About the Event

From June 2–3, Spain will host the 5th Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy in Madrid. So what should feminist foreign policy stand for now? What should the ministerial aim to achieve? And can Spain help rescue the project from becoming just another progressive slogan?

The Collaborative’s Founder and CEO Lyric Thompson joins Elmira Bayrasli, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Interruptrr, a weekly newsletter elevating female expertise in global affairs, for a conversation on Spain, backlash, war and the future of feminist foreign policy.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026

• Time: 2:00—3:00 PM EDT / 8:00—9:00 PM CEST

• Location: Substack Live with Elmira Bayrasli of the Interruptrr Substack

Biographies

Elmira Bayrasli | CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Interruptrr

Elmira Bayrasli (she/her) is an entrepreneur, writer, editor and former U.S. diplomat whose work sits at the intersection of foreign policy, democratic governance and global innovation. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Interruptrr, a weekly newsletter elevating female expertise in global affairs, and the author of From the Other Side of the World: Extraordinary Entrepreneurs, Unlikely Places. Elmira served as a presidential appointee in the U.S. State Department from 1994 to 2000, working for Madeleine Albright and Richard Holbrooke, and later as Chief Spokesperson for the OSCE Mission in Sarajevo. Her analysis has appeared in leading national and international outlets.

Lyric Thompson | Founder and CEO, Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative

Lyric Thompson (she/her) is a leading global expert, professor & advocate on women’s rights, equity and inclusion who has catalyzed and led various coalitions developing cutting-edge thinking on feminist and gender-transformative policies in the U.S. and around the world.

A recognized influencer in global, national and state policy dialogues on gender, she is the founder and chief executive of the Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative, a global nonprofit initiative providing thought leadership and technical assistance on feminist approaches to foreign policy. She is a professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, a Next Generation Changemaker at the
Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Vice Chair of the North Carolina Council for Women and sits on the board of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security. Lyric writes regularly on gender and foreign policy for such outlets as The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Devex, Ms. Magazine, The Hill, Thomson-Reuters Foundation and openDemocracy.