The Elsie effect: women are essential to security

Diverse perspectives make teams sharper, more adaptive, more responsive, and more effective.
Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, left, and Chief of Defence Staff General Jennie Carignan. When women serve in security institutions, these institutions work better, writes Nathalie Chuard.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion
BY NATHALIE CHUARD
December 15, 2025

After 25 years working to enhance security sector governance worldwide, and despite strong evidence, we are still asked: why do women matter in policing, defence, and peacekeeping?

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