Ambassador April H. Foley

Remarks a the International Women of Courage Ceremony

Central European University, Budapest
March 18, 2008

Ambassador Foley with Ms. Tóth (Embassy photo by Linda Mézes - full size photo)

Good evening!

Thank you, Provost Robinson, for the kind introduction. CEU is a wonderful partner for the U.S. Embassy. We are deeply appreciative of that. It allows for some excellent programs!

I would also like to thank the Human Rights Student Initiative. You worked very hard in co-hosting this event.

It is wonderful to see you all here tonight as we commemorate Women’s History month, an event near and dear to my heart. I’m delighted that we will be honoring our International Women of Courage Award nominee Györgyi Tóth.

I’d like to especially welcome the family and friends of Ms. Tóth, who are here to celebrate with us this evening. The world needs courageous leaders like Györgyi. We all take pride in her accomplishments.

When I say “courageous leaders,” some might wonder what’s so courageous about taking a stand on an issue in Hungary. After all, Hungary is a democratic and peaceful country. It’s not as if we live in a war zone, where we have to fear for our lives.

But even in “peaceful” countries, it can still be difficult to rise up and take a stand for what you believe in. To have the courage to make a difference. To make a consequential contribution to society.

Tonight I want to pose a question to each of you . . . If not you, then who?

If not you, then who will fight issues like domestic violence? Who will fight trafficking in persons? Who will fight corruption, illiteracy, and discrimination?

If not you, then who will be the catalyst for change?

As many of you know, I am passionate about women’s issues. One of my priorities as U.S. Ambassador is to promote the empowerment of women.

Promoting the political and economic participation of women in society is an important element of U.S. foreign policy.

The United States is deeply committed to advancing women around the world. We are committed to helping women become full participants in their societies.

When women courageously stand up for their rights, freedom and dignity, it benefits not only women; it reinforces democracy; it bolsters economic prosperity; it advances tolerance; it enables people to realize their full potential.

When women are educated and empowered, society is strengthened.

President Bush and Secretary of State Rice recognize that women’s empowerment is more than a question of individual human rights. Economies and societies need women’s participation to continue to grow.

If women are deprived of economic opportunity, development is limited. If women cannot participate in the political process, the democracy cannot be truly representative of the people.

In the United States, a non-partisan organization called The White House Project is cultivating women leaders for public life. Its mission is to advance women’s leadership in the political process – up to the U.S. presidency – by filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women.

The number of women actively seeking elected office in the U.S. is increasing. In the 2006 midterm elections, more women ran for office than ever before. 86 women are now in the U.S. Congress. This is a new record. A woman is serving for the first time as Speaker of the House, the #3 position in the U.S. Government. And Hilary Clinton is the first serious woman candidate running for the Democratic nomination for President.

Senator Clinton may not win. But it is a clear achievement to have an extremely capable woman running for President.

I frequently ask women political leaders what motivated them to seek top positions. The majority respond that someone asked them. Someone asked them to get involved, to run for office, or to take on a specific leadership role. Clearly, we are missing out, if we don’t identify talented women and ask them to get involved.

Strangely enough, some of the biggest breakthroughs for women stem from the leadership of men. For example, President Bush decided that he wanted to have the best track record of any U.S. President on women. And he has done that. President Bush has appointed more women to senior-level positions than any other U.S. president in history.

Since 1987, the United States has dedicated the month of March to celebrating Women’s History. It is an opportunity to remember the women who shaped U.S. and world history. It is an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments. And, it is an opportunity to contemplate how we can continue the momentum.

President Bush stated in his proclamation on Women’s History Month 2008: “America has been transformed by strong women whose contributions shaped the history of our country. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and she inspired generations of women to follow their dreams. Physicist Chien-Shiung Wu helped advance our knowledge and understanding of the world through her achievements in atomic research. Harriet Tubman fought racial injustice and opened doors for more Americans to participate fully in our society.”

I’d like to add another example: Alice Paul. Alice Paul fought tirelessly to give American women the right to vote. We’ll learn more about her courageous leadership in the film we’ll be showing later: Iron Jawed Angels.

These are all American examples. But there are outstanding examples of women’s accomplishments all over the globe.

Just last week, the International Herald Tribune noted the accomplishments of a young Russian social worker. Feeling that domestic violence was a serious issue for women, she expanded a domestic violence hotline to 170 crisis centers. The Tribune also recognized Afghan war widows who sewed uniforms that enabled 150,000 girls to attend school for the first time; it also cited Irish women who engaged in the Northern Ireland peace progress. They are now “exporting” their peace-building skills to Israeli and Palestinian women.

There are some very inspiring stories coming out of Afghanistan, some of which were discussed at CEU last week. It is gratifying to see Afghan women advancing in leadership roles in Afghan politics. In 2006, for the first time in Afghanistan’s history a woman, Maria Bashir, was appointed Provincial Prosecutor General of Herat Province. And Runa Tareen was named director of Women’s Affairs in Khandahar province, one of the country’s most conservative provinces. These examples give us hope.

In Iraq, the State Department’s Office for International Women’s Issues has overseen and implemented the $24.5 million Iraqi Women’s Democracy Initiative (IWDI). To date, programs under the IWDI already have trained about 7,000 Iraqi women in leadership, political participation, entrepreneurship, women’s rights advocacy, coalition building, and negotiation . . . key skills in a democratic society.

The Embassy had the pleasure of meeting with one such Iraqi woman. Last November, the Embassy collaborated with the Government of Hungary on a week-long program against violence against women. We were privileged to have four Iraqi women attend the program. One of the Iraqi women runs a shelter for Iraqi women and children who are victims of honor killings. It was valuable to hear about their struggles and successes as they strive to make improvements in the lives of Iraqi women and children. And they learned a lot from seeing how much Hungary and the U.S. are doing to combat domestic violence.

Today’s women continue the legacy of the courageous women of the past. They take their own daring leadership steps and serve as an inspiration to us all.

We have one of these courageous and inspiring women here with us tonight: Györgyi Tóth, who will be receiving the International Women of Courage award.

The annual Award for International Women of Courage was established in 2007 by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in honor of International Women’s Day. It recognizes women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and advancement. This is the Department of State’s only award that pays tribute to emerging women leaders worldwide.

This year’s honorees came from Afghanistan, Fiji, Iraq, Kosovo, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Paraguay, and Somalia. They were honored by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington, DC, last week.

These women transformed their societies by tackling such issues as ending human trafficking; fighting HIV/AIDS; combating female genital mutilation; fighting political corruption; and guaranteeing women’s access to justice.

These eight women are among over 95 exceptional women of courage, including Györgyi Tóth, who were nominated by U.S. Embassies worldwide for their diverse contributions to freedom, justice, peace, and equality.

Ms. Tóth, currently the Director of NANE, the Women’s Rights Association, was nominated for her work on domestic violence.

Violence against women is a gender-based violation of human rights. It deprives women of their fundamental freedoms. In exposing women to physical, sexual or psychological abuse, violence discriminates against women.

If not addressed adequately, it becomes a violation of women’s human rights.

In Hungary, as in countless countries around the world including the U.S., domestic violence is still a problem. It remains a problem despite strong governmental and civic efforts.

Domestic violence is estimated to affect at least one million women and their children here in Hungary.

Two-thirds of reported sexual crimes are committed against women who know the perpetrator.

NANE is one of two NGOs in Hungary that addresses the issue of domestic violence. They listen to victims, they understand them without judgment, and they raise public awareness about the issue through publications and training.

The Embassy has a long-standing relationship with NANE. In 2000, NANE received a $23,000 Democracy Grant to conduct teacher and classroom training to educate young women about trafficking and to create a general awareness campaign to prevent violence against women.

Among the outcomes of the grant was the creation of a hotline for battered women and children. This hotline is the only one of its kind in Hungary.

Györgyi is responsible for the staffing and training of hotline volunteers, as well as coordinating legal assistance for victims. In addition to providing direct client services, Györgyi advocates for better legislation. She works to increase awareness about domestic violence. She supports more robust action regarding the offenders.

She also develops training programs and materials. She is currently part of the law enforcement training team at the International Law Enforcement Academy.

Györgyi is an active partner with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. She leads the ministry’s year-long campaign to curb violence against women. She is focused on raising public awareness and supporting legislation.

She is also active in the school community, particularly with young women and men from age 12-18, educating them on the issue of domestic violence. In fact, NANE and the U.S. Embassy are partnering on the development of a program to address teen dating violence.

This is a subject in which I am personally interested. I had many opportunities to see the effects of domestic violence when I volunteered with the Northern Westchester Shelter in the U.S. I saw how domestic violence cuts across all socio-economic levels. It is not just an issue for the poor or the poorly educated. It strikes all levels of society. I believe that we need to do all we can to reduce domestic violence.

This social problem cannot be solved by one or two NGOs.

The problem deserves all of our attention, so I’d like to challenge you again to think . . .If not us, then who?

I encourage all of you to follow in the footsteps of the great historical women leaders. I ask all of you to consider the example of Györgyi Tóth and her passionate involvement in fighting violence against women. I encourage all of you to make your mark in today’s world. I encourage all of you to be catalysts of change.

Thank you.

Award Presentation

Now I would like to make the award presentation. Györgyi, please come up.

As President Bush’s direct representative here in Hungary, it is my pleasure to present the International Women of Courage Award to you on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, in recognition of your determination and leadership in advancing women’s rights and preventing violence against women.

I would also like to present this book, entitled 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century, as a token of our appreciation for your efforts. I’m certain that your work will take us far into the 21st century and beyond.

Thank you. Now Györgyi will say a few words, and then we’ll open it up to questions, for either Györgyi or me.