State Department to Welcome Ministers of Women’s Affairs from 60 Countries

This gathering of Ministers of Women’s Affairs, convened by the Council of Women World Leaders, in partnership with Georgetown University, will bring together women and men from around the world who promote the women’s agenda in their countries. The former Canadian Prime Minister and Chair for the Council of Women World Leaders, The Right Honorable Kim Campbell and former President of Ireland Her Excellency Mary Robinson will speak at the conference along with many other world leaders. The goal of the meetings is to share experiences and collectively advance the status of women both internationally and regionally.

Under Secretary Dobriansky is responsible for a broad range of foreign policy issues, including democracy, human rights, labor, counter-narcotics and law enforcement, refugee and humanitarian relief matters as well as environmental and scientific issues. She also manages the Department of State’s Office for International Women’s Issues. As Secretary Powell noted earlier this year “women’s issues are human rights issues, health and education issues and development issues. They are ingredients of good government and sound economic practice.” The International Women’s Office serves, in Secretary Powell’s words, as the “focal point within the Bush Administration for the development and implementation of our pro-women foreign policy agenda.”