House Authorizes New Office of Global Women's Issues

Women Thrive Worldwide welcomes and strongly supports the passage by the House of Representatives yesterday of HR 2410, the State Department Authorization bill, which sets up the new Office of Global Women’s Issues in the State Department. Women Thrive also congratulates House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman for his leadership in championing the new office, which is a victory for women’s rights.

The new Global Women’s Issues office, set up under Section 334 of the bill, will elevate global women's issues and lead to better informed U.S. foreign policy decisions, by taking into account the impact of U.S. foreign policy on both women and men. Women Thrive, along with other organizations, advocated actively for the creation of the office and the passage of HR 2410.

Melanne Verveer, the new Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues who will be sworn in tomorrow, oversees a department that will coordinate foreign policy issues and activities relating to the political, economic and social advancement of women around the world. It will work to ensure that women's rights are fully integrated with human rights in the development of U.S. foreign policy.

“The perspectives of women worldwide, on issues ranging from security in Afghanistan and Pakistan to global food security to the effectiveness of our foreign assistance programs, will now receive an official hearing from the U.S. government and find their way into U.S. foreign policy,” said Ritu Sharma, Co Founder and President of Women Thrive. “We congratulate the Administration and Congress for setting up this office and look forward to working with it to improve the lives of women worldwide.”

Women are disproportionately impacted by crisis and conflict situations, and are often under-recognized as a force for peace and stability. The engagement of women is critical to the U.S. achieving successful outcomes in the most critical challenges facing our nation -- an ongoing war in Iraq, an escalating war in Afghanistan, serious tensions with Pakistan and Iran and a worsening global financial crisis -- to name a few. HR 2410, which was passed 235 to 187 in the House, now awaits passage in the Senate, and Women Thrive urges the Senate to act immediately on the legislation that supports the new office.

source: www.womenthrive.org