On May 14, a group of experts from academia, labor, and NGOs joined us for a vibrant discussion on the role of women in the global economy. The conclusion was clear; we must continue to advocate for decent work for working women around the world -- especially for women in the informal sector.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton commented on this in 2010 at the United Nations in New York: "I remember once driving through Africa with a group of distinguished experts. And I saw women working in the fields and I saw women working in the markets and I saw women with wood on their heads and water on their heads and children on their backs. And I remarked that women just seem to… more »
The importance of gender equality is clear: Nations that invest in women's employment, health, and education are more likely to have greater economic growth and their children are healthier and better educated. Empowering women as political and social leaders produce more representative and better performing governments and institutions. And a growing body of evidence shows that women offer unique contributions to making and keeping peace. The State Department's embassies and bureaus are already promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls across the a broad range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral diplomatic activity.
That's why the recent release of first-ever Secretarial policy guidance on gender is so important -- and must be further ingrained into all the work U.S. diplomats are doing at the State Department -- from policy development,… more »
As we observe Women's History Month throughout March, we celebrate the work pioneered by advocates, policymakers, and practitioners around the world to advance women's rights. Promoting the rights of women and addressing gender inequities and gender norms are essential steps to reducing HIV risk and increasing access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services -- for both women and men.
Update: You can watch the event in the video player above and read the transcript of Secretary Clinton's remarks here.
On Thursday, February 16, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host and deliver remarks at an event commemorating the Ninth Anniversary of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) at the Department of State. The event will be streamed live on DipNote at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Following the Secretary, Representative Joe Crowley (NY-07) will also deliver remarks. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer will then moderate a panel discussion with leading experts and activists dedicated to the global effort to eradicate… more »
Today, on the Ninth Annual International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, we stand in solidarity with men and women who are working to address and prevent this practice that takes place in many countries around the world. Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) occurs across cultures and religions, although no religion mandates the procedure. It is a practice rooted in beliefs about the “dangers” of women's sexuality, and involves a rite of passage into adulthood that has extremely detrimental consequences on the health and overall well-being of women and girls subjected to it.
It is estimated that 100 to 140 million women globally have undergone this procedure and three million girls are at risk every year. Cutting is often performed by untrained practitioners, employing no anesthesia and often using such instruments as broken glass,… more »
May 23: The State Department, through its office of the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), is pleased to announce $1.5 million in funding to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to support open governance and political participation in the Middle East and North Africa. more »
May 23: Today, Russia was invited to join the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) at a ceremony hosted by its parent body, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. ã more »
![Special Representative Barbara Shailor and Ambassador-at-Large Melanne Verveer meet on informal sector workers with a group of experts from academia, labor, and civil society. [State Department photo by Matthew G. Miller/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0517_informal_sector_m.jpg)
![Women gather below the balcony of the Grand Hotel in honor of Nobel Peace Prize winners Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, and Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 2011. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0327_women_peace_m.jpg)
![A social worker holds earrings in the form of AIDS-loops, the international symbols for solidarity with HIV-infected and AIDS patients, in hands. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0314_aids_social_worker_m.jpg)
![A Masai girl holds a protest sign during the anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) run in Kilgoris, Kenya, in 2007. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0206_stop_fgm_m.jpg)
