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We are celebrating the strength, the courage, and the contributions of women everywhere. As many of you may already know, the idea of an International Women's Day first arose nearly a hundred years ago. It is rooted in the struggle of women to participate in society on equal footing with men. While we are not yet completely there yet, we have made some quantum leaps. We know the critical role that women play in the progress of their societies. Though their efforts are sometimes invisible in the larger world, they are often the real change agents in society struggling daily to feed and educate their children and improve the lives of the people in their communities. More than 800 million women are economically active worldwide. Income in the hands of women has had a dramatic impact on the well being of their families. Women spend a significantly higher proportion of their income on children's food, health, and education, ensuring that the next generation will have a better future.  USAID has a special interest in the advancement of women worldwide. Women's health, education, economic opportunity, and human rights are at the core of our development efforts globally. The Office of Women and Development plays a critical role in the fight against trafficking in women and children and spearheads the presidential initiative for women's justice and empowerment. I am proud to be a women and to celebrate a day when women on all continents often divided by natural boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, and political differences come together. Today, we will shine a light on the important contributions women have made in every sector of society. We are proud to have with us today three dynamic women who play prominent roles in the political lives of their countries, the Honorable Alicen Chalaite, the Honorable Jean Schmidt, and the Honorable Karen Hughes. They will be speaking very shortly. But now, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce Mr. Frederick Schieck, the Acting Administrator for USAID. [Applause] MR. SCHIECK: Thank you, Mosina. It's a great honor for me to be here today with all of you to celebrate International Women's Day. I'm especially pleased to not only commemorate this day, but also to renew USAID's commitment to the advancement of women around the world. The efforts we make to improve the health, education, economic opportunities, legal rights, and political voice of women throughout the developing world help not only women but also their families, communities, and countries. Two of the United States' most enduring goals remain the fostering of democratic societies and the development of strong and vibrant economies. It is hard to imagine today a democracy in which women are not full participants in the political process of where they do not have equal rights under the law. And it is hard to imagine how developing countries can build vibrant economies if women have limited rights to own or inherit property or cannot access the credit needed to build their own businesses or control the profits that their activities generate. Unleashing the potential of women is crucial in so many ways from economic development to the welfare of families. In fact, without full and open participation of women in all aspects of society, strong and lasting democratic development will not be achieved. In order to truly empower women, we must break the cycle of violence that plagues every society. USAID is proud to be a partner with the Departments of State and Justice in implementing the Presidential Initiative for Women's Justice and Empowerment which fights violence against women and girls in Africa. This initiative focuses on the full spectrum of needs surrounding the issue. It seeks to increase public awareness, ensure necessary legal reforms, train the police to better deal with the cases that come up, and ensure all inclusive care of victims through safe spaces for shelter, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Safe schools, a ground breaking program supported by USAID's Office of Women and Development and our missions in Malawi and Ghana, address the problem of violence in schools, which is a serious barrier to the educational achievement of girls and boys. USAID is strengthening the capacity of women to work for greater economic and legal rights from Albania and Guatemala to Bosnia and South Africa and Rwanda. We have championed in an innovative program, such as the Global Men as Partners program, an initiative supported by USAID in several countries of West Africa and in Egypt, Mexico, Pakistan, Kenya, and South Africa. Men as Partners works to positively involve men in programs that transform attitudes and behaviors that negatively affect the health and well being of men, women, and children. We work in partnership with international and local non governmental organizations to extend much needed services to an increasing circle of under served clients, especially women. Micro Enterprise Development Programs are excellent examples where services are extended to reach the poor effectively and sustainably. In 2004 women comprised 63 percent of all Micro Enterprise clients reached through USAID programs. These services allow women to promote and provide a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities. I would like to recognize the efforts of USAID's bureaus and missions, and especially the Office of Women and Development, for their leadership on gender and development programming. The film you are about to see, Transforming Lives, Women on the Road to Economic Freedom, illustrates some of our programming in Afghanistan, Philippines, and Lebanon. The film is about a half an hour long, but don't worry. We have cut it back. You will see a six minute excerpt. This is the first viewing of the film. Before we start it, I would like to recognize Vijitha Eyango. Where is Vijitha? Is she here? There she is. She works in our office of Asia Near East. And she was instrumental in organizing the effort to get this film made. And I think it's a fantastic job, Vijitha, and I'm sure everyone is going to enjoy the film very much. Remarks from the First Lady will be added to the film as an introduction later. And we really appreciate her taking the time to record her remarks, which, as I mentioned, will be added. So why don't we have a look at the excerpt? And then the program will go on. Thank you. [Applause] [Film excerpt played.] [Applause] MS. JORDAN: Our first speaker will be the Honorable Alicen Chelaite. The Honorable Alicen Chelaite is currently Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Gender and Social Services in the Republic of Kenya. In 2002, she was elected to Parliament. She has also previously as the Counselor of the Nakuru Municipality before making history as the first woman to ever be elected Minister. [Applause] MS. CHELAITE: Good afternoon everybody. AUDIENCE: Good afternoon. MS. CHELAITE: Thank you, Madame. It is my great pleasure to join USAID in celebrating International Women's Day. Women all over the world are joining hearts, hands, and minds to make a difference in our world. Kenya women have a long struggle for equality and liberation from society's oppressions. In the post colonial era came a collapse of the ancient cultural and traditional institutions that held our society together. Kenya's women movement started with the formation of groups of women seeking to emancipate women from lack of resources. This culminated in the efforts by Kenyan women to push appropriate policies designed to address their concerns. As a member of Parliament and an Assistant Minister for Gender [inaudible] and Social Services, I'm proud to say that Alpha Consortium, an American NGO right here in Washington, D.C., has made much to help train me, in particular, in election campaigning and the political processes. I am a product of Alpha Consortium lead by a lady known as Josie Batts . Josie Batts is around with us. Thank you, Josie. [Applause] MS. CHELAITE: She has trained some of us to empower women politically in Kenya. I wish to thank USAID and the U.S. Government institutions for funding this important organization that wants to empower women politically around the world. It is not only Kenya. In my work I challenge my ministry and set a fast pace for mainstreaming a principal representation of women in all government and institutions. I believe that progress for women means progress for all. [Applause] MS. CHELAITE: My ministry works to ensure women's participation in the arenas of development, equality, and balance. We need more women in Parliament in Kenya. I repeat. We need more women in Parliament. [Applause] MS. CHELAITE: And as I speak, I'm proud to say I'm having my colleague present here, Ruth Oniang'o [ph.], can you put up your hand? [Applause] MS. CHELAITE: This can only be done by sensitizing our national community to have confidence in and casting their vote for women. As a response to gaps in the political environment for Kenyan women, I strongly urge sisters and brothers to network and strengthen and build collaborative efforts to support women candidates in Kenya. We are going to have our next campaign next year. So when I make the appeal, it is [inaudible]. Additionally, we need to do the following: Assist communities in fundraising, further education and civic education. We must increase the capacity of women already in politics to move ahead and move up. Strengthen and originate legislative policy in an institutional framework for gender equality and equity at all levels. Increase women's participation in political parties and support Alpha Consortium's work to train female candidates in campaign management. In terms of USAID and other U.S. Government agencies, we would like to see increased attention placed in important areas such as: micro economic investment for grassroots small business projects and Kenyan women to empower them economically. Increased assistance to the nation in terms of HIV AIDS programs, especially for widows and orphans. Provide increased encouragement, training, and support for Kenya's courageous healthcare workers. These issues are all in line with the theme of the UN's fiftieth session of the commission on the status of women. Focus on these issues also strengthens and moves forward the framework of the millennium development goals that are achievable and measurable. In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I would sincerely like to thank Dr. Josie Batts, the President of Alpha Consortium, for inviting us to Washington, D.C. to celebrate International Women's Day with you. We also wish to thank the people of--the Government of the United States of America for your friendship and your continued support of Kenya in the many and various projects you are involved in, in Kenya and Africa. Thank you very much and God bless America. [Applause] MS. JORDAN: Thank you, Minister Chalaite, for the work you're doing in Kenya to empower women and for the messages that you have shared with us in terms of the tools that we need to use to help empower women not only here, but everywhere. Thank you so much. Our next speaker, the Honorable Jean Schmidt, has been delayed in Congress. There's lots of votes she's trying to work on. And so she will not be here with us today. And so we will be moving straight to our keynote speaker, Ambassador Hughes. Ambassador Karen Hughes was nominated by President George W. Bush on June 29, 2005, to serve as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. She had previously served as an advisor to President Bush in the White House, as well as when he was Governor of Texas. Ambassador Hughes' efforts has blazed a trail for women who seek to serve in the highest levels of government. Ambassador Hughes. [Applause]MS. HUGHES Thank you all. Madame Minister, thank you for your eloquent remarks, all our distinguished guests, thank you Ambassador Jordan for that kind introduction and for your years of distinguished service to our country. I want to thank all of you here who work for USAID who extend the heart and the hope of American compassion throughout our world. President Bush recently said in his State of the Union Speech that for people everywhere, America is a partner for a better life. And we are grateful for your work, because you're the ones who establish and build those partnerships. So thank you for everything you do.
When I worked at the White house during the first 18 months of the Bush Administration, we had a top level senior staff meeting first thing every morning. Eight of the 18 people around the table were women. In fact, during my time at the White House, both the National Security Advisor and the Domestic Policy Advisor were women, Condi Rice and Margaret Spellings. So I always said that in the Bush Administration, women were in charge of everything abroad and everything at home. And that sounds just about right to me. Now, of course, our Secretaries of State, Education, Labor, the Interior, are all women. So you might still say women are in charge of everything abroad and most of everything here at home too. America is a leader in promoting women's rights around the world because we know by investing in women, we are investing in a better, more hopeful, more peaceful world for all of the world's people. [Applause]MS. HUGHES: When you educate women, they share, they share that knowledge. They don't horde it. They don't keep it for themselves. They share with their children, with their families, and with their communities. So when you invest in women, almost every other statistic in a society improves. When women are educated and involved in the decisions that affect their lives, their children are better educated, their family's health and nutrition improves, family income rises, and civil society is more likely to flourish. Throughout the world today, women are increasingly agents of change, arbiters of peace, advocates of education and health. And women are advancing opportunity, not only for themselves, but for their families and their communities. America is really proud to partner with women who advancing opportunity. Throughout the developing world, and you saw some of this on the video, we support micro finance projects, because they have been shown to alleviate poverty in a financially sustainable way. But their greatest long term benefit may be even more than financial. The greatest impact may be in improving the social status of women. Women now account, this is an amazing statistic, women now account for 80 percent of the world's 70 million micro borrowers. And studies show that these women who get micro financing get more involved in their family decision-making, are more mobile, and more politically and legally aware and active. Among the 28,000 loans that America has provided to support small business in Afghanistan, 75 percent have gone to women. And I remember meeting a woman there who had started her own sewing business with a micro loan. I've still got a little flag, a macrame flag of Afghanistan on my desk at home that she made. She was, at the time we talked, she was planning to expand her business, to hire other women, to train them to share, in short, the knowledge and the skills that she had gained. And I couldn't but think what a great and powerful example that was for her own children and for young women throughout her community. Recently, I was in Dubai to announce two new initiatives to increase the participation of women in middle eastern societies, the first were trained women entrepreneurs, the second is a partnership between Microsoft and the International Institute of Education to train up to 1,000 UAE women in computer and information technology skills. And this will serve as a model for similar programs in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and Iraq. Throughout our world today, women increasingly are the arbiters of peace. In Kenya, Madame Minister, in Uganda, in Ethiopia, America is proud to partner with women who through a program called Women for Peace are traveling to contested grazing areas, reaching out to youth with a message of stopping the violence and promoting peace, a message they deliver, as only women could, through dance and speech and song and wonderful celebrations. Liberia was once known as among the worst places to be a woman on earth. Years of civil war cost 250,000 people their lives. Abductions, torture, rape took place on a massive scale. An estimated 1 in every 10 children was recruited into militias. Today, children are back in school with books, instead of guns, in their hands. Courageous women have begun the task of nurturing their society back to health and leading the way is Liberia's first ever women President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. [Applause] MS. HUGHES: Later this week Secretary Rice and I will travel to Chile to attend the inaugural of Michelle Bachelet. I was inspired as I read the story of her life and the wonderful choice she made to use her life as an example of the power of hope to overcome hate. She is the daughter of a Chilean general who was imprisoned after a coup overthrew the government he served. He was tortured and died in prison. She and her mother were later imprisoned and also tortured. "Violence entered my life," she said, "destroying what I loved. Because I was a victim of hate, I have dedicated my life to turn that hate into understanding, into tolerance, and why not say it, into love." What an example for all of us. [Applause] MS. HUGHES: In fact, I shared Michelle Bachelet's example this morning with women leaders, some of whom are also here tonight, from Iraq and Afghanistan, women who have also witnessed hate and violence and now have the opportunity to transform their own countries into places of freedom and peace. Women are advocates of education and health. And America is proud to partner with and support them. My fellow Americans can be very proud of helping nearly 2 million women protect their babies from HIV in Africa, rehabilitating more than 60 primary healthcare clinics in Iraq, and providing basic healthcare services to nearly 4 million women and children in Afghanistan focused especially, as you saw in the film, on reducing maternal and child mortality. Through education programs for women, we are promoting healthier babies and better child nutrition. And as mothers learn the value of education, it also leads to earlier and longer schooling for their children. With substantial American support, one of my favorite success tories, more than 5 million children, more than any time in history, are attending school in Afghanistan, boys as well as girls. [Applause] MS. HUGHES: By the end of 2006, this year, across 17 provinces almost 100,000 girls, who missed out on education under the Taliban, will achieve sixth grade equivalency under USAID's accelerated learning program. In Africa, one of the primary goals of the President's Education Initiative is to enroll more girls in school. And we're meeting that goal through a program that will provide scholarships, 550,000 of them, to girls in 40 nations at the primary and secondary level. In Angola America has helped support a new community center to train local women who have had no access to formal education in basic literacy schools. And while they're there, of course, the women learn more than literacy. They also learn about their rights and about political participation. Across our world today, women are increasingly also agents of change. These are historic times as growing numbers of women are actively engaging in the political process and assuming positions of leadership in government. In Kuwait, a brave woman named Rola al-Dashti spoke out to the men leading her country with a compelling message, half a democracy is not a democracy. She challenged the status quo, recruited young people and student leaders from the university there to her cause and helped women gain the right to vote and run for office in Kuwait. Throughout Afghanistan and Iraq, women are making their voices heard in their new governments. I listened yesterday and today as many of them shared some very compelling stories. One of them talked about not having enough money to compete with the men who are running for office. So she walked from village to village going places that women had never gone before, going to meetings that women had never been allowed in before. And I was just awed by her bravery and the power of that example. "We have been deprived of our rights," said another Afghan woman at our meeting this morning. "Now, we must help gain them, not only for us, but on behalf of all the women of Afghanistan." And I talked with a woman from Iraq. And she was delightful. She said she really wants to be a part of help bridging the sectarian divisions in that country. She said, "Iraq is not a simple country and it never has been. And we like it that way. Our differences make us unique and very interesting." And she said, "Democracy is new. It will take time. But the solution is a unity government, and that's what we're working toward," she told me. This is a time of great hope and great progress. Yet, as we celebrate the many achievements of women worldwide, we also must recognize we still have a lot of work to do. In too many places women still struggle for basic rights and liberties and face the threat of discrimination, exploitation, and sex trafficking. Often society's mistreatment of women tell us a great deal about the fundamental nature of those societies.
And if you look at the surveys now, you'll find the people of Afghanistan, the people who know these extremists better than anyone else, more than 80 percent of them say their country is far better off. And they don't want to live under that type of tyranny and repression. I'll never forget meeting a young girl at a reading program in Afghanistan on my first visit there. We were talking with them about what they wanted to be. And most of them said teacher because that's the only thing they'd ever seen modeled. And one of them actually bravely said, I want to be a writer. And she said she wanted to write a book some day. And so I said to her, I said, well, I'm writing a book. And I'd like to say something on your behalf in mine until you can get around to writing yours. She immediately came back and she said, "Women should be free to go to school, go to work, and choose their own husbands." She was 13 years old. [Applause] MS. HUGHES: And as I was leaving the room, the translator came after me and pulled on my sleeve and said, the little girl wants to tell you something else. She wants to tell you, please don't forget them. Please help them live in freedom. And I have to tell you, the eyes of that little girl follow me today. And I think part of my work and part of all of our work is to help her and other little girls everywhere around the world, to help them live in freedom. Amartya Sen, the nobel prize-winning economist argued that nothing is more important for development today then the economic, political, and social participation of women. I agree, and I'm proud that America is standing at the side of women throughout the world ready to support them, ready to partner with them, as they make their own choices, raise their own voices, and find their own way to brighter and more hopeful futures for themselves and their countries. Thank you all so much. It's wonderful to be here. Thank you very much. [Applause] MS. JORDAN: That was truly inspirational. Give her another applause. [Applause] MS. JORDAN: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for joining us here today in celebrating women and to ask that you recommit yourselves to supporting women, to help women deal with the critical role of strengthening the families of all our societies. Thank you so very much. And enjoy the rest of the evening. |
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RSS Feed for Recent USAID Speeches and Testimony
Today, as we celebrate International Women's Day, it gives me great pride to tell you that my government has a strong agenda to reform the economic, social, and political status of women, of Kenyan women. Women in Kenya play a significant role in the community. We have made notable progress for positive change, but we are faced with critical challenges that still need to be addressed. Women remain under represented in politics and decision-making processes. Over 50 percent of Kenya's national population are women. We are addressing women's issues as key essential transformation in Kenya.
I'm honored to be here today in the presence of so many aspiring women to commemorate International Women's Day and to recognize the many contributions women are making throughout societies throughout the world in government, civil society, business, education, journalism, the armed forces, and in homes and families throughout our world. I'm convinced that one of the sometimes overlooked, yet, I believe, historically most enduring legacies of President Bush's Administration will be the advancement and empowerment of women. He has made empowering women a priority. For example, with record numbers of senior women on his own senior staff and in his cabinet and through his decisions and America's actions across the world.
For example, we saw the type of society the violent extremists want to impose on the rest of us in the Taliban's mistreatment of women in Afghanistan. Little girls weren't allowed to go to school. Women weren't allowed to go to work to support themselves, even if their husbands had been killed and they had no other means of support. Music was banned. Kite flying, not allowed. Laughing out loud could even earn a punishment. The whole society was brutally repressed.
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