Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Lima, Peru, on October 15 and 16. In Peru, she met with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala to discuss bilateral and regional cooperation. After her meeting with the President, Secretary Clinton said:
“…The United States and Peru work together on many shared challenges and priorities. We are working together to promote citizen security and to work against the drug traffickers. We are working to support you in your ongoing efforts against the terrorists who have for too long brought violence to too many people throughout… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton highlights women’s financial inclusion during her remarks after meeting with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala at the Palacio de Gobierno in Lima, Peru, October 15, 2012. [Go to http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/10/199177.htm for a text transcript.]
Photo of the Week: Raising the Status of Girls Worldwide
About the Author: Alison Bauerlein serves as an editor for DipNote and a Foreign Service Officer in the Office of Digital Engagement.
This week’s “Photo of the Week” comes to us from USAID/Vietnam’s Richard Nyberg, who took this photo in the central highlands of Vietnam on October 9, 2010. The young girl pictured is one of the many ethnic minority girls benefiting from the support of USAID, the East Meets West Foundation, and the people and authorities in Kon Tum, Vietnam.
On Thursday, October 11, 2012, the world marked the first-ever celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child. As USAID noted on its web page devoted to the day, the occasion provides an opportunity for “reaching out… more »
International Day of the Girl: To Give Girls Everywhere What We Want for Our Own Daughters
As the world comes together to mark the first-ever International Day of the Girl on October 11, we are filled with hope, but also a sense of urgency. Just this week, a masked Pakistani Taliban militant attempted to assassinate Malala Yousufzai — a 14 year-old Pakistani schoolgirl — on her school bus simply for going to school and speaking up for her right and the right of girls everywhere to get an education. This barbaric act reminds us all too painfully that in far too many places, some still don’t value girls and want to ignore their fundamental rights as human beings. What is so inspiring about Malala’s story is the outpouring of support she has received from every level of her government and ours, and from Pakistanis of all walks of life. So many people from around the world have stood up to say that she is like their own daughter.
Today, on the first International Day of the Girl Child, it’s important to remember some of the most vulnerable girls in the world — those living in post-conflict or other humanitarian settings. The special vulnerabilities of young women and girls — to early marriage, unplanned pregnancies, gender-based violence and abuse — can all be exacerbated when the normal protections of organized societies break down during times of conflict or crisis. Humanitarians have a special responsibility to meet the needs of these girls, and the United States is working with our international and non-governmental organization partners to ensure those most in need of protection are not forgotten.
Our humanitarian assistance — including the provision of health, shelter, nutrition, and water and sanitation programs — supports the community, the family, and through this the whole child.… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers a video message on the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, 2012. [Go tohttp://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/10/198720.htm for a text transcript.]
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Archbishop Desmond Tutu deliver remarks to a group of visiting Girl Scouts in honor of the first-ever International Day of the Girl on October 11 at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]
As the Olympic and Paralympic Games proved this summer, sports have the unique ability to bring people together peacefully.
As part of its Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative, the U.S. Department of State brought 18 young female athletes and two coaches from India and Pakistan together recently for the first joint India-Pakistan sports exchange program.
Regardless of their country of origin, these athletes and coaches became a team. They shared laughs, started a new conversation with one another, and encouraged each other to excel both on and off the soccer field.
With a focus on peace building, the India-Pakistan soccer exchange also highlights the importance of using sports as a means of empowerment. According… more »
2012 has been a remarkable year for Burma. Under President Thein Sein’s leadership, we have seen electoral reforms, the release of hundreds of political prisoners, the formalizing of diplomatic relations between our two countries, and Aung San Suu Kyi’s historic visit to the United States, all of which have brought immense hope and a sense of possibility to the people of Burma and all of us who care deeply about their future. Earlier this year, with colleagues from the State Department and private sector foundation leaders, we visited Burma to shine a spotlight on issues relating to women and girls at this crucial moment in history.
We have no illusions about the future. From a dearth of basic infrastructure, to the many political prisoners still languishing in jail, to the ongoing ethnic violence and continuing human rights violations against women, the road toward… more »
Girls Rule the (Sports) World: Mentoring the Next Generation of Global Women Leaders in Sports
About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
On Thursday, I met with 17 inspiring women from Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Macedonia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Tajikistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Individually, they’re up-and-comers in the world of sports — as athletes, coaches, reporters, and managers. Together, they’re the inaugural class of the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program. The group arrived at the State Department this morning for an orientation to kick off their month-long mentorships with leading American women in sports-related fields.
For the next four weeks, these emerging leaders will work alongside their American mentors from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut,… more »
![U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, Peru's President Ollanta Humala, center, and Michelle Bachelet, Chile's former president and U.N. Women executive director, pose for photos at the opening of a conference on women's empowerment in Lima, Peru, Oct. 16, 2012. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018075806im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_1016_clinton_peru_m.jpg)
![With the people and authorities in Kon Tum and implementing partner, the East Meets West Foundation, USAID supports young ethnic minority children in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. [Photo Credit: Richard Nyberg, USAID/Vietnam]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018075806im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_1012_usaid_girl_m.jpg)
![Two Indian girls play on a street on International Day of the Girl Child in Hyderabad, India, October 11, 2012. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018075806im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_1011_day_of_the_girl_child_m.jpg)
![Girl struggles against sand storm in Darfur refugee camp, Sudan, Apr. 20, 2007. [AP File]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018075806im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_0313_darfur_sandstorm_m.jpg)
![Melanne Verveer, left, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, gestures to Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a press conference after their meeting at her residence, May 6, 2012, in Burma. [AP File Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121018075806im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_1005_burma_women_m.jpg)
