Women's Empowerment Working Session Summary - 10/12/2006

Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
October 12, 2006

Summary Recommendations of the Women's Empowerment Working Session

On September 23, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hosted a working
session with women Ministers and Heads of State to discuss strategies for the political, economic, legal, and educational empowerment of women worldwide. The
participants agreed on the following recommendations:

Networking:


* Networking among women leaders should be expanded.
* A Roster of Women Leaders should be established.
* Sharing of women's empowerment "best practices" between regions is
essential.
* At the grass roots level, setting up "Model Villages" to encompass
political, economic, and justice issues is a deliverable worth pursuing.

Education:
* Literacy and education must remain a key component in empowerment efforts.
* In some cases, educational opportunities must target girls in particular,
especially in the developing world, to address their unique challenges and
disadvantages.

Political Participation:


* Women leaders will work toward dealing with the stereotype that women are
weak participants in political systems.
* More senior women are needed in the UN and other regional organizations.
* Civic education is an important vehicle for changing political culture.

Peace and Security:


* Because women are directly affected by conflict, women must be at the
negotiating table for peace building efforts and post-conflict decision
making.
* Statutory changes and rule of law are required to protect women.
* Women leaders could establish a roster of women qualified to serve as
envoys in mediation and peacekeeping.

Culture and Religion:


* Women's participation in religious and cultural dialogues is important.
* A working session including women of the Islamic world is desirable.


Economic Empowerment:


* Microfinance projects particularly help women. While the US has been active
here, European leaders noted more could be done from Europe in support of
microfinance and in building partnerships.

Follow-up:


* Austria offered to host a follow-up Working Session.
* A small Steering Committee will be constituted with members from each
region of the world to take women's empowerment forward.

Participants (non-U.S.):

Austria: FM Ursula Plassnik

Bahrain: Ambassador Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, President of the 61st UN
General Assembly

Barbados: FM Dame Billie Miller

Benin: FM Marian Aladji Boni-Diallo

Burundi: FM Antoinette Batumubwira

Croatia: FM Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic

Greece: FM Dora Bakoyannis

Iraq: Minister Wijdan Salim, Minister of Human Rights

Iceland: FM Valgerdur Sverrisdottir

Liberia: President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

Liechtenstein: FM Rita Kieber-Beck

Malawi: FM Joyce Banda

Mozambique: FM Alcinda de Abreu

Niger: FM Aichatou Mindaoudou

Nigeria: FM Ogwu

Pakistan: Minister Sumaira Malik, Minister for Women's Development

Poland: FM Anna Fotyga

Tanzania: FM Asha-Rose Mtengeti-Migiro


Participants (U.S.):

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for Women's Empowerment, Ambassador
Shrin Tahir-Kheli

Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, Paula J. Dobriansky

Questions about this event should be directed to the Office of the Senior
Advisor to the Secretary of State for Women's Empowerment at 202-647-7282.

2006/927




Released on October 12, 2006

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See http://www.state.gov/g/wi/ for International Women's Issues