Tara Sonenshine, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, will represent the U.S. Department of State in “Overcoming Obstacles, Closing the Gap: Strengthening the Political Participation of Women” on May 9 in Washington DC.

This event, sponsored by the Harvard Kennedy School, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Embassy of Switzerland, will feature panel discussions and remarks by women political and government leaders from the United States and Switzerland, academic authorities on gender issues, and civil society leaders. Panelists will discuss the challenges, best practices, next steps, and the role of governments and civil society in furthering gender equality in the political sphere.

Other speakers at the event include U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Swiss National Councilor Christa Markwalder, and Shauna Shames, an expert on gender and race in American politics.

For further information, please contact Elizabeth Sullivan at SullivanEG@state.gov or (202) 647-1982.