Following is a media note issued by the State Department concerning the meeting of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman April 25, 2002

MEDIA NOTE

Inaugural Session of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council

Announces Computer Training Program for Afghan Women

Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky and Afghan Interim Authority Women's Minister Sima Samar today co-chaired the inaugural session of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council in Washington, D.C. Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, the Council's third co-chair, was represented by the Afghan Embassy in Washington. Initial Council members include Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Patricia S. Harrison, American Association of State Colleges and Universities President Constantine W. Curris, Chair of the Committee of 200 Connie Duckworth, PBS President and CEO Pat Mitchell, and Vice President and Director of Programs for the Smith Richardson Foundation Marin Strmecki. Other leaders from government, media, academia, and business will also join.

The U.S.-Afghan Women's Council was established in January 2002 to promote public/private partnerships between the United States and Afghanistan that will help mobilize resources to aid Afghan women in acquiring the skills and education they need to play their rightful role in Afghan society. President Bush sent greetings to the members gathered for the Council's inauguration and cited the Council's "vital task of encouraging women's participation in Afghan political and economic life...[by drawing] upon the talents of distinguished Americans and Afghans from both the private and public sectors."

At today's meeting Council members agreed to undertake a targeted computer training project as their first initiative. "Giving Afghan women working at government ministries the skills to use computers," said Under Secretary Dobriansky, "responds directly to a priority issue raised by Minister Samar and other Afghan women, and will enable them -- in each of their ministries -- to become more effective advocates and implementers of programs that benefit women." The computer training program will be developed and executed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' International Visitors (IV) Program and will be funded by private sector donations or supplemental monies from Congress. Afghan Interim Authority Chairman Hamid Karzai, Minister Samar, and other prominent Afghan officials have themselves participated in past International Visitors programs.

The Council is working with the AOL Time Warner Foundation, Gateway, and others in the private sector to secure the donation of laptops, printers, and other computer equipment to ensure that the Afghan women go home with not only knowledge and skills, but also hardware.

During her stay in Washington, Minister Samar also met with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. Under Secretary Dobriansky will travel to Kabul in the next several months to meet with Afghan women and further advance the work of the Council.