A Seat at the Table: a Twitter-ful list of women crucial to foreign policy
In 1994, I got a job working for Madeleine Albright. She was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. As a newly minted graduate of international relations I couldn’t be more thrilled – and terrified. How do you keep up with one of the smartest women in foreign policy? You talk to her. You talk to everybody. While reading about the Arab uprisings and Eurozone crisis is important, it’s critical to engage.
Foreign policy is largely a sea of grey suits. As I sit in meetings in Washington D.C. or at the Council on Foreign Relations I’m struck by how few women speak up or sit at the table.
Ladies, it’s time we sit at the table.
But where do you start? International relations is a massive sea of continually changing topics.
Here is a list of women on Twitter talking about and sharing their knowledge about today’s top foreign policy headlines. Today’s headlines. This list doesn’t include many critical topics or places (yes, Israel, India and Europe in general are missing). The individuals listed here are also not one-issue ladies either. @jilliancyork and @krmaher are great sources for the Middle East. @texasinafrica and @meowtree are great sources on development.
Why is this list so long?
Because there aren’t just 10 female foreign policy experts. There are a A LOT of women who follow and work on critical national security and international relations issues - just as there are a lot of men. No difference really, except may be we don’t recognize it enough.
So, without further adieu:
Top Three
@natsecHeather Heather Hurlburt : A former speechwriter for Madeleine Albright, Executive Director, National Security Network.
@texasinafrica Laura Seay : Political professor Morehouse College.
Arab spring
@lrozen Laura Rozen : Senior foreign policy reporter, Yahoo! News.
@slaughteram Anne-Marie Slaughter
@jessradio Jessica Hill : Middle East correspondent, The Global Mail
@aloraibi Mina al-Oraibi : Iraqi journalist in London.
@lara Lara Setrakian : Middle East reporter for ABC News and Bloomberg Television.
Egypt
@laurenbohn Lauren Bohn : Fulbright scholar in Egypt, Cairo Review editor
@amiralx Amira Salah-Ahmed : business editor and journalist,The Daily News Egypt
Iran
@oxfordgirl Anonymous
Iraq
@rawyarageh Rawya Rageh : Al Jazeera English Reporter
@kellymcevers Kelly McEvers : NPR’s Baghdad Bureau Chief
@laurenist Lauren Jenkins : Education for Peace in Iraq Center
Saudi Arabia
@saudiwoman Eman al-Nafjan : Blogger who writes on issues in Saudi Arabia.
Turkey
@claireberlinski Claire Berlinski : Freelance journalist based in Istanbul
Bahrain/Saudi Arabia
@justamira Amira al-Hussaini : journalist and editor, Global Voices Online for the Middle East and North Africa.
Libya
@hebamorayef Heba Morayef : Human Rights Watch Researcher on Egypt and Libya.
Yemen
@kasinof Laura Kasinof : New York Times , Yemen
Syria
@syrianjasmine
@eafesooriyah E.Assia : Writer and photographer based in Syria
Eurozone crisis
@mcaruso_cabrera Michelle Caruso Cabrera : CNBC’s Chief International Correspondent.
@economistmeg Megan Greene : Economist specialising in the Euro crisis and analyzes Ireland/Greece/Portugal/Spain/Italy/Germany.
@BBCStephanie Stephanie Flanders : Economics Editor for the BBC.
@matinastevis Matina Stevis: Works for Dow Jones Newswires and the Wall Street Journal
Russia
@miriamelder Miriam Elder : Guardian correspondent
@ioffeinmoscow Julia Ioffee : Contributor to Foreign Policy, Newsweek, Fortune and The New Yorker
Afghanistan/Pakistan
@cchristinefair Christine Fair : South Asian political-military affairs professor, Georgetown
@gaylelemmon Gayle Lemmon Tzemach : author, The Dressmaker of Kahir Khanna
@kalsoom82 Kalsoom Lakhani : Founder, Invest2Innovate, Blogger
@abihabib Maria al-Habib : Wall Street Journal correspondent, Kabul
@natalie_kabul Natalie Righton : Dutch journalist
China
@larsonchristina Christina Larson : Contributing editor, Foreign Policy
@quelquefois Amy Chang : former Fulbright fellow
@eyoonCNN Eunice Yoon : CNN correspondent Beijing
@sanchanta Mariko Sanchanta : Senior editor, Wall Street Journal
@marykissel Mary Kissel : Wall Street Journal editorial board
Africa
General
@dana_hughes Dana Hughes : ABC News, Africa
@rachelstrohm Rachel Strohm : writer focused on central Africa
Congo
@texasinafrica Laura Seay
Nigeria
@madayo Dayo Olopande : journalist and Yale Law school student
Liberia
@scarlettlion Glenna Gordon : photographer
Sudan
@bechamilton Rebecca Hamilton
Foreign policy 3.0
@krmaher Katherine Maher : National Democratic Institute, IT4D expert
@meowtree Linda Raftree : IT evangelist & expert
@techsoc Zeynep Tufekci : Sociology professor
@lksriv Lina Srivastava : Transmedia expert
@katrinskaya Katrin Verclas : Co-founder, Mobileactive.org
@jilliancyork Jillian York : Director for International Freedom of Expression@EFF, @globalvoices author board member
Guns, arms & war
@dianawueger Diana Wueger : Blogger, Gunpowder and Lead; Contributor, The Atlantic
@caidid Caitlin Fitzgerald : Civilian-Military expert
@drugwaranalyst Sylvia Longmire : Former USAF officer & security analyst
@allthingsCT Leah Farrall : ex-counter terrorism analyst
Women’s Rights & Justice
@annalouiesuss Anna Louise Sussman Editor : womenintheworld.org
@wolfe321 Lauren Wolfe, Director : Women Under Siege
@pamelascully Pamela Scully : Professor, Emory University
@gaylelemmon Gayle Lemmon Tzemach : Author, The Dressmaker of Kahir Khanna
@michelleinbklyn Michelle Goldberg : Senior writer Newsweek/The Daily Beast. Author, the Means of Reproduction
Mexico
@Mexicoreporter Deborah Donello : Video reporter for AFP & FT
@latintelligence Shannon O’Neil : Douglas Dillon Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations.
@drugwaranalyst Sylvia Longmire : Former USAF officer & security analyst
Economic aid & development
@alanna_shaikh Alanna Shaikh : International development activist & TED fellow
@bonniekoenig Bonnie Koenig : Author: Going Global for the Greater Good
@saundra_s Saundra Aid critic, donor educator, SmartAid advocate.
@mollykinder Molly Kinder : USAID’s Director
@nancymbirdsall Nancy Birdsall : President, Center for Global Development.
@penelopeinparis Penelope Chester : UN Dispatch contributor
Social entrepreneurship
@jnovogratz Jacqueline Novogratz : CEO, Acumen Fund
@priyaparker Priya Parker : MBA, & social entrepreneurship expert
@jocelynW Jocelyn Wyatt : Co-Lead and Executive Director of IDEO.org
@leila_c Leila Janah : Founder of Samasource,
@solar_sister Katherine Lucey : Founder & CEO, Solar Sister,
@kalsoom82 Kalsoom Lakhani : Founder, Invest2Innovate, Blogger
