International security has never suffered from a shortage of expertise. What it often struggles with is perspective. At a time of renewed strategic competition, growing nuclear risk and increasingly contested ideas about what security itself means, understanding how others perceive threat has become more, not less, important.

Australia’s first Statement on Space concedes that the country depends on orbital systems it does not control, then answers that vulnerability with supply chains, launch pads and procurement terms. The blunter question — who has the power to switch those systems off — is still waiting for a policy language to describe it.

Eighty years after its founding, the United Nations’ highest office has never been led by a woman. As calls for a Madame Secretary-General grow louder amidst heightened financial and political pressures, the next appointment will test whether the UN is committed to breaking glass ceilings or if women are still expected to lead only in times of crisis.

In this episode, Poppy sits down with Jane Hardy — Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre and former Australian senior career diplomat. Over three decades, Jane served in seven Australian embassies across the Indo-Pacific, the United States, and Europe, including four at ambassador level. Her expertise spans US-Asia relations, Indo-Pacific security, arms control, and the Australia-US alliance.

Women migrant workers under Australia’s PALM scheme face layered vulnerabilities. Legal dependence on employers has heightened visa precarity, constrained reproductive autonomy, and limited maternity care, suggesting that reproductive justice is an imperative for equitable and safe labour mobility. The systemic gaps in the protection and provision of reproductive rights undermine Australia’s claims to be a credible partner in the region. 

In the opening episode, podcast host Poppy sits down with Deputy President of WIIS-A, Dr. Shannon Zimmerman. Poppy and Shannon discuss the links between arts and security disciplines, Dr Zimmerman’s experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine, and her creative approaches to peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

Beyond serving as the basis of the global counter-terrorism architecture, the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy calls for commitments to human rights, the rule of law, civil society engagement, and gender sensitivity. It positions human rights as fundamental and the basis for effective counter-terrorism activities.

On 18th February 2026, Women in International Security – Australia (WIIS-A) partnered with Women in Defence Association (WiDA) for an in-person International Women’s Day event at Clayton Utz. The event brought the WIIS-A and WiDA Victorian community together to discuss the upcoming National Defence Strategy, which is expected to be published in early 2026.

On 5 February 2026, Women in International Security–Australia Inc. (WIIS-A) hosted a virtual panel event titled “Women of Colour In International Security”. The discussion brought together practitioners, researchers, and advocates to explore why intersectionality matters in international security, focusing on how race and gender shape the experiences of women of colour.

A pattern is emerging that defence and foreign policy practitioners can no longer afford to ignore: the geopolitics of gender backlash. What might be called the new manospheres of influence—digitally enabled, algorithmically amplified networks of misogynistic mobilisation—are increasingly intersecting with security discourse, election integrity debates, and geopolitical competition.

From selective repatriations in 2022 to outright refusal in 2026, Australia’s approach to ISIS returnees reveals a pattern of reaction without institutional consolidation.

Understanding and addressing trafficking dynamics along the Indonesia–Timor-Leste border is therefore critical for Australia, because targeted cooperation, improved data, and gender-sensitive, victim-centred approaches can prevent exploitation while strengthening regional governance.

The arrest of junior doctor Ryan Cho in July 2025 for allegedly installing spycams in a Melbourne hospital shocked many Australians. At first glance, it might appear as an aberrant breach of trust: a young professional exploiting his position in a space meant to guarantee care and safety. Yet Cho’s crime is not best understood in isolation.

Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia has released a landmark report highlighting the urgent need for improved reporting mechanisms as more than one-third of Australians now express negative attitudes toward Muslims, with hate crimes particularly targeting hijab-wearing women and those of Palestinian and Arab backgrounds. Beyond addressing Islamophobia specifically, Australia needs a comprehensive national hate crimes register covering all minority groups to combat growing social polarization and ensure equal protection for vulnerable communities.

On 21 August 2025, Women in International Security – Australia Inc. (WIIS-A) partnered with the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue (AP4D) to host an online panel event entitled “Diversity in Development, Diplomacy and Defence.” This discussion brought together experts and leaders from policy, research and advocacy backgrounds to explore how diversity, equity and inclusion can be meaningfully advanced across the interrelated fields of diplomacy, development, intelligence and defence.

In recent years, diversity and inclusion have been at the forefront of political and defence dialogues. However, while efforts have increased representation of women and other traditionally marginalised communities, why are these groups still facing the same oppression?

Following WIIS-A's engaging e-discussion with guest expert Shatabhisha Shetty, Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network, we were delighted to continue our conversation with her in a more relaxed, off-the-record Q&A session. This blog post captures our members' questions and Shata's thoughtful and insightful responses, with anonymity provided to questioners.

Why, in 2024, must we ask where are the women in international affairs? It should be obvious. It should be superfluous. The women should be right there, in the midst of it all. With increased women’s representation in our most prominent international security institutions in Australia, and a robust plethora of research indicating women’s participation improves security outcomes, this question should be outdated.

On Tuesday, November 28th, Women in International Security – Australia Inc. was fortunate enough to have a conversation with Dr Sarah Percy from the University of Queensland. Dr Percy discussed her new book Forgotten Warriors: The History of Women on the Front Line  published with Hachette Australia.

COVID-19 has been declared a public health emergency of international concern and a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. This global threat to health security underscores the urgent need to accelerate progress on achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: good health and well-being. It also reveals what is less obvious, but no less urgent: how health emergencies such as COVID-19, and the response to them, can exacerbate gender inequality and derail hard-won progress not only on SDG 3 but SDG 5 (Gender Equality).