Our Commitment To Afghan Women

Over the course of a decade and through the administrations of two presidents of different political parties, the United States has maintained a consistent commitment to support the women of Afghanistan through the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council (USAWC).

USAWC is a public-private partnership established by President George W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2002. Since its creation, representatives of the U.S. and Afghan governments, private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations have joined hands to develop and carry out initiatives in support of Afghan women and girls. Today the Council is housed at Georgetown University. I have the privilege to co-chair the council with GU's President, John J. DeGioia.

To mark the tenth anniversary of this extraordinary project, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently hosted a celebration at the State Department, which welcomed special guest Laura Bush, whose advocacy and support has been instrumental to the Council's work.

In her remarks, Secretary Clinton underscored the progress of women in Afghanistan in building a better future of stability and peace. "In ways that often go unnoticed and certainly uncelebrated, the women of Afghanistan are hard at work each and every day solving Afghanistan's problems and serving her people," she said. "Now, for many Afghan women, the help they have received from this council has made all the difference. "

Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul also participated. While acknowledging that great challenges remain, he noted the extraordinary accomplishments of his country's women. "There is no doubt," he said, "that we have had these achievements chiefly because the Afghan people want it, support them, and because courageous Afghan women have fought for them."

I have been blessed to meet with remarkable women around the world who are advancing economic, political and social progress. They are true agents of change, serving on the frontlines. Since the fall of the Taliban, women have made significant strides. Life expectancies for women have been raised from 44 to 62 years of age. After years of being denied access to education, 3 million school girls are now back where they belong -- in the classroom, where they make up nearly 40 percent of all primary school students. Nearly 120,000 girls have graduated from high school, with another 15,000 enrolled in universities, and 500 women serving on university faculties. Maternal and infant mortality rates are on the rapid decline.

Both the Afghan people and the international community played active roles in the effort to fully empower women. With the support of the private sector and American people, the USAWC has undertaken many programs to support women and girls through a wide variety of efforts -- scholarships and literacy promotion; instruction in artisan-based employment; business and management training; counseling and shelter for victims of violence; and fostering mentoring and leadership exchanges.

At the celebration, Secretary Clinton announced an award from the Department of Defense to the Friends of the American University of Afghanistan Foundation for $5 million. The grant is to be used to construct and equip the International Center for Afghan Women's Economic Development, to be located at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul. In addition, Vartan Gregorian, the President of the Carnegie Corporation, honored the work of the USAWC by committing $1 million in scholarship funding for Afghan women to study in universities in their country.

Even as we measure our progress, we know that much remains to be done to ensure that a daughter born in Afghanistan has the same opportunities as a son. Even as the United States begins to withdraw combat troops and transfer security responsibilities to the Afghan people, we will continue to be actively engaged in the hard work of promoting peace and stability. And we will continue to affirm the essential role that women must play in the hard work of securing and rebuilding communities, and their God-given right to live to their fullest potential.

 

Comments

[Know-some-secrets]

06:09 AM on 04/04/2012

I must say this "celebration" is political hype. In my estimation, the U.S. has nothing to celebrate about its futile role and hugely expensive, in lives and dollars, needless intervention in Afghanistan.

Secretary Clinton has been the leading advocate in the Obama administration for escalation of the War in Afghanistan and for contracting with profiteering, unaccountable mercenaries. She has presided over a system of distribution of U.S. aid and humanitarian relief that has created dependency and fueled rampant corruption. Earlier, tough talking Hiillary Clitnon proclaimed aid to Afghanistan a "heartbreaking failure" and pledged to curb corruption. Somehow her deeds never live up to her words, and new studies say corruption continues to grow. Any "progress" in Aghanistan seems to be a mega-billion dollar house of cards.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/17/world/la-fg-afghan-aid-test
http://bfbs.com/news/afghanistan/afghanistan-aid-programmes-corrupt-55922.html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/jan-june11/afghanistan1_06-08.html

Leading a "celebration" of 10 years of progress is typically hypocritical.

[parlimentMike]

11:11 PM on 04/03/2012

Pursuit of the war that has displaced 50% of the Afghan civilian population is not consistent with improving women's lot in Afghanistan. Perhaps the Secretary of State could do something to get the war out of the way of progress.

[Know-some-secrets]

06:27 AM on 04/04/2012

But hasn't she been the administration's leading advocate for escalation of the war in Afghanistan? That's what reports said when President Obama was considering the expansionist troop surge, and later removed its commander, general William McCrystal.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supported military surge
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/world/asia/11policy.html

"Only Hillary Clinton receives good reviews from McChrystal's inner circle. "Hillary had Stan's back during the strategic review," says an adviser. "She said, 'If Stan wants it, give him what he needs.' "
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-runaway-general-20100622#ixzz1r47vG9mc

If the Secretary of State is not the champion of peace over war, use of diplomacy over military force, concern for human rights and economic justice over corporate profiteering, who in support for the president will be?

[Allen Clark]

09:39 PM on 04/03/2012

I am very concerned that women in Afganistan are being treated so bad. But I do not feel I have any responsibility to make sure it changes. I do not think we should send any more of your young men to die for a cause that they themselves could care less about. So, if your saying we should spill more of our blood then that commitment is yours alone. I sure do not sare it with you

[2Bfair]

10:08 AM on 04/04/2012

Dan Ehrlich has an interesting Huffpo article asking if Afgahnistan is the world's first "feminist war." http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/dan-ehrlich/afghanistan-feminist-war-the-first-fem_b_1349217.html

It seems very odd that promise of women in leadership has often been that they would lead for peace. Hillary Clinton must not have gotten the memo.

[demisfine]

09:38 PM on 04/03/2012

Until the Russian invasion, Afghan women were civilized, educated and remarkably independent.
That all changed when the invasion ended and the Islamic extremists took over.
There has been more than a generation of women born into the oppression.
It is sad for the entire nation, and the world.

[parlimentMike]

08:29 PM on 04/03/2012

Our commitment to Afgan women does not warrant displacing half of the country's population, nor continuing into a second decade of unjust war or subsequent occupation.

[uptheirons2009]

01:14 AM on 04/04/2012

It is difficult for some to understand that the majority of action and change happens from within a culture and that foreign soldiers tend to entrench people in their opposition to any effort by that forces government or civilians. Women didn't gain rights in America because we were invaded by someone and the same won't happen there. I personally feel that most tend to view this issue as solved in "Westernization" when combating discrimination or marginalization in any form is a constant effort even though many states have come far. Ethnicity or religion is a non-factor despite the wild assertions of some