Every spring, Elliott students are given the opportunity to explore an area of study through a one-of-a-kind international experience over spring break. This year, students chose between learning about sustainable development in Malawi, ethics of international institutions in The Netherlands and Belgium, and the intersection of gender and national security in Panamá. These programs allow students to have a completely immersive experience without the commitment of a semester or year-long program. Led by a faculty professor, the programs usually contain 25-30 students. Short-term abroad programs offer students a uniquely hands-on way to earn credits and engage in the topics they are interested in. This spring, Elliott senior Grace Fyfe was able to attend the Panamá program where she was able to continue her research on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and speak with Indigenous communities on how their communities have been affected by climate change. We asked her a few questions about her experience.
How did you discover this program, and why did you choose it?
I saw an email from the Elliott School Division of Academic Programs and Student Services in my inbox last September! I didn’t get the chance to do a semester abroad since I was juggling my course load and internships in D.C., so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to get a shorter study-abroad experience. This class also hit the nexus of two topics on which I’ve centered my studies: gender and Latin America. It was written in the course’s name: The National Security and Gender Nexus: An Exploration of the Bridge of the Americas. I felt like I had struck a gold mine!
Professor Tahina Montoya also did an informational session via Zoom, outlining the curriculum and expectations for the course. After hearing about her plans to take us across the country, organize community service projects, and assist us in conducting our own research and policy briefs, I knew this was the program for me. There is only so much that you can learn in a classroom on E Street. I wanted to see how concepts I had learned in my classes, like Gender, Conflict, and Security and Security in the Americas, presented in the real world and impacted actual people.
You conducted research on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) during your program. Can you explain how TFGBV is currently impacting Panamá and the broader region?
Technology-facilitated gender-based Violence (TFGBV) is a growing issue across Latin America and the Caribbean, and Panamá is no exception. TFGBV includes online harassment, threats, hate speech, and other forms of abuse that target individuals based on their gender. The region sees some of the highest rates globally, and in Panamá, we’ve seen this play out in both public and political spaces. For instance, in 2023, a gender-based violence case involving a cartoonist sparked national debate, revealing deep-rooted issues around public attitudes and the need for stronger protections. Local organizations like Ipandetec have highlighted how women running for office face an overwhelming amount of online abuse—just during the 2024 elections, they found thousands of violent comments aimed at female candidates, which can discourage women from participating in public life.
This kind of online violence isn’t just hurtful—it has real consequences for women’s voices in politics. Studies show that many women, especially those in leadership roles, reduce or even stop their online activity after experiencing TFGBV, which limits their ability to influence policy and public discourse. While Panamá has taken necessary steps, like passing laws and hosting regional dialogues to tackle this issue, access to data remains a challenge. Much of the existing information on gender-based violence focuses on intimate partner violence and is outdated. To truly address TFGBV, there’s a need for better data collection, more vigorous enforcement of existing laws, and continued efforts to create safe, inclusive digital spaces for all.
What was the most surprising or eye-opening aspect of the program?
While not surprising, I think the most eye-opening aspect of my short-term study abroad trip to Panamá was the number of spaces where women held key leadership positions! Our tour of the Panamá Canal was guided by Captain Verónica Will, one of six female captains who guide ships in and out of the Canal daily. Hours later, we had a Q&A session with Oris Sanjur, Deputy Director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. We also met with ex-pat Rosalind Baitel, who oversees environmental conservation and community development in Colón, specifically through her organization PanaSea Aquaculture, which aims to restore sea cucumber populations. Our fireside chat with Janaina Tewany, former foreign minister and minister of the interior of Panamá, was just as impressive and insightful.
But it wasn’t just in the city where we saw prime examples of women as leaders. While visiting two indigenous groups, the Emberá and Guna, we got a first-hand look at the crucial pillar that women are in these communities. Across the two groups, we met with female teachers, doctors, school administrators, and many more to discuss their role in their communities and what they felt were the most significant challenges they faced today. The curriculum and itinerary for this trip were rooted in the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) pillars—Participation, Protection, Prevention, and Relief & Recovery. Those four pillars could not have been better exemplified by the exceptional women we met across Panamá. I walked away feeling more inspired than ever before!
What specific lessons from this trip will you carry forward in your academic and professional career?
This trip taught me two important lessons for my academic and professional career: 1) communication is a crucial aspect of policy-making, and 2) community is the backbone for impactful programming. Regarding communication, I had to learn how to take a complex topic like TFGBV and turn it into questions and policy recommendations that were digestible for a wide range of audiences. While in the country, I could ask anyone from our guest speakers to our drivers and tour guides questions about my topic. This meant I not only had to use layperson’s terms when looking for answers, but I also got to practice my conversational and professional Spanish-speaking skills! After returning from our trip, I reviewed my findings. I translated them into a policy brief outlining recommendations for Panamá and other Latin American countries to comprehensively collaborate with civil society and technology firms to address TFGBV. Professor Montoya and I are now working on sharing this brief with key stakeholders across the field.
In terms of the role of community, our service projects throughout the trip drove home the crucial role the people we work with play in creating impactful programming. We could have just visited Panamá to visit key tourist attractions and collect data for our research projects. Instead, we did our best to connect with and support the communities we visited. In Colón, we participated in a reef restoration project with Reef Restoration Panama run by Jean Carlos Blanco. The project we assisted with will generate 100 new pieces of coral each year! In Guna Yala, guided by Victor Perez of LocalinPTY, we worked with the children of Wichub Wala to promote environmental safety awareness through a recycling project. We also donated 50 writing tablets to reduce paper use and support more sustainable educational practices. Finally, in El Chorrillo, we worked with a community policing unit to provide engagement projects for kids in the community. More than anything, these projects were the most fulfilling part of our trip. I left Panamá realizing that programs centered around service and connection make deep-rooted and long-lasting impacts on communities.