As a result of Secretary Clinton's recent travel to the East Asia and Pacific region, the United States is embarking on a new initiative -- in collaboration with the World Bank Group and the governments of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea -- to strengthen women's empowerment in this part of the world. Our emphasis on boosting women's progress is not about treating women as a special interest, but rather it is linked to the broader aims of encouraging development and good governance in the Pacific Islands.… more »
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer testified today before the Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law on The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In her testimony, Ambassador Verveer said:
"...This hearing could not come at a more critical time for the world's women. Gender inequality and oppression of women is rampant across the globe. The scale and savagery of human rights violations committed against women and girls is nothing short of a humanitarian tragedy. Today, violence against women is a global pandemic. In some parts of the world, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, and Sudan, women… more »
The day after an evening reception with Secretary Clinton, 13 of the 213 distinguished Hubert Humphrey Fellows returned to the Department of State. Sitting down for a candid roundtable discussion moderated by Diane Kelly, Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Global Women's Issues, they gained a perspective on how that office works with partners around the world to promote women's empowerment, increase women's access to health, and strengthen their rights.
Sharing the vision of the future of women's advancement with the room of distinguished mid-career leaders from government, the NGO community,… more »
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre published a joint op-ed on the role of women in building and maintaining sustainable peace to mark the 10th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The piece appeared in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten and Denmark's Berlingske Tidende. Later this week, both the United States and Norway will participate in an international conference in Copenhagen focusing on women and global security issues. The editorial… more »
Secretary Clinton spoke today at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 10th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, on "Women, Peace, and Security."
The Secretary said, "...here we are at the 10th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, and we're here to reaffirm the goals set forth in this historic resolution, but more than that, to put forth specific actions, as my colleague, the foreign minister of Austria, just did in such a commendable set of proposals. The only way to achieve our goals -- to reduce the number of conflicts around the world, to eliminate rape as a weapon of war, to combat the culture of impunity for sexual violence, to build sustainable peace -- is to draw on the full contributions of both women and men in every aspect of peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peace building.
In just a few weeks, the leaders of the world will gather at the UN to assess the progress that has been made on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to chart the way forward. In advance of that meeting, I spoke to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. on Tuesday to discuss how women and girls are at the center of our foreign policy and international development… more »
About the Author: Lizzie O'Rourke (on the far left of the above photo) is a Foreign Service Officer who recently completed a short assignment with the Office of Global Women's Issues.
I didn't plan to get involved with the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues (S/GWI) -- I was just lucky. As a new Foreign Service Officer, I was assigned to a period of training following my swearing-in. For many new FSOs there are some extra days between the completion of initial training and departure for post. When that happens, our Career Development Office assigns us to offices at the State Department for on-the-job training (OJT) -- short-term stints that let us learn about the domestic workings of the Department before heading overseas. I received my OJT assignment prior to wrapping… more »
About the Authors: Elizabeth Timberlake serves as Political Officer on the Afghanistan Desk and covers women's issues and human rights. Saba Ghori serves as South and Central Asia Specialist and Violence Against Women Advisor for the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues, and covers the countries of South and Central Asia, including Afghanistan.
Women are essential to progress and stability in Afghanistan. This is a critical point that is addressed in depth by the U.S. government's revised Afghanistan and Pakistan Regional Stabilization Strategy. This strategy incorporates women into every aspect of our programs and engagement. more »
Secretary Clinton today announced the 10 winners of this year's International Women of Courage (IWOC) award. On March 10, Secretary Clinton will present the awards to the honorees at the Department of State.
The awardees are: Shukria Asil (Afghanistan), Col. Shafiqa Quraishi (Afghanistan), Androula Henriques (Cyprus), Sonia Pierre (Dominican Republic), Shadi Sadr (Iran), Ann Njogu (Kenya), Dr. Lee Ae-ran (Republic of Korea), Jansila Majeed (Sri Lanka), Sister Marie Claude Naddaf (Syria), and Jestina Mukoko (Zimbabwe).
The annual International Women of Courage Award was started in March 2007 to recognize women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women's rights and advancement. This is the only award within the Department of State that pays tribute to outstanding women leaders worldwide. It recognizes the courage… more »
About the Author: Ruth Bennett serves as the Public Affairs Advisor for the Secretary's Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI).
Like many offices in the State Department, we use the last two weeks of the year to review where we’ve been and map out where we’re heading. This year, it’s an easy assessment to make. January 2009, we didn’t exist. December 2009, so many people are talking – and, yes, sometimes arguing, but at least talking about and carefully… more »
like it ! Excellent tool for women to protect ourselves !!
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Gary in Washington DC writes:
I agree that men and boys play critical roles in addressing the violence against women, and the government and NPOs should keep educating males to respect…
more »
John in Indonesia writes:
live in harmony in our family, no violence at all, positive thinking, hoping that our neighbour will see and copy us.
more »
On Feb. 16, Secretary Clinton announces a climate and clean air initiative to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. Watch the webcast live here at 9:15 a.m. Eastern time. more »
Secretary Clinton (Feb. 15): "I'm grateful for all of you and for your colleagues out in the field and for the purposeful work we are undertaking together to ensure that AID is the very best development delivery system in the entire world." more »
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Attending the DAI Annual Meeting----so much to be excited about! (@ Dayton Art Institute) http://t.co/Bi6XHF65
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