Ambassador April H. Foley

Commemorating International Women's Day

Published in the Hungarian daily Népszava on March 8, 2007

Women in the United States are getting a lot of attention these days.  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is tackling tough foreign policy issues ranging from security and peace in the Middle East, fighting terrorism and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to combating disease and poverty around the world.  For the first time in our nation's history, a woman serves as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.  And another well-known woman is seeking the presidential nomination.  

Indeed, one of the more overlooked but possibly the most enduring legacies of the Bush Administration will be the advancement and empowerment of women.  President George W. Bush has appointed record numbers of women to his own senior staff and Cabinet. Our Secretaries of State, Education, Labor and Transportation are women -- in the United States, women are in charge of key issues abroad and at home. 

Here in Hungary, accomplished and talented women are also in top positions.  Katalin Szili, Ibolya Dávid, and Kinga Göncz, for example, demonstrate that Hungarian women are fully capable of handling the most demanding jobs.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is wearing a second hat as the current rotating President of the European Union.  In the past year, Michele Bachelet was inaugurated as the the President of Chile, while Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected President of Liberia, the first woman head of state in African history.  Early this year, the UN Secretary General appointed Asha-Rose Mtengeti-Migiro, the former foreign minister of Tanzania, to be deputy secretary general, putting a woman from the developing world in charge of the day-to-day management of the world organization.  A woman has also assumed charge of the World Health Organization and is making women's health one of her top priorities.   Dr. Margaret F. C. Chan, a former Hong Kong health chief, has noted that women who are empowered are making a real difference in the work force and in their communities, particularly as teachers and health care workers. 

This growing strength of women can be seen around the world.  Women are increasingly agents of change, arbiters of peace, and advocates of education and health, sometimes in the face of danger and even death. 

Last year, we witnessed the tragic loss of Safia Ama Jan, Provincial Director of Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs, assassinated by Taliban gunmen in September 2006.  Her brutal killing shows the threat posed by terrorism and by a repressive worldview that denies women the basic rights to work, move about freely, and be educated.   Yet, there is much to be hopeful for in Afghanistan too.  Women, once barred from political life, now hold 68 of 188 seats in Afghanistan's lower house of parliament.  At least 5 million students are enrolled in schools in Afghanistan, and 40 percent are women and girls. 

As we celebrate the many achievements of women worldwide, we also must recognize that we still have much to do.  In too many places, women still struggle for basic rights and liberties, and face the threat of discrimination, exploitation and sex trafficking.  The international community must stand with them and help them fight. 

Today, March 8, we honor women in our countries and around the world for their courage and for making news for the right reasons.  We must also remember that the empowerment of women is a constant, year-round priority, and that women's issues are everyone's issues.  Creating new opportunities for women requires dedication, commitment, and passion, but the investment is well worth the effort.  The United States of America is proud to partner with women -- and men -- in advancing these opportunities.