Air Forces-Southern Promote Women, Peace and Security in Global Forum

Courtesy Photo | AFSOUTH space mission team strategic integrator, U.S. Air Force Capt. Chante Barber, AFSOUTH Gender Advisor, U.S. Air Force Col. Elizabeth Hartz and Colombian Navy Capitan Beatriz Garcia, pose for a photo at the She Is Foundation's Global Forum in Cartagena, Colombia, 9 Nov., 2022.  

COLOMBIA

11.09.2022

Courtesy Story

12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern)

The United States Air Force’s regional command, 12th Air Force, Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH) headquartered at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, is a critical enabler of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) initiatives throughout the entire Western Hemisphere. Recently AFSOUTH leadership had the opportunity to broaden its WPS outreach on an international and holistic scale by representing the DoD WPS Initiative at the annual She Is Foundation’s Global Forum: Women of the Future that took place in Cartagena, Colombia, 9 to 11 Nov., 2022.

The She Is Foundation’s mission is to empower and transform the lives of women and girls from vulnerable communities through entrepreneurship and education in science and technology across Latin America. For three days, entrepreneurs, academics, social leaders, influential figures and stakeholders both in the public and private sector came together to share success stories and strategies, as well as discuss global, regional, and local trends impacting women's empowerment and leadership opportunities to stimulate new initiatives to effect positive change in the lives of women and their communities.

This year's discussions revolved around the intersection of entrepreneurship, social impact, education, technology and innovation opening pathways around the world for women to become leaders in their communities. To this end, the She Is Foundation’s Global Forum welcomed 237 international speakers, as well as more than 30 entrepreneurs from 27 nations throughout the region. Each presenter had the opportunity to share their business models with the audience in two dedicated venues: the Innovation Tank and the Women's Pavilion.

AFSOUTH Gender Advisor, U.S. Air Force Col. Elizabeth Hartz, presented opening remarks for the Forum’s opening session, sharing the stage with notable speakers such as Nadia Sanchez, the founder and CEO of the She Is Foundation and activist and Miss Colombia 2021. Hartz’s opening remarks spoke to her personal story and advice on achieving success. Hartz also provided a keynote speech on the United Nations’ WPS initiative and the United States government.

AFSOUTH space mission team strategic integrator, U.S. Air Force Capt. Chante Barber, presented her background, as well as the role of women leading in the Space field from the United States Air Force perspective.
Throughout the three days, the AFSOUTH team directly engaged with many of the 1,750 participants. They expressed gratitude and admiration of the United States military’s role in implementing WPS initiatives in the region. These interactions highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to strengthening partnerships. While military sponsored events are valuable, reaching outside of this paradigm enabled the AFSOUTH WPS team to strengthen partnerships in the region by informing and engaging an audience unfamiliar with WPS. AFSOUTH’s participation in the She Is Foundation’s Global Forum: Women of the Future enhanced the ability to apply holistic gender perspectives in regional defense and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

• Date Taken: 11.09.2022
• Date Posted: 03.08.2023 14:16
• Story ID: 439956
• Location: CO