the Biden Administration.

Priority Issues for the Next Administration 1. Violence against Women in Latin America and the Caribbean Violence against women limits their development and participation in a country's political and economic life.

Violence against women is a global pandemic, and the Latin America and the Caribbean is the most violent region for them. This is largely attributed to the entrenched patriarchal culture governing virtually all the customs and practices of daily life, which have relegated and limited the rights and freedoms of women. This culture naturalizes violence against women, produces stereotypes, perpetuates and reproduces discrimination. In Latin America, women suffer the most from the effects of low-income levels and inequality.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Although the region is regarded as middle-income countries, there are still high levels of inequality and social exclusion, especially among women, indigenous and Afrodescendant peoples, and young people. Latin America has made progress in its legislation, with laws that gradually address the physical, psychological, sexual, economic and economic components of violence. This normative development is the result of the efforts of feminists who have fought to position violence against women on the public and political agenda of countries in the region.

Notwithstanding any new regulatory development, in practice, the implementation of these legislations has not been as effective as expected. To name the first major obstacle, there are very low rates of reporting by women as victims of violence, while the number of violent acts against women has increased and diversified. This disparity reflects the problems and limitations in the application of these laws, which seeks to address violence against women. Such standards have lacked a comprehensive perspective that should place the victim at the center of the process and instead provides protection for the aggressor.

In many cases, officials in public institutions do not have the level of gender perspective training to deal in an appropriate manner with the cases that reach them. Even civil society (What are you trying to say) organizations have documented how women of victims of violence are revictimized by public servants during the due diligence process.

There is an institutionalized lack of understanding of this serious issue that has resulted in low prosecution of offenders. In addition to the above, there is impunity in the justice process, where judges and experts lack the tools to promote gender perspective and help punish the guilty.

International organizations such as UN Women have documented that female victims of violence (domestic, labor or in the public space) do not report. For example, in Mexico City, violence committed against women by their husbands/partners have been estimated to be the third most important cause for the death of women's. One in three women suffer from domestic violence from their husband/ partner.

Violence against women also has intergenerational consequences because, when women experience violence, their children suffer. Therefore, initiatives to address violence against women should also consider ways to prevent and respond to violence against children.

Facts to consider: ● Evidence indicates that violence against women can be prevented.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration ●

● ●

● ● ● ●

Decision makers and public policies in Latin America and the Caribbean should consider that one of the main problems is that women who suffer and experience violence do not always seek help, often because they do not know where to go or do not trust that they will receive effective, compassionate, and confidential aid from the authorities.

The importance of raising awareness of violence against women as a public health problem.

Establishment of coalitions and networks of government and civil society institutions that can work together to establish and implement comprehensive approaches to address violence against women.

Use technology for community mobilization and social communication to achieve social change.

Engage with men and boys to promote non-violence and gender equality.

Provide early intervention services to at-risk families.

Life plan project to victims to achieve a better future.

In this sense, the prevention of violence against women and gender-based violence implies a cultural transformation of Latin American and Caribbean societies. The involvement of education is vital to help with the prevention and deconstruction of ingrained socio-cultural patterns, that begin with children and adolescents.

2. Education for women who are the main source of their household income Violence against women limits their development and participation in a country's political and economic life. It is clear that reducing violence against women would ensure that countries achieve greater and more equitable growth. In Latin America, regulatory development has focused on hardening penalties as a strategy to solve the social problems of violence against women. Despite the creation of harsh laws and approaches, the problem of aggression against women persists and threatens the human rights, public health, development, social cohesion and security of the region Establishing greater opportunity and access to education for women who are the main source of income for their families, is paramount in order to promote their development, ensuring that they are able to achieve better skills that improve their professional role without having to sacrifice their home economy, parenting and safety.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Redefining National Security Working Group Working Group Chair Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins

Background WCAPS aims to develop a dialogue on how the United States defines national security today and how we can promote a definition and direction that is more reflective of the threats facing all Americans. We are at a time when as a country, we must reflect on how we protect all of our citizens in a manner that recognizes the different threats minorities and women of color face and that are not completely the same experienced by white America.

Cultivating Common Convergence Sub-Working Group Sub-Working Group Co-Chairs Tabatha Pilgrim Thompson and Rachel Thomas

1. Promote a mutual understanding and enhance cooperation between civil society and defense The Department of Defense, with a budget proposal of $740 billion and a personnel force of around 1.4 million across the world carries a tremendous global impact. Its actions, especially those of the functional combatant commands (CCMDs), must be both effective in the community and preventative of further destabilization to the local population. Other departments and agencies such as the State Department and USAID have extensive knowledge engaging with civil society, and these best practices and lessons learned should be standardized and institutionalized across the interagency. To this end, an interagency working group or task force should be established to ensure that all programs and activities carried out by the defense sector are both in alignment with the needs of the local population and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), taking especially into account the needs and protections for historically marginalized groups such as women of color and members of the LGBTQ community.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

2. Re-examine the proper deployment and use of military force and military-grade weapons against U.S. citizens.

As our country seeks to address ongoing issues of racism, economic disparity, and other structural inequities, the rise in social protest and nonviolent movements domestically has sparked violent repression. Despite existing laws and authorities governing the deployment of troops for law enforcement purposes, including the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 and the Insurrection Act, federal and state response to the George Floyd protests this summer highlight the need to re-examine these existing authorities. While current and former military leaders were quick to speak out against the use of military force in the wake of the violent clearing of protestors in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020, the continued use of National Guard troops, and the deployment of military weaponry, including by law enforcement, signal the need for a broader conversation on what it means to protect and serve the American public and determine whether additional legal frameworks are needed to codify principles of engagement.

3. Examine, counter, and prevent white supremacist and militia infiltration in the U.S. Armed Forces The Department of Defense and Veterans Administration should adopt policies that reaffirm their stances against white supremacism and hate-based ideologies, to collect and share comprehensive data regarding white supremacist and extremist group associations and activities of service members and veterans, and provide deradicalization and rehabilitation to service members and veterans with white supremacist and hate-based ideation.

4. Address the serious lack of mental health support and resources for veterans’ reintegration into civilian life and study the effects of PTSD in law enforcement The rates of suicide and mental health issues in veterans, especially veterans of color, emphasizes the lack of adequate resources for treatment and diagnosis of underlying issues. There are approximately 18 million veterans in the United States; of this workforce, women make up 9.5%, and women of color make up over 36% of female 35

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

veterans. Of veterans that reside on or below the poverty line, 9.4% are women. The Administration must uphold its campaign promises to ensure robust financing and oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on structured and consistent mental health assessments and resources as well as follow-ups. Additionally, they must direct further research into the effects of mental health and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as it relates to veterans in law enforcement, to include use of excessive force. In order to ensure the research and actions are inclusive and representative of the entire demographic, people of color, especially women and those who are members of the LGBT community, must be actively engaged in the process to include in research, working groups, task forces, and implementers.

5. Center leadership for initiatives to rebalance investments in diplomacy, development, and defense on women of color and representatives from the communities these efforts are meant to serve WCAPS recognizes three issues in terms of balancing diplomacy, development and defense (“the 3Ds”): 1) no parity of funding; 2) little parity of status among agencies; 3) little parity of status in understanding U.S institutions and the communities these efforts are meant to serve.

The defense budget has ballooned at the expense of diplomacy and development. Yet military leaders have said that spending more on diplomacy and development hurts the security of the country. It is necessary that investment into the 3D’s are rebalanced to ensure parity and that women of color are included in decision making positions. In the interagency space where the 3D’s do meet, defense is mostly the sector that has the biggest funding that has the loudest voice and therefore it will be important for center leadership to create a culture where there is parity of status between agencies to ensure agencies don’t work in silos. In a recent international dialogue with local communities “Platform4Dialogue” sponsored by WCAPS, Alliance for PeaceBuilding and Peace Direct, the communities 3D’s are meant to serve showed distrust of the U.S and articulated the need for the U.S to engage them with equal respect. Their recommendations can be found here.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Intersectionality of National Security Sub-Working Group Sub-Working Group Co-Chairs Allyn Anderson, Heather Ashby, Heather Hwalek and Isabel Romero Authors Heather Yang Hwalek, Heather Ashby and Amber Demery The incoming Biden-Harris administration’s national security policy will need to account for a long list of issues, including threats outside our traditional conception of security.

From the current COVID-19 pandemic to long-term work to address climate change, the administration must also work to rebuild trust in the institutions that facilitate the international cooperation needed to solve these global problems. Setting aside a prioritized list of topic areas in the national security field the first 100 days of the incoming administration will be a critical moment to set the culture, tone, and framework for fostering an inclusive national security that not only reflects a diverse America, but works for a diverse America.

Intersectionality of National Security in this context seeks to improve policy analysis, decision-making, and outcomes through a nuanced understanding of the social and economic context of identity groups in America and globally. After all, the aim of national security policy should be to provide a collective security which allows all members of a society to thrive. Recognition of how national security policies affect different groups differently, and how the particular experiences of individuals from diverse groups and/or with overlapping identities shape their knowledge and skills, can equip our policy apparatus to be able to make better decisions for more equitable outcomes.

Below are recommendations for what the new administration can do in the first 100 days to harness the power of an intersectional lens and set the tone for national security policymaking:

1. Staff national security agencies with people who demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and intersectional understanding.

This goes beyond the tokenism of checking diversity boxes. Where the administration is empowered to select individuals for management positions, transition teams should look

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

for leaders who have a record of promoting diversity in addition to reflecting the diverse makeup of the United States.

2. Foster a culture of constructive criticism and independent thinking.

Staffing is not the only place where the administration should foster diversity. Building back from an environment where dissent was stifled, political convenience was prioritized over facts, and professionals were sidelined or dismissed for pushing back on illegal or unethical actions, will require promoting diversity in thinking. It will be impossible to critically evaluate national security policy and understand its disparate impacts without welcoming criticism overall. Furthermore, penalizing divergent viewpoints further solidifies the dominant establishment, in which groups like women of color have faced barriers to advancement.

3. Establish a system to evaluate policies for impact.

In addition to considering intersectionality in the inputs to the policy process, it is also important to consider outputs. The administration has an opportunity to establish frameworks to analyze how policy decisions affect particular communities within the United States and abroad. These frameworks can provide a voice to these communities even when they are not directly involved in the policy-making process.

By prioritizing these three areas, the incoming administration could begin establishing a culture of inclusivity, fostering diversity in staff and thought, and intentionally driving equitable impact.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

South West Asia and North Africa Working Group Working Group Co-Chairs Neda Shaheen and Kristina Biyad Authors Layla Abi-Falah, Neda Shaheen and Kristina Biyad

Background WCAPS seeks to promote the voices and advance the professional development of women of color in the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) regions, commonly called the Middle East, in the fields of international peace, security, and conflict transformation.

Below are WCAPS SWANA priorities and recommendations for the Biden Administration.

Priority Issues for the Next Administration: 1. Racism, Colorism and Discrimination in the SWANA Region and Amongst Diaspora Population The death of George Floyd thrust a lens on racism and discrimination against Black people in the U.S. and abroad, including in the SWANA region and the diaspora.

Systematic racism, colorism and white supremacy, stemming from decades of colonial rule, still infects the region and its people, embodied in the Kafala system and anti-Black prejudice. Under the Kafala system, migrant workers--particularly women--from Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines--are subjected to conditions likened to modern-day slavery where workers’ basic human rights are denied by employers who withhold passports, pay insufficient rates, and frequently abuse workers. This system exists alongside the enduring slave trade in places such as Libya and Mauritania, reflective of the history of the region as a key player in the world slave trade since the 1600s.

Post-colonial sentiments have carried over into the United States through the diaspora population, where immigrants and children of immigrants from the SWANA region are 39

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

misclassified as White or Caucasian under the US Census, thus dismissing the existence of Black and Brown individuals in the SWANA diaspora. Racism and discrimination against Arab Americans and others stemming from the SWANA region has manifested in targeted actions against the community under the guise of national security. This has not only alienated immigrants and first-generation Americans, but has furthered the racial divides of the community, as well as deprived the community of access to basic services and civil rights protections.

2. Palestinian-Israeli Conflict The Trump Administration has dealt a damaging hand to the peace process between Palestine and Israel, severely undermining Palestinian rights in the process. From moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem and cuts in U.S. aid to Palestinians, including the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to the closure of the PLO Mission to Washington and a refusal to denounce continued destruction of Palestinian homes. The next Administration should seek to undo the damage done and ensure that the U.S. relationship with Israel does not come at the expense of Palestinian human rights. The Biden Administration should support international efforts to advance a peaceful solution to the conflict that offers both Palestinians and Israelis dignity, security, and self-determination. We encourage the Biden Administration to work with members of 117th U.S. Congress to support and advance legislation that reaffirms American commitment to a two-state solution and rejects the idea of annexing territory acquired by force.

3. The Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen Yemen is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with more than 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, the majority of whom are women and children. Like in many conflicts in SWANA, women and girls have been disproportionately affected due to gender stereotypes and patriarchal attitudes in the region. With the Trump Administration preparing to designate Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi insurgents as a terrorist organization, aid efforts will be severely disrupted and will only lead to more suffering. The Biden Administration should seek to increase aid to the most vulnerable populations, particularly to issues of women’s health, and participate in a peace process that also takes into consideration women’s rights and women’s participation.

Also, as noted by the Illicit Trafficking Working Group, the Biden Administration should take swift action to cease all U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which have been linked to civilian attacks throughout the country. There is bipartisan support to end the war in 40

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Yemen and cease U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and a Biden Administration should work with Congress to reintroduce and advance this legislation aimed at ending U.S. involvement in the war.

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