Navigating Closed Spaces: Empowering Female Evaluators in Conflict and Security Environments

Abstract Information: As evaluators, we often enter new spaces and evaluate frontiers both familiar and unfamiliar. Yet, what happens when evaluators enter spaces where our identities force us to earn respect, prove competence, and adapt behaviors to effectively evaluate programs and inform policies? For female, civilian evaluators, this scenario is a common reality in the security assistance field, which operates within military spaces and institutions largely dominated by male-identifying actors. This perpetuates the perennial challenge of “being allowed entry” to culture nuances and information necessary for effective evaluation. In this lecture, participants will learn about the multifaceted challenges and unique advantages inherent of the female civilian evaluator experience within the male-dominated military environment. Drawing from decades of collective experience in brokering relationships and navigating evaluations in such “closed spaces”, the presenters will share their best practices in opening those spaces and issue calls to action for relevant parties in the security assistance domain. This presentation will transcend conventional evaluation discourse by addressing the complexities of the these dynamics and delineating the shared responsibilities in fostering an inclusive and respectful environment conducive to the work of female evaluators in such contexts. While the primary focus of this presentation is on the female experience within male-dominated spaces, it also acknowledges the complexities of gender identity and fluidity within these contexts, thereby further amplifying voices and promoting equity in evaluation practice.