Will Secretary Clinton Be an Advocate for Women Worldwide?

Originally posted on RH Reality Check - Information, commentary and community for reproductive health and justice.

The FDA was dragging its feet on approving emergency contraception - medication that ceases to be effective if its use is delayed - for over-the-counter pharmacy access. She held up a Senate confirmation until the FDA approved. The Department of Health and Human Services threatens to promulgate regulations that would broaden provider conscience protections, enabling providers to refuse to prescribe or even refuse to refer patients for care they find "morally objectionable" - including contraception. She introduced legislation that would prevent finalization or implementation of the regulation. She has co-sponsored legislation to repeal the global gag rule, to end funding for abstinence-only education and fund comprehensive sexuality education, to expand contraceptive access, and to codify Roe v. Wade in federal law. At the Fourth UN World Conference on Women in Beijing she said proudly, "Women's rights are human rights," attending the major international conference over the objections of Congress.

Now women's rights champion Senator Hillary Clinton, who The New York Times is reporting will accept President-Elect Barack Obama's offer to take on the top diplomatic post in his administration, will have the opportunity to act as an ambassador for women's rights. For women and girls worldwide, it's a coup, say advocates of international women's health.

How can the Secretary of State put pressure on governments - including our own - to recognize that women's health is a prerequisite for economic development?

Adrienne Germain, president of the International Women's Health Coalition, says that President-Elect Obama doesn't need help realizing that sexual and reproductive health must be addressed as a cornerstone of social and economic development.

"In this administration, we don't have to put much pressure," she says.

But as Secretary of State, women's rights champion Sen. Clinton can keep him focused, say advocates. While Obama has committed to foreign assistance reform and the Millennium Development Goals, a Secretary of State who keeps those issues on the front-burner means they're less likely to get lost even as economic issues and Iraq demand resident-Elect Obama's attention. In fact, realigning US policy to address realities facing women and girls in large part does not require additional spending - rather, non-ideological allocations of funds.

"Without spending a penny more, the new administration can do an enormous amount just by standing strong for the human rights of women and for the kinds of actions that are not simply needed but that countries time and time again - since Universal Declaration on Human Rights - have agreed to," says Germain.

A major priority for women's health leaders is to align U.S. foreign assistance with the principles espoused by in the 1994 International Conference of Population and Development in Cairo and the UN Millennium Development Goals, articulated by world leaders in 2000. In 1965, the foreign assistance bill was revised to include support for family planning programs, but it does so in a context of population control, not of human rights.

"The rights approach has not been reflected in policy," says Jamila Taylor, from the Center for Health and Gender Equity. "Do it from a human rights perspective, not even just a reproductive rights perspective. Human rights runs the gamut of issues - access to education, income generation - all the things that make women vulnerable or empowered around the world."

In Beijing, Sen. Clinton included in her speech a statement that's still radical today: "What we are learning around the world is that if women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations do as well."

As currently written, the US Foreign Assistance Bill has budget categories that make it difficult to deliver comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care, including separate budget lines for population, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, and other reproductive health needs. Health systems need to be strengthened overall to deliver care to those most in need, says Germain.

The Secretary of State can also set administration policy when it comes to HIV/AIDS. As Secretary of State, Sen. Clinton could encourage the President to address administratively PEPFAR's weaknesses in curbing infections among women and girls. "The President has the final say, but the Secretary can push him along," says Taylor. And the Office of the Coordinator on AIDS is situated in the State Department, meaning the Secretary of State could push the office to make gender concerns a priority in PEPFAR funding.

Germain, one of the lead negotiators on the Cairo Programme of Action, worked closely with Sen. Clinton when she was First Lady. In key global conferences held in those years, the US government led the world in making vital changes in support of women's health and equality. "We had not had that kind of opportunity before in my 40 years of professional work," says Germain, "and it was made much more of an opportunity because of Hillary's willingness and ability to weigh in and make a difference in the administration." Though the US was a leader on the Cairo Programme, it has always ignored the Millennium Development Goals, which are based in large part on Cairo.

With Clinton at the helm of the State Department, the US has an opportunity to retake its role as international leader on human rights and women's rights.

What will happen to the Senate when it loses its women's rights champion? It's an opportunity for advocates to reach out to a new generation of lawmakers, says Taylor. "We have to get in there and get to know new members," she says. Advocates have to gauge "what their temperament is in terms of being outspoken on these issues."

Comments

[shel3364]

What did Albright & Rice do to further women's issues?

[azcamp]

Let us hope that Hillary shuts Mark Penn out of the State Department and that Barack Obama appoints some key members of the State Department who have his temperament. We can expect Hillary to yell and complain about media coverage and perceived slights. We can also expect to see a red-faced Bill Clinton defending his wife from criticism.

The press loves the Clinton drama but most of America has had enough.

[frenchie25]

HRC as SOS will serve to further the policy of the President, BO. But, I think among them - Barack, Hillary and Joe Biden - they will come up with a policy that will include "Womens' Rights as Human Rights." IMHO, that's a no brainer.

[mergina]

YES. She will definitely do MORE THAN RICE (actually she did a big fat ZERO) on women's rights worldwide, on RAPE all over Africa, on the plight of WOMEN in Afghanistan and the rest of the brutal muslim world, on the horrors millions of young girls and women live day after day after having been kidnapped and HUMAN TRAFFICKED to a life of forced sex slavery. Will Clinton be an advocate for women worldwide. YES, A BRUTALLY EFFICIENT ONE.

[Bitsko]

I found it very interesting how Bush took up the issue of human trafficking a few years ago, and quickly dropped the subject after he was reelected.

[Fabienne]

"Brutally" might well be a description of how Clinton made her choice regarding the war in Iraq and might also be a description of her hawkish statements during the campaign. I guess she believes either that women never get killed in warfare or that the phrase "women's rights" include the right to be killed, as women and children, being the most vulnerable members of a culture, often die in far larger numbers than the actual combatants.

[shedances]

Hillary Clinton's an excellent choice for Sec. of State, as was Madeleine Albright, by the way, in her husband's administration. I, for one, have no doubt whatsoever that Ms. Clinton will make an outstanding future statesperson ~ not only because she has always given human rights issues a top priority (inc. that affecting women specifically) ... but also due to the fact that she can keep her courage & convictions strong, in the face of obstacles. I'm also grateful that former Pres. Bill Clinton was willing to give up his foreign involvements, in order for his wife to do her part for America, under Barack Obama.

[Fabienne]

Both of them share similarities in their willingness to sacrifice the lives of civilians for American imperialistic concerns.

[Fabienne]

Considering that Senator Clinton claimed she was a co-President, then she obviously didn't have much power as such if she was not responsible in any way for Bill paying women less than men. As for women's rights, does it further women's rights to support a war in Iraq for several years or to state that she is willing to obliterate Iran? Does it further women's rights to vote against banning cluster bombs? On the average, 90% more civilians are killed in wars than are soldiers, and many of these are women and children, who are often the most vulnerable members of a culture. Her hawkishness is in direct opposition to furthering women's rights. We might also add that she favored the law that released pharmacists from having to fulfill birth control or morning after prescriptions if they were opposed to family planning. A few speeches in favor of women's rights do not an advocate make. Isn't she the one who said words don't matter, actions do?

[EricWI]

Fabienne, I agree with the implied criticism in most of your rhetorical questions.

I am curious as to how you define "vulnerable members of a culture." Generally in wars many more men die which would indicate that men, not women, are more "vulnerable" to being victims of the war. I couldn't find gender statistics for Iraq war dead. Are you saying that more women have died in Iraq?

[intp1]

Sure, women"s health issues are the core to extricating ourselves from Iraq, keeping Pakistan on side, de-fusing the belligerent Russians, keeping the Israelis from stomping the Palestinians into oblivion and the Iranians and Syrians from returning the favor, figuring out the N. Koreans, engaging the Chinese, and the Europeans ¦etc etc.

Men"s health issues, of course play no part whatsoever, perhaps we can agree on that at least.

[dogwatch]

"Mr. Muhammad, tear off those Burkas! Now, let's talk about policies between our governments." Kinda soften 'em up with a few insults before beginning negotiations, maybe. Anything would be an improvement over the Bush methods, or, more like no methods at all, as in the "smoke 'em out and string 'em up" mode.

[leftLibertarian]

HC as SoS. Iraq fears that the US will never leave them in peace.

[learnsomething]

A SoS is diplmatic postition for the world. I don't think healthcare issues are a part of that job.

[HC4BO]

She already IS ...

[booksnmore4you]

Women's issues is likely to be one of those areas where Obama gives Hillary freedom.

[ElBruce]

This is an interesting point. If Clinton merely executes Obama's foreign policy, then she would be highly effective and gain cred, but she wouldn't put her stamp on it. If she does anything that even smacks of undermining his foreign policy goals, then the media would be all over the never-ending Obama/Clinton drama.

However, she does have an attractive third option - to add to his foreign policy, by pushing women's rights around the world, in addition to executing his goals. He wouldn't mind the addition at all, and it would give her something from this experience that she could point to as her idea.

Not to mention helping the cause of women everywhere, natch.

[NationalTreasure]

Clinton will advocet whatever is politically expedient for her.

The Clinton's talked a good game about women and equality but during the Clinton administration they paid female staffers less than their male counterparts; the men often had less experience or only the equal experience and educational backgrounds as the women staffers, the Clinton's also promoted males and gave them higher titles than female staffers -- it is all documented in public record and Dee Dee Myers spoke of this in her book

Hillary continued this practice with her Senate staff and her presidential campaign staffers where women were paid less

[learnsomething]

Hillary wasn't responsible for how much money women made in her husbands adm. Bill was the president, not Hillary. You guys tickle me with this.

IF Hillary is appointed SoS, it does not include her spouse. SoS is a one person job, it does not include the spouse.

IFshe is appointed SoS, Hillary will take orders from the commander in chief, he will be her boss. Or she will be fired.