WIIS Blog 

Author: Molly O'Connell This article discusses domestic violence and violence against women. Reader discretion is advised. Support resources are linked at the end of the article. In February of 2020, the Trump administration withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan in exchange for the Taliban’s assurance that the group would not attack the United States, or its allies. Additionally, the Taliban promised to uphold women’s rights within the country. Troops were slowly withdrawn fr

Author: Ami Jin Portugal’s presidential election confirmed the dominance of moderate socialism while revealing enduring far-right currents. António José Seguro, the Socialist Party candidate, won decisively, capturing 66.8%  of votes in major urban districts. Seguro celebrated the victory as a collective achievement : “This victory is not mine. It is ours. It belongs to every person who believed and has hope for a better country, for a modern and just Portugal, where we are a

Author: Jordan Rinaldi More than two decades after its adoption, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) is widely celebrated as a landmark achievement in international peace and security. Passed in 2000, it formally recognized that armed conflict affects women and men differently and affirmed the importance of women’s participation in peace processes, conflict prevention, and post-conflict reconstruction. However, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda seems t

Author: Alexa Marchetti   2025 marked a landmark year in the fight against gender-based violence   At 12:00 p.m. on November 21, 2025, thousands of protesters lay on the ground for 15 minutes in honour of the 15 women killed in South Africa due to gender-based violence. This action, known as the G20 Women’s Shutdown, prompted South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to classify gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster . Photo: UN Women

Author: Jordan Rinaldi Battlegrounds in the twenty-first century are coded in algorithms, servers, and encrypted networks rather than being delineated by physical boundaries or soldiers on the ground. Private cyber mercenaries are a new type of fighter that has evolved as states compete to control cyberspace. These actors operate in the hazy area between organized crime, defence, and espionage. They range from state-sponsored hacking collectives to for-profit cybersecurity fi

Author: Ami Jin Europe frequently presents itself as a global model of inclusion. The European Commission states that “ equality, diversity, and inclusion are a top priority .” Cities market themselves as cosmopolitan spaces where cultures meet and intermingle. Yet across the continent, the reality experienced by migrants is more complicated: their cultures are embraced, but their belonging is not. Image credits: DOSB  and Portugalthecountry Diversity is welcomed when it appe

Author: Alexa Marchetti On Sept. 23, Democrat Adelita Grijalva won the special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, gaining 69 percent of the vote over her Republican opponent. On Oct. 14, Arizona’s secretary of state officially certified Grijalva’s election. Despite these formal mandates, House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to administer the oath of office that would allow her to take her seat in Congress, claiming he will do so only once the House is back i

Author: Isabelle Lee Under Xi Jinping’s authoritarian rule, Chinese feminists face a resurgence of state suppression. The CCP’s tight control over public discourse has intensified through pervasive online censorship, surveillance, and intimidation. As a result, feminist activism has been forced underground. Photo Source: The Economist: China says it defends women's rights. So why attack feminists? In 2015, the arrests of the “ Feminist Five ” launched discussions of feminism

Author: Jordan Rinaldi The Indo-Pacific has become the world’s most contested maritime region, where great-power rivalry, technological warfare, and legal manipulation intertwine in what experts call grey zone conflict . These are actions deliberately calibrated to stay below the threshold of open war, exploiting ambiguity to advance political and military objectives without triggering confrontation. Nowhere is this more visible than in China’s campaign to reshape the regiona

Author: Alex McDonald Black smoke rose over Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, at the beginning of September. The sight of burning buildings, young people sprinting through the streets, and a heavy police presence flooded social media feeds. Media outlets quickly dubbed it the “Gen-Z revolution.”   The uprising was triggered by then–Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli’s attempt to ban twenty-six social media platforms, but its roots ran much deeper.   Photo source: The New Yorker, Kapi

Hello! The Women in International Security and Intelligence (WIIS) Queen's Chapter is a student-run, gender inclusive organization dedicated to advancing women's leadership and participation in international peace and security. As part of WIIS Canada and the wider global WIIS network, our chapter works to connect students with academics, practitioners, and professionals who are shaping conversations in fields such as diplomacy, defence, intelligence, humanitarian response, an

Author: Dusiying (Ami) Jin Portugal was once praised as Europe’s most welcoming country for migrants, but rising housing costs, political...

Author: Isabelle Lee  This article contains references to sexual violence and abuse that some readers may find distressing. Reader...

China and the United States have been holding disputes over international trade, technology,Taiwan, and military power since 1949. The...

In December 2024, Canada announced a new innovative security policy that helps to balance national sovereignty with inclusivity and...

On October 19th, 2024, the United Nations Security Council executed an arms embargo, expanding to include all types of weapons and...

Helloǃ As the Co-Presidents for the 2024-25 academic year, we are delighted to introduce ourselves. Fallon Gervais is a fourth-year...

Feminist foreign policy (FFP) is becoming increasingly important in bringing about lasting peace in the face of complicated global...