Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast
Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast is the Senior Gender Advisor at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a thematic program that she has led since 2009. Through the management of both projects and research efforts, the Institute focuses on the gendered impacts of violent conflict and post-conflict transitions on both men and women. In this capacity, Dr. Kuehnast has directed the Women Preventing Extremist Violence pilot project in Kenya and Nigeria, an effort to engage civil society women leaders with local security actors in preventing violent extremism. Overall, her work has been focused on the U.N. Resolution 1325 and the critical role women should play in all aspects of peacebuilding. She has been a part of the vanguard of introducing the concept of Men, Peace and Security as an integrative approach toward engaging men in championing women’s rights. Kuehnast holds a doctorate in socio-cultural anthropology from the University of Minnesota and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
