Linda Robinson — Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism - with Tamara Wittes - at Conn Ave
Linda Robinson, an award-winning journalist and foreign policy expert, presents her timely new book *Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism* in conversation with Tamara Cofman Wittes, president of the National Democratic Institute. The book examines the global backlash against women leaders and the deep connection between attacks on women and attacks on democracy. Robinson profiles remarkable female leaders—including Tsai Ing-wen, Kaja Kallas, Maia Sandu, Vjosa Osmani, Nataša Pirc Musar, Mia Amor Mottley, Jacinda Ardern, Sanna Marin, and Sigrid Kaag—who have fought authoritarian threats, advanced gender equality, and strengthened democratic institutions. The conversation will explore their hard-won lessons and the strategies women are using to defend democracy in an age of rising misogynistic authoritarianism, digital harassment, and hybrid warfare.
When: Friday, July 24, 2026, at 7:00 PM
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Tickets: This event is free with first-come, first-served seating; no ticket purchase is required
Author: Linda Robinson is a senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, previously director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation, and a former foreign correspondent. She is the author of three acclaimed and bestselling books about America’s "long wars."
In conversation with: Tamara Cofman Wittes, who became president of the National Democratic Institute in 2024. She previously served as Director of Foreign Assistance in the U.S. Department of State, led the State Department's Russia sanctions coordination office, and from 2009–2012 was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, coordinating U.S. policy on democracy and human rights in the Middle East during the Arab uprisings. Dr. Wittes spent nearly twenty years as a foreign policy scholar at the Brookings Institution, including as director of its Center for Middle East Policy. She is a founder of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security, served on the NDI board from 2014–2022, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Women in International Security.
Book: *Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism* (Council on Foreign Relations Book, hardcover, $26.95, ISBN 9780231221740, published June 23, 2026). Copies will be available for purchase at the event.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or inquire about accessibility, please email events@politics-prose.com, ideally one week in advance of the event date. The venue will make an effort to accommodate all requests up until the time of the event.