On December 11, 2024, Our Secure Future Vice President Sahana Dharmapuri moderated a roundtable discussion on women's meaningful participation in the armed forces.
Hosted by the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Caucus, the conversation focused on recruitment and retention efforts in the U.S. and allied partners' militaries, as well as how to better integrate the WPS agenda into the armed forces to strengthen meaningful participation and operational effectiveness.
The event featured remarks from the following speakers: 
- U.S. Representative Lois Frankel (FL-22), Congressional Women, Peace and Security Caucus Co-Chair
- U.S. Representative Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Congressional Women, Peace and Security Caucus Co-Chair
- U.S. Representative Ted Lieu (CA-36)
- Elizabeth B. Foster, Executive Director, Office of Force Resiliency for the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense
- Commodore David Frost, Defense Attaché, Royal Australian Navy
- Lieutenant Colonel Robert Osypowicz, Assistant Defense and Military Attache, Embassy of Poland
- Commodore Roger Readwin, Naval Attache, British Royal Navy
- Commander Machiko Shigemi, Assistant Naval and Defense Attaché, Embassy of Japan
The conversation first focused on recruitment efforts made by the armed services in the U.S. and partner nations. While the participation of women in the U.S. armed services has increased by 20 percent in the last ten years, they comprise only 19.5 percent of the armed forces. The U.S. Department of Defense continues to prioritize education efforts for women centered on the military service as a viable career path, how they can be an asset, and the benefits military service can provide. Drawing on experiences within their respective countries, the participants noted that education and outreach to the public is also an effective strategic tool in changing the narrative and messaging around military service.
A recurring theme for both the U.S. and allied partners’ militaries was the importance of retention efforts, especially for mid-career women in the armed forces. The U.S. armed forces are now enacting specific measures to remedy this issue, including offering 12 weeks of parental leave as well as childcare support services. Providing flexible employment options was also noted as a beneficial measure in increasing retention numbers. The speakers highlighted the necessity of cultivating a culture of safety and inclusivity in the military service not only to improve retention, but to enhance security outcomes and operational effectiveness. 
The roundtable served as a timely opportunity to foster dialogue between the U.S. and allied partner nations on the necessity of women’s meaningful participation in the armed forces. As noted by all of the participants, women’s contributions to national security are indispensable and lead to better peace and security outcomes. The bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Caucus continues to serve as a platform in bringing together stakeholders and galvanizing collective action on the integration of WPS principles in national and global peace and security efforts.