International Women's Issues Newsletter: Fall 2002

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Afghan Women Officials Arrive in U.S. for Educational Leadership Program

On September 22, 14 women from various Afghan government ministries arrived in the United States for a four-week educational exchange program. During their stay in Washington D.C., the women had the opportunity to establish relationships and networking opportunities with senior policymakers, Members of Congress, government agency officials, and non-governmental organization representatives. On September 24, the women met with President George W. Bush and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice at the White House for a half-hour discussion, and later that evening they met Secretary of State Colin L. Powell at a Department reception held in their honor. In his welcoming remarks, the Secretary praised the women for their dedication, noting the "broad agreement in the United States, within the world community, and within Afghanistan's transitional administration that women must play prominent roles in the massive relief, reconstruction, and development efforts that lay ahead…. Women must be planners, they must be implementers, and they must be beneficiaries."

The program, "U.S. Leadership Management and Computer Education for Afghan Women," is being sponsored by the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, co-chaired by Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky and the Afghan Ministers of Women’s Affairs and Foreign Affairs. As a member of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Patricia S. Harrison created this unique International Visitor exchange in response to the need to assist with reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. This program is focusing on computer education, proposal development, communications and leadership management.

The U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council brought the 14 women to the United States under the State Department’s International Visitor Program. The Program brings participants to the United States from all over the world each year to meet and confer with their professional counterparts and to experience the United States firsthand.

From Washington, the women divided into three groups to continue the program in California, Colorado and Georgia. Computer education will be provided by participating American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in Los Angeles, Denver and Atlanta. The women are studying specific computer skills, training in proposal development as well as communications and leadership management, participating in familiarization tours of community programs, and attending social events and cultural activities. A laptop was donated to each participant for her use in the United States and later in Afghanistan. The program also includes follow-up assistance in-country, as the participants will go on to work with others in their respective ministries. The three groups will reconvene in Austin, Texas, to look at state government and the interaction among federal, state, and local entities. They will conclude their program in New York City where they will meet with representatives of the United Nations and other organizations that play an integral role in relief efforts in Central and South Asia.

In addition, the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council announced its new website, which went on-line in September at http://usawc.state.gov/.  The site contains information about the history and mission of the Council, further details about the "U.S. Leadership Management and Computer Education for Afghan Women" program, as well as upcoming projects, news, and information about women in Afghanistan. The Council website also provides donor and contact information on how the public can help ensure Afghan women gain the skills and education they need to help rebuild Afghanistan.

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Earlier this year President Bush and Afghan Interim Authority Chairman Karzai announced the establishment of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council. The Council was created to promote public/private partnerships between the United States and Afghanistan that will help mobilize resources to enable women to obtain the skills and education they were deprived of under the Taliban. Programs respond directly to priority issues raised by the Afghan Ministry for Women’s Affairs and will complement U.S. efforts in the region. The Council will ensure that women are planners, implementers and beneficiaries of the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

The Council’s membership will consist of representatives from U.S. and Afghan universities, medical institutions, businesses, media, and other sectors. The co-chairs are the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, the Afghan Minister for Women’s Affairs the Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs. Present Council members include: Constantine Curris, President of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU); Connie Duckworth, Committee of 200 Chair; Patricia Harrison, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational And Cultural Affairs; Pat Mitchell, President and CEO of PBS; and Marin Strmecki, Vice President of the Smith Richardson Foundation.

The Council operates from the Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs provides funding for many of its programs.

Overall, the goal of the Council is to mobilize resources, expertise and networking capabilities across governments, NGOs and private companies in order to establish practical, creative projects that meet the pressing needs of Afghan women. Council programs will bring both short- and long-term benefits to the women of Afghanistan by reintegrating them 

Afghan Leader Hamid Karzai and President George W. Bush

into Afghan society and preparing them for positions of management and leadership.

Education and training programs, capacity building, including the enhancement of English language skills, the promotion of civil society, access to health care, micro-credit and business development, political participation and support for a free media, are among the Council’s priorities.

As stated by President Bush on the occasion of the first Council meeting:

"During Chairman Hamid Karzai’s visit, we jointly pledged to build a lasting American partnership to help Afghanistan forge a future free from terror, want, and war... Today Afghan women are enjoying new freedoms and opportunities. Now is the time for America and the world to demonstrate more than just sympathy for past injustices. We must work together to offer [the women] real support for a better future. I am proud that the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council is off to a promising start in addressing this vital challenge."

 U.S.-Afghan Women's Council Fact Sheet

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Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky and other Department of State officials met with representatives of women’s organizations, including Muslim-American women, on July 16th. Discussion focused on recent developments in Afghanistan and on the State Department’s interest in expanding its contacts and programs for women in Muslim-majority countries. Monica Kladakis from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and Rick Ruth from the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs discussed Department programs that have been developed for women in Muslim-majority countries. Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues April Palmerlee discussed her recent trip to Afghanistan, Egypt, Bahrain, and Yemen.

Meeting Summary

Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs  Paula J. Dobriansky

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Recent UNAIDS reports on the scope of the pandemic show that HIV/AIDS among women is growing rapidly, underscoring the importance of intensifying efforts to address the needs of women in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Women make up 48.9% of those infected with HIV globally. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 58% of HIV-infected adults, and more than two-thirds of those infected between the ages of 15-19 are women. In many cases, girls - often the taragets of sexual violence - are infected at a much earlier age then males, an indication that older men are infecting young partners.

The Debub Nigat Circus Troupe (pictured above), which uses drama, music, acrobatics, and dance to bring information on HIV/AIDS prevention to the predominately illiterate rural communities in Africa, recently did a series of performances in Ethiopia. The effort was the result of a mini-grant sponsored by the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. (Photo: State Magazine)

Women are affected both as infected persons and as the caregivers of others impacted by HIV infection.Therefore, enhanced outreach and increased protection options to women have a multiplier effect.Giving women the means to protect themselves against infection also reduces the growing number of orphans.

Therefore, enhanced outreach and increased protection options to women have a multiplier effect.Giving women the means to protect themselves against infection also reduces the growing number of orphans. The Bush Administration has recently announced a new $500 million HIV prevention of mother-to-child transmission initiative. In addition to expanding treatment to newborns and mothers,  the program provides antiretroviral therapy to the mother for an extended period beyond birth.

Additionally, a unique meeting at the recent international conference in Barcelona highlighted the influence of "women of power" in the fight against HIV/AIDS, emphasizing the role of First Ladies and other high-level female government officials.

An inaugural meeting of the African First Ladies Club in Geneva, Switzerland following the conference launched intensified efforts among 18 African first ladies to engage inactively  the war against AIDS in their countries and collectively within the region. Their efforts, specifically targeting women, seek to better address prevention and education messages as well as care and treatment programs to meet the special needs of women.

For more information visit: Office of International Health Affairs

Fact Sheet: U.S. Government Support for the Fight Against HIV/AIDS (7/5)

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In accordance with the Afghan Women and Children Relief Act of 2001, the State Department on July 12, 2002 delivered to Congress its report "U.S. Support for Afghan Women, Children and Refugees." The report shows that although reconstructing Afghanistan will be a long process, U.S. programs are off to a solid start, already improving the lives of 15 million women and children. The report describes the magnitude of reconstruction efforts, especially in the political arena and in the day-to-day lives of women, children and refugees.

Afghan women at a CARE project in line for a monthly food distribution at a school in West Kabul. The United States donated 1,000 metric tons of fortified wheat flour to the emergency feeding program, which benefits 10,000 widows and their children, or about 60,000 people.

In the year since the tragic events of September 11, the situation of Afghan women has improved considerably. One indicator is the appointment or election of women to important political roles, with strong U.S. encouragement. Women are also now able to travel more freely, return to work, and receive long-deprived medical care. U.S.-supported health projects focus on maternal and child health needs. Teacher training, textbook distribution, and food-for-education projects reach female teachers, students, and schools.

The United States has spent more than $300 million this year for Afghan relief and reconstruction.

In addition, the United States contributes three-quarters of all food aid distributed by the World Food Program, on which at least one in every four Afghans depends for survival.

The report also describes U.S. efforts to support the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and to create and operate a public-private partnership called the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council.

As in most post-conflict situations, women and children constitute the majority of returning refugees in Afghanistan. Progress on this front has exceeded expectations-- over one million refugees have already returned. Continuing support will be needed to help reintegrate these new arrivals, to sustain the inflow, and to care for those still outside of the country.

The report is available on the Department of State’s website at www.state.gov/g/wi. For hard copies of the report, please contact the Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues at (202) 312-9664.

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In July more than 600 women from 76 countries met in Barcelona, Spain to discuss strategies to increase the economic power of women. In her address to summit participants, Senior Coordinator April Palmerlee recognized the importance women play in economic development around the world and their increasingly significant role as leaders in government and business.

She also emphasized U.S. support for access to education and educational exchanges, especially for girls; micro-finance; collaboration with non-governmental organizations and multi-lateral institutions; cooperation with U.S. corporations operating abroad to implement best-practices norms; and work with communities to improve health care and reduce domestic violence.

Further, she affirmed that promoting mechanisms that allow women to avail themselves of the full-range of economic opportunities that their societies offer is a major component of U.S. foreign policy.

The outcomes of the Global Summit included raising $10,000 to be used as microenterprise loans for Afghan women seeking to reenter their country’s economy, the creation of a Technology Committee to faclitate the sharing of best practices among Summit participants and other women entrepreneurs globally, and an agreement to develop a compendium of corporate best practices in creating equal opportunities for women.

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This summer, the second annual Trafficking in Persons Report to Congress, as required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, on the status of severe forms of trafficking in persons worldwide, was released. This annual report brings international attention to the horrific practice of trafficking in persons. This report is a diplomatic tool for the U.S. Government in combating trafficking in persons, serving as an instrument for continued dialogue, and a means to encourage increased prosecution, protection, and prevention programs. Following the report’s release, the Department affirms to continue to engage in discussions with governments to help strengthen cooperative efforts to eradicate trafficking.

The Department will use the information gained during the report compilation to target assistance programs more effectively. The report can be a catalyst for governmental efforts to combat trafficking in persons around the world, so that this degrading practice is eventually eliminated. As Secretary Powell has said, the "annual Trafficking in Persons Report shines a much-needed light on this global problem. We use the information we collect for the report to bolster the will of the international community to combat this unconscionable crime."
Full text of the Trafficking in Persons Report

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September 18-21: Istanbul, Turkey. Fulbright-sponsored conference, "Women in the Global Community."

September 20: Bismark, North Dakota. National Federation of Press Women Conference.

September 25-27: Helsinki, Finland. "Helsinki Women’s Business Leaders Summit" to promote business opportunities and partnerships between the U.S. and Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Northwest Russia, present best practices for women-owned or –directed enterprises, and share information about successful strategies in developing and managing businesses.

October 2-4: Madrid, Spain.  Third International Conference on Women in Agriculture.

October 29-30: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Assembly of Delegates of the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM)

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Published by the Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues. The office coordinates the integration of women's issues into the broader U.S. strategic, economic and diplomatic goals. For more information contact:  202-312-9664.