Foreign Policy Institute for State Legislators
The Center launched the Foreign Policy Institute for State Legislators in 2001 — and it is the first program in the United States to bring state-level women policy makers into the world of foreign policy.  The Institute’s intensive curriculum, presented by an expert faculty, prepares a carefully selected group of women state legislators each year to understand — and then influence — US foreign policy as it affects women at home and around the world.

Institute graduates take on a global vision and leadership for women’s human rights — at home and abroad.  They understand the connection between the needs of women and girls in their own communities and their counterparts throughout the world.  And they take action.

Each year, the Center brings women state legislators to Washington, DC for intensive presentations by a faculty of top foreign policy and foreign assistance experts — from national and international women’s human rights organizations, academia, and the media.  The faculty also includes women leaders from around the world — elected officials, heads of women’s organizations, and Ambassadors to the United States. Through contacts with these leaders, Institute participants learn firsthand how our foreign policy affects women globally.

Institute participants also meet with senior officials of the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).  And they spend a day on Capitol Hill where they meet with members of Congress and their senior staffs.

In its first nine years (2001-2009), the Foreign Policy Institute has graduated 110 state legislators from 41 states

The Center convened the 2009 Foreign Policy Institute for State Legislators in Washington, DC, July 12 - 16. Click here to learn more about the program and participants!