The increased presence of women in our Strategy and Defense Policy course, with 24 women constituting 32% of all participants, demonstrates their increasing participation in the security and defense sectors. This also reflects the regional reality where a growing number of high-level posts, including the role of minister of defense, are being occupied by women. Our female participants recently had an informal lunch meeting, with Professors Patricia Escamilla and Celina Realuyo, where they discussed, among other things, the importance of maintaining strong professional and personal networks throughout the region. In this respect it is also important to note that the Center already has an extensive network, composed of more than 3000 graduates of which 18% are women. Other topics discussed at the lunch meeting included the work-life balance, especially when starting a family, and the other challenges still ahead for the advancement of women in the security and defense sector.