By Jamie Martin
Washington File staff writer

Washington -- Picture a young girl who can no longer attend school. Her own school is collapsing under the loss of its teachers who are dying from HIV/AIDS. Her parents have died of AIDS and her grandparents, who have taken her in, can only afford to send her brothers to school.

This girls' present has been cut down by HIV/AIDS and her future -- husband, children, life -- will also be cut short by the same disease.

Africa experts urged President Bush to remember women like this -- the forgotten, diseased and impoverished women, the voiceless women of Africa -- on his trip to five African countries from July 7-12.

These women, if provided with resources by the United States and other countries, could play a vital role in rebuilding the African continent, the expert panelists agreed in a briefing, "Remember the Women in Africa," held at the National Press Club July 2 for reporters covering President Bush's trip.

Panelist Sophia Mukasa Monico, Senior AIDS Policy Officer for the Global Health Council, said "The women of Africa need the resources to make hope turn into reality. When the president returns from Africa he should turn his attention to making sure the money is there to deliver the promise. We need this now, otherwise we risk de-populating the African continent of women."

Monico's "hope" for women lies partly in the $15,000 million promise of the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003, signed into law by the president on May 27. "What will mean the most is for the president and the administration to put as much emphasis on delivering the money as they did on passing the global AIDS act. President Bush should assure the people of Africa that he will deliver the funds to implement his vision."

June Zeitlin, moderator of the panel and Executive Director of Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), said hope is in short supply for the women of Africa. Not only are women four times more likely to contract HIV/AIDS than men, but they, along with children, also bear the brunt of war.

In Africa more women and children die from malnutrition, preventable diseases and complications of childbirth during conflict than die as a direct result of fighting, according to a Save the Children report. During armed conflict, 90 percent of all killed and wounded are civilians -- many of these are women and children.

Panelist Christine Knudsen of Save the Children said, "Even though this country's attention is riveted on Iraq, this reminds us there are many other places where it's difficult for women and children to survive in war."

Knudsen said the issue of women and children in war deserves the president's attention on his trip. She also seeks the president's support in passing the The Women and Children in Armed Conflict Protection Act of 2003, a bill that would require the government to develop an integrated strategy for protecting women and children during conflict and to report on this strategy to Congress.

Ritu Sharma, co-founder of Women's Edge, a non-profit organization dedicated to influencing U.S. foreign policy on international women's issues, brought the issue of women's subordinate status in Africa to the table. According to a United Nations report, women produce most of Africa's food, yet they reap less than a quarter of the pay and own less than one percent of the property.

Sharma said, "Aid programs need to be translated into gender-conscious community-level programs that recognize and support women's contribution to the economic system."

According to Women's Edge, sub-Saharan Africa's most vital economic sector is agriculture. Women contribute 60 to 80 percent of labor in food production both for household consumption and sale. However, this high level of participation does not bring women higher social status or decision-making power.

Sharma said the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants duty- and quota-free treatment to many products, including textiles and apparel, imported from Africa, could do more to help women's status regarding trade in Africa. "AGOA hasn't lived up to its benefits for the poor, specifically poor women," she said. "We need to revise, review and change AGOA so it addresses some of these problems. We hope the president will see some of these problems on his trip to Africa. We hope he will come back with an open mind on how to change this policy."