Over the last several years, the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has developed numerous exchanges to empower women and girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Tech Age Girls (TAG) is one such program, leveraging communications technology to connect young women in Philippines and Vietnam with learning resources and mentors. In December 2012, ECA worked together with our grantee partner, IREX, to take this exchange to the next level with in-person TAG conferences… more »
Last week in Jordan, 50 women from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, Yemen and the United States came together to map out ways in which they could use the TechWomen network to encourage more women and girls to pursue professions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM).
TechWomen is a program sponsored by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that pairs emerging women leaders in technology from the Middle East and North Africa with leading American women from the Silicon Valley area, using technology as a means to empower women and girls.… more »
Today all over the world people -- men and women -- will rise in solidarity and call for an end to violence against women. Why is this happening? The rising started with a handful of advocates seeking to call global attention to the violence that is perpetrated against women and girls every day and it has been fueled by awareness and concern in communities around the world that this abuse is a serious human rights issue that must end. Communities are connected as never before by technology and social media -- and the result is a worldwide call to action.
Violence against women and girls undermines their full participation in society and is found and cuts across ethnicity, race, class, religion, education level, and international borders. The numbers are staggering. An estimated one in three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in their… more »
President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February 12, 2013. In his remarks, President Obama addressed a number of foreign policy issues.
President Obama said, "Tonight, we stand united in saluting the troops and civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. Because of them, we can say with confidence that America will complete its mission in Afghanistan and achieve our objective of defeating the core of al Qaeda.
"Already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women. This spring, our forces will move into… more »
Small grants: huge impact. That was the recurring theme of an inspiring event Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer hosted earlier this week at the Department of State. As part of the WEAmericas initiative to support economic empowerment for women-owned businesses in the Western Hemisphere, we announced 25 small grants for organizations in 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as two regional projects. The Walmart Foundation and the Secretary of State's International Fund for Women and Girls sponsored the grants.
On February 6, 2013, in observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, I had the privilege of leading a panel discussion at the State Department to help bring global attention to a harmful traditional practice that risks the lives, dignity, and well-being of women and girls in far too many places around the world.
I was honored to be joined by such dedicated leaders and practitioners as Amina Salum Ali, Ambassador of the African Union to the United States; Dr. Nawal Nour, a Sudanese-American from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston; Bacary Tamba from Tostan, a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Senegal; and Jessie Hexpoor from Hivos, an NGO based in the Netherlands. They each have made, and are continuing to make, extraordinary contributions toward putting an end to female genital mutilation/cutting… more »
February 6 marks the 27th National Day of Women and Girls in Sports.
Today in Esteli, Nicaragua, girls from under-served areas are on the softball diamond, fielding grounders, running out base hits, and learning how sports can improve their health and their performance in the classroom.
In Donetsk, Ukraine, girls were on the basketball court, looking for the outlet pass, grabbing rebounds, and working as a team.
I am happy to share some very good news. On Wednesday, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum ("the Memorandum") that will help ensure that advancing the rights of women and girls remains central to U.S. diplomacy and development around the world -- and that these efforts will continue to be led by public servants at the highest levels of the United States government. Secretary Clinton was proud to be at President Obama's side as he… more »
About the Authors: Melanne Verveer serves as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, and Kris M. Balderston serves as the Special Representative for Global Partnerships.
Today, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosted over 200 representatives from business, non-governmental organizations, and civil society groups to celebrate the power of collaboration. As one of the last events the Secretary hosted, the meeting was momentous. Not only for the more than $80 million in public-private partnerships announced but also because it showcased how much has been achieved over the last four years. … more »
About the Authors: Melanne Verveer serves as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. Ambassador Verveer co-authored this entry with Shelly Esque. This entry appeared first on The Huffington Post.
There is no doubt that over the last decade, the Internet has created a revolution. Never before has information been so widely available or people better connected to one another. The Internet can be a great equalizer. And yet, access to it is not equally distributed. Notably, Internet access for both men and women in North America is nearly five times that of Africa.
Position that women accept for themselves in a society is iunfluenced by culture and values as they have evolved. Violence against women is an acute problem…
more »
Spokesperson Nuland (Feb. 23): "These attacks ... are only the latest demonstrations of the Syrian regime's ruthlessness and its lack of compassion for the Syrian people it claims to represent." more »
Secretary Kerry (Feb. 22): "We meet as very special friends in a very strong alliance, an alliance that I can say to you is really evolving into a global partnership and which is critical to the peace and security of the Asia Pacific." President's Re more »
![Tech Age Girls work together to develop community project plans in Hanoi, Vietnam, January 17, 2013. [IREX/ GCEVietnam Photo]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0223_tech_girls_m.jpg)
![TechWomen program participants pose for a photograph in Amman, Jordan, February 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0214_techwomen_jordan_m.jpg)
![Women participate in an event to support the One Billion Rising global campaign in Hyderabad, India, Feb. 14, 2013. [AP Photo]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0214_billion_rising_m.jpg)
![President Barack Obama, flanked by Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, gives his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 12, 2013. [AP Photo]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0213_obama_sotu_2_m.jpg)
![Three WEAmericas Small Grants awardees (from left) -- Founder and President of Comunidades de la Tierra Maria Pachecho (Guatemala), Board Member of Women Entrepreneurs Network Caribbean Yaneek Page (Caribbean), D.C. Director of Fundación Paraguaya Mary Liz Kehler (Paraguay) -- pose for a photograph at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., February 4, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0209_WeAmericas_IJC_m.jpg)
![A Masai girl holds a protest sign during the anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) run in Kilgoris, Kenya, April 21, 2007. [AP File Photo]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0207_fgmc_m.jpg)
![Jessica Mendoza, U.S. Olympian and member of the State Department Council to Empower Women and Girls, leads clinics in Nicaragua as part of the State Department's global efforts to empower women and girls through sports, February 4, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0205_women_sports_m.jpg)
![Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for a photo with the recipients of the 2012 International Women of Courage Award, on the 101st Anniversary of International Women's Day, March 8, 2012, at the State Department in Washington. [AP File Photo]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0201_clinton_women_m.jpg)
![Female Indian students pose with tablet computers in New Delhi, India, Oct. 5, 2011. [AP File Photo]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/oilspill/20130224121149im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0124_women_tablets_m.jpg)
