The Women and Public Policy Program of the Harvard Kennedy School asks what we can do to create gender equality and improve the lives of women and men throughout the world.

Our work focuses on research, teaching and global impact through four initiatives to advance our understanding of: (1) how women and men think, decide and negotiate; (2) what policies contribute to closing the gender gaps in the economic sphere, politics, education, and health; (3) the strategies that enable women to participate and succeed in politics; and (4) conflict resolution and peace building.

Gender in Decision Making and Negotiation

The Gender in Decision Making and Negotiation area examines gender differences in decision making and negotiation and identifies skills and procedures that help people become better, more gender intelligent decision makers and negotiators. The goal is to create a more level playing field where society and organizations can benefit from both women’s and men’s talent, intellect and perspectives.

Gender and Economic Opportunity

The Gender and Economic Opportunity area examines policies that help close the gender gaps in economic opportunity, political participation, education and health. The goal of this initiative is to build a world more equal in opportunity and to decrease poverty both in the United States as well as in developing countries.

Gender and Political Opportunity

The Gender and Political Opportunity area integrates the study of gender and politics to understand gender dynamics in political action, discourse and within governmental structures.

From Harvard Square to the Oval Office is a non-partisan political training practicum that equips a select group of Harvard graduate students with the training and support they need to help them to ascend in the electoral process at the local, state and national levels. 

Gender and Security

The Gender and Security area seeks to fully integrate the study of gender in the field of security to enable a fuller comprehension of international relations, conflict resolution and security studies.

We thank the Women’s Leadership Board, the members of the Alliance and our individual donors for their inspiration and generous support of our work.

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