Equity Rises
Ploughshares promotes a vision for a broader definition of peace—one that recognizes the intersecting forces threatening our security and demands inclusive, innovative solutions.
In 1982, Ploughshares co-founder Sally Lilienthal laid out a bold vision: “Nuclear weapons oppress us like disease, racism, and the bleak future of climate change,” she wrote in Ploughshares’ first annual report. “We deserve to live free of those oppressions—all of them.”
35 years later, in 2017, Ploughshares formally established the Women’s Initiative. Originally a 3-year pilot program, the Initiative raised funds to support women-led projects and organizations and to correct the longstanding lack of women’s representation and influence in nuclear policy. The Initiative made a powerful case—backed by grants, research, and advocacy—that gender diversity isn’t just a matter of fairness; it’s essential to sound, effective policy. Over time, the Women’s Initiative awarded nearly $10 million across nearly 200 grants and helped Ploughshares reach gender parity in its funding.
In 2022, building on lessons learned and successes gleaned from the Women’s Initiative, Ploughshares launched Equity Rises to expand the scope and impact of voices too often excluded from nuclear policy debates: communities of color, people with disabilities, and other historically marginalized groups. With an inaugural $1 million Request for Proposals, Equity Rises expanded our conception of inclusivity and became a structural pillar of Ploughshares’ mission, strategy and grantmaking.
“Solving the existential threat of nuclear weapons demands more than technical expertise—it demands the wisdom, experience, and creativity of people from every walk of life," said Dr. Emma Belcher, President of Ploughshares. "When we bring diverse voices to the table, we unlock solutions that were previously unimaginable.” Equity Rises does just that—elevating and empowering new voices, cultivating inclusive spaces, and creating lasting partnerships across and beyond the nuclear field.
To strengthen our commitment to the goals of Equity Rises, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Women Transforming Global Security.
Today's moment demands new thinking and leadership approaches. Women Transforming Global Security (WTGS) aims to further the degree to which diverse perspectives and experiences are considered when making national security and nuclear weapons policy. It dares to imagine and advance a vision of security that centers human and ecological wellbeing, prioritizes prevention over reaction, values diverse forms of knowledge and expertise, and builds security through relationship and trust and by addressing the root causes of conflict and harm.
Women Transforming Global Security launched on September 21, 2025, at a gathering in New York City, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace & Security. The initiative represents an unprecedented collaboration between The Elders, Ploughshares, and Horizon 2045—organizations united in their commitment to women’s leadership and breakthrough thinking at the intersection of global challenges.
Equity Rises Reports:
A New Future: Gender, Justice, and National Security
Published by Ploughshares, this essay collection features women sharing lessons learned and personal stories of success and failure as they rose to become leaders in their respective fields, as well as practical policy recommendations for Congress.
From the Green New Deal to gender equality, this report launches a conversation for the future and dives into the heart of U.S. security policies today. Ploughshares proudly published and funded this work. Download here.
The “Consensual Straitjacket”: Four Decades of Women in Nuclear Security
Published by New America, this study tells the stories of nearly two dozen women with decades of experience in nuclear, arms control, and non-proliferation policy. They have much to teach us, not just about the history of the field but about its future—how to keep it thriving, fill it with vital and innovative talent, and connect it with the best thinking about security, from which it has been too often cut off.
Ploughshares was a proud funder of this report. Download here.
