For this episode of Hidden Figures: of Women, by Women, for Women", we interviewed Gina Bennett, a senior analyst on counterterrorism for the CIA. This week’s podcast focusing on the role of women in national security efforts is inspired by our acknowledgment that our life span of fewer than twenty years is often thought of as living in a “post 9/11” world.  Every year since September 11, 2001, the way that Americans perceive national security has never been the same. National polls have shown that about 75 percent of Americans believe that strengthening national security against terrorism should be a top priority of the White House. National security threats and current events consistently make the front pages of newspapers with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in response to 9/11, headlines about the shooting of  Osama bin Laden, the founder of the pan-Islamic militant organization al-Qaeda, and controversial debates about Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing on the National Security Agencies’ surveillance… just to name a few. As such, in today’s episode, we want to address the current national security threats facing the US, and the role women play in this critical aspect of International Relations.

Below are some of the resources that we used to make the podcast and some books that you might be interested in reading~

"National Security Mom: Why "going Soft" Will Make America Strong" by Gina Bennett

"America Needs A Time-Out: National Security Mom 2" by Gina Bennett

"How Kids Can Be Good Citizens" by Gina Bennett