It’s not difficult to understand why Valerie Hudson is beloved by her students. As the George H.W. Bush Chair of The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, Valerie is a unique, spirited, and inspiring voice who is looking at peace and national security from a different perspective. Her data-driven approach, which she has fine-tuned as part of a multi-disciplinary, data-driven research project called WomanStats, is helping the U.S. Department of Defense improve risk mapping and threat assessments.
Sitting with Valerie, who is the mother of eight children, you immediately feel her warmth and passion for the subject of women and peace. But it’s the combination of pragmatism, life experience and intellectual rigor that make Valerie such a unique voice. We discussed not only her provocatively entitled book: “Sex and World Peace,” but also her earlier award winning book “Bare Branches,” which focuses on gender selection and single child policies. And, we discussed the long term impact of those policies, including globally.
We also talked practical economic realities and the impact they can have in fueling terrorism, and we sat fully captivated as Valerie explained how the escalating costs of a wedding in parts of the middle-East have helped terrorist regimes bring in new recruits.
Our conversation is a colorful, insightful mosaic that will leave you thinking. Valerie uses her voice and perspective to have a big impact on others. We think you’ll be inspired! We were delighted to have Valerie join us on She Said She Said.