Unconventional Women 2004

During the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Swanee Hunt hosted “Unconventional Women: A Gathering of Great Minds,” designed to stimulate discussion about key issues of concern to American women. Two hundred women from around the country, including elected officials and opinion leaders, met for substantive discussions about how to engage women in the political process, both as voters and legislators influencing the direction of American public policy.

• U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) described how women’s representation in government impacts the nature and emphasis of debates about key national and foreign policy issues.
• Marie Wilson, President of the White House Project, stressed the importance of encouraging young women to run for office.
• Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) expressed her hope that—in the not-so-distant future—women will learn that they don’t need permission to be a candidate for public office.

Isobel Coleman (Council on Foreign Relations), Sarah Sewall (Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) discuss how to raise women's voices on international security issues.

Welcoming 200 guests

“Unconventional Women” provided a forum for women to talk about how to raise women’s voices on international security issues. The panel below discussed the most important opportunities and obstacles in having women’s voices heard in matters of foreign policy.

• U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, who led the Senate’s effort to end the suffering of Afghan women under the Taliban and authored a resolution calling for the inclusion of women in the interim government of Afghanistan.
• Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), the first African-American to represent Dallas and an internationally recognized leader in promoting democracy, good governance, and human rights; she has led congressional efforts to protect the rights of women and children during and after war.
• Dr. Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who directs a multi-year initiative to examine how the international community can advance the role women in economic and political development in the Greater Middle East.
• Dr. Sarah Sewall, Program Director at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance in the Clinton Administration and helped develop American peace operations in Haiti, Bosnia, and elsewhere.

With Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA)